Note: This story contains spoilers from “Adolescence” on Netflix.

There’s a lot about “Adolescence,” Netflix’s new limited series, that is designed to shock viewers. But perhaps the most surprising detail of the whole show is its complete absence of a big twist.

Jack Thorne, Stephen Graham and director Philip Barantini’s series bucks the trend of typical crime thrillers, abandoning the idea that these stories have to be told through mysteries. “Adolescence” doesn’t care about the “who” or “how” of its central murder. It cares about the “why,” as well as the repercussions the crime has on Jamie’s (Owen Cooper) family and friends. It’s the series’ lack of clear answers around that question that makes it so very haunting.

Did Jamie kill the girl in “Adolescence”?

There’s not a big twist in this particular Netflix crime drama. Yes, Jamie did kill his classmate Katie Leonard...