Mid-season report: ‘The Killing’ is still killing
AMC has struck gold with The Killing.
Too often, acclaimed television shows lose steam halfway through their inaugural season. I don’t want to point fingers, but some examples have populated HBO recently. AMC’s The Killing, which is officially the strongest new television show of the season, has thankfully gained steam after nine episodes. The crime procedural, week in and week out, keeps the audience’s interest without feeling gimmicky. This is not Law & Order or CSI or Criminal Minds. This is introspective, thoughtful television with an air of reality. It just keeps getting better and better.
The show is finding its footing and now taking the rightful steps of sinking into the psyche of the viewer. Seattle is finally becoming a character itself, with the detectives running up and down its streets, into his shadowed alleyways and peering out through windows at its majestic skyline.
Mireille Enos pulls much of the show together with her simple portrayal of Detective Sarah Linden. She never jumps the gun and always does her homework; the actress is a strong contender for an Emmy Award. This methodical character development may sound like boring television, but it’s actually refreshing to have a detective do actual detective work. Too often we are left with Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni putting their hands on their waist, looking at a crime scene through a pair of sunglasses and offering a stupid comment. That’s not police work, and that’s not interesting. The Killing focuses in and bases its plots in the actual reality surrounding a homicide. It is not cool, but it is true.
Some will undoubtedly say that this breeds boredom, that the show moves too slow. But here’s the great thing about this AMC series: It’s so complex that there are enough characters to keep the interest level extremely high. When we break from the detectives, we have a look at the inner-workings of the suspect list. When we tire of them, we see what’s going on in the mayoral contest. Finally, we share a few moments with the grieving parents and the aftermath of the tragedy. The Killing is a full-circle tragedy that looks at all aspects of how a murder affects a society. Is it too praiseworthy to say that The Killing is very Shakespearean?
Billy Campbell’s character, Darren Richmond, has gone through perhaps the greatest growth in the first nine episodes. We see his ethics constantly tested by his two aides, the ravishing Gwen Eaton (Kristin Lehman) and the sneaky Jamie Wright (Eric Ladin). I get the feeling that these two political advisers are quickly turning into the angel and devil over Darren’s shoulders (though I can’t peg which one is which).
The mayoral contest, which in the beginning seemed like the weakest plot point, has evolved into one of the show’s strongest. And I can’t help but suspect that someone intimately involved with the campaign is the killer of Rosie Larsen.
Some will point to Bennet Ahmed (Brandon Jay McLaren), Rosie’s teacher, or even Belko Royce (Brendan Sexton III), a close friend of the Larsen family. But those two threads seem too easy to decipher. There needs to be someone on the periphery that will step forward as a true, believable suspect, and I feel that the political sphere is where that person will come from. Why else focus on the mayoral contest?
Other thoughts:
My favorite character? Joel Kinnaman’s Stephen Holder. This guy is bad ass, but has a heart. We also have come to learn of his frailty after Sarah catches him at a rehab meeting.
My least favorite character? This one is tougher, but in some ways I think Rosie needs further explanation. When I think of The Killing, I make the instant connection to Twin Peaks (for obvious reasons: murder of a young girl, Washington setting, circle of suspects). The main difference between the two shows is that Twin Peaks grew to know its victim, while The Killing is still keep Rosie at arm’s length. Let’s try to recreate this poor girl not only through her final hours, but her entire life.
Should the television series wrap up the murder investigation in season one? Originally, I thought that was the plan. However, now I think we are in for the long haul, and that’s fine by me. After nine episodes, we are only ten days after the murder, so the show is moving at an intense, deep pace. To keep the energy going, they might have to play with the chronology a bit, by instigating flashbacks. But I do think that Rosie’s murder commands enough attention to last the entire series. Undoubtedly, the best way to keep audiences guessing is to introduce another crime, perhaps another murder.
Plus, the characters are beginning to change their routines and that’s welcome news. Stanley Larsen (Brent Sexton), Rosie’s father, is now in jail and seems as if he will be for a long time. This now makes another plot thread and another setting. Mitch Larsen (Michelle Forbes) will probably go through some dramatic changes in the weeks ahead as well; after all, her daughter is dead and her husband is in jail.
Whatever happens with The Killing, consider me hooked. So far, this television show hasn’t made a mistake. A few minor quibbles, to be sure (can we just keep Sarah Linden and her son in Seattle? I don’t even remember what Sarah’s fiance looks like), but all in all, this AMC show continues to bring the goods.
What will happen next week?
To read our review of the first part of season one, click here.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com