One of the new series I’ve been looking forward to the most was AMC’s The Killing. The series premiered Sunday night on AMC and all I can say is all my hopes and expectations for the series were met, and even exceded.
If you’re not familiar with the show, the premise is simple, Who killed Rosie Larsen? Now, if you think this sounds a bit familiar, you may remember the ’90s show that posed a similar question, Who killed Laura Palmer? Let me put your fears to rest. In the first two episodes of The Killing we have not seen any owls, white or red lodges, and certainly no ladies talking to logs. No, this is a dark murder mystery that will no doubt keep you guessing as to who the killer is the entire season (or series?). Each episode (out of a total of 12) is one day in the investigation in the murder. I think this is a great way to tell the story as you don’t have to wonder where in the timeline events sit. You know how much time has passed between episodes and gives it almost a real time feel.
The show revolves around a detective, Sarah Linden, who is on her way out of rainy Seattle to sunny California. That is, until Rosie Larsen goes missing, and eventually turns up dead. Obviously, this case won’t allow for her to leave to join her new fiance just yet. No, she will want to see this case through until the end, which may cause relationship trouble for her down the road. You can tell that seeing this case through is important to Linden.
So far, in the two episode premiere, we have many suspects to the murder. Is it the sleazy ex-boyfriend? How about the best friend that seems to lie at every turn? Could it have been the parents? How does the councilman running for mayor fit into this? Afterall, it was a campaign car (that was reported stolen) in which Rosie’s body was found. The two shady campaign managers are also suspects. Something is going on in that campaign, the questions is, what? The detective that Linden is training to replace her, Stephen Holder, also has a peculiar way of doing his detective work. Could he have something to do with the girl’s murder? At this point, it’s all up in the air. I suspect that more and more clues will be given as each episode airs.
The first two episodes were gripping and left me wanting more. The tone and pace in the show are perfect for the story being told. It’s dark, creepy, and draws you in. There really isn’t anything bad that I can say about this show so far. The writing is great and the acting is superb. If you’re a fan of mysteries and like shows that keep you guessing, this show is for you. This is definitely a show that I will look forward to seeing every week. The Killing airs on AMC Sunday nights at 10/9c. You can watch the first episode in its entirety for free at the AMC website.
