Clever reason why mum in Adolescence buys potted plant as subtle moment is overlooked

One tiny detail in Netflix's Adolescence might have been included for an ingenious reason.

Many people found themselves working their way through Netflix mini-series in no time at all – some even in one sitting.

But while the four-episode drama may have felt fleeting, it’s one that’s lingered with a lot of viewers.

The creators have shared various behind-the-scenes insight, including how each episode was shot as one continuous take, meaning that they’d have to start all over again if someone mucked up their lines.

Of course, the actors weren’t the only ones with elaborate details to remember, as the camera crew also had their work cut out for them.

And it seems this may be the reason behind a subtle detail in one of the last episodes – one that you likely will have missed.

The final instalment sees Eddie (Stephen Graham) attempting to enjoy his birthday with his family when his work van is vandalised – having become a target after his son Jamie (Owen Cooper) killed his classmate Katie.

Eddie's birthday took a dark turn when his van was vandalised (Netflix)

We follow Eddie, wife Amanda and their daughter Lisa as they head to a DIY store to grab some paint to cover up the offending graffiti, with crew showing in a BTS feature how the camera was rigged up to the front of the van so that we could see the trio driving.

After Eddie finds some paint, he walks out of the store to see his wife has bought herself a potted plant.

“Got a lovely plant!” she tells him, stroking her new purchase.

“Isn’t it lovely?”

You may have wondered why Amanda decided to buy a plant (Netflix)

We then watch as Eddie throws the paint all over his van in a fit of rage, before opening the door to put Amanda’s plant inside so they can leave.

It’s this moment that appears to be a clever device to allow the camera a reason to get inside the van – after all, he’s not got any paint left to take home, so there’d be no reason to open the door if they hadn’t bought anything else.

Sure, it could also be that Amanda is trying to turn a slightly sour shopping trip into a more normalised experience, but it also seems to serve functionally as well.

As Eddie steps aside from the vehicle to shout at employees who have gathered outside, the camera sneaks inside before the door is closed, meaning it's well-situated to film the heartbroken family as they drive home and receive a devastating phone call from Jamie.

But why couldn’t the camera just get back on the rig to film from the front again? Well, there’s a high chance that rig wasn’t there.

Two vans were used during filming - one with the elaborate rig, one without (Netflix)

In a thread on X, Netflix explained: “There were two vans! The first one is the one you see at the start of the episode when Eddie is trying to get the graffiti off.

“When they go back inside the house, the crew swapped out the vans for one that has a camera rig on the front. As they come back out of the house and get in the van, the shot stays on them as the camera is attached to the rig on the front.”

You’ll have noticed that the van in the parking lot of the DIY store doesn’t have a rig visible, so it’s possible they had to swap it out again for the other van at some point before the journey home.

The rigged-up van as Eddie gets his screwdriver out to open the tin of paint (Netflix)

The rig-free van as he throws the paint (Netflix)

When the family get home, Eddie gets out of the van first and opens the door to retrieve the plant, in turn giving the camera operator a chance to pop out, briefly filming Amanda and Lisa before following Eddie inside.

Clever, eh?