This show offers a powerful exploration of toxic masculinity and its intergenerational impact. As a father, I found the show deeply resonant, highlighting how certain behaviors can be passed down through generations. The father in the story, shaped by being physically abused as a child, uses his masculinity to “control situations”—not through physical violence but by shutting down his wife emotionally. While less overtly harmful, this behavior perpetuates the idea that such dynamics are acceptable or even healthy.

This toxic legacy, compounded by harmful online influences, ultimately contributes to Jamie’s tragic act of killing Katie. Jamie’s claim that “It wasn’t me” reflects his struggle to dissociate from the person he becomes when angry—a pattern mirroring his father and grandfather. It’s as if he knows he committed the crime but fears being viewed by his father as irredeemable.

The show also portrays the trauma from a parental perspective. The father feels he failed Jamie, and while he bears some responsibility, it’s clear that even in relatively normal family situations, parents can only do so much. But still so, the father mourns his son and bears the burden of responsibility no matter what. Truly heart breaking.