Last night I watched the premiere of AMC's television show The Killing. The first season of the show premiered exactly a year ago on April 3rd , and had one terrific pilot. The opening sequence of the first episode showed the young victim Rosie Larsen running for her life from her eventual killer. The girl was found, and set a mystery in motion. (Note reading below may have some spoilers).The Killing is based on a Danish television series entitled Forbydelsen (The Crime), and was made into a television show in the States by the same creator Veena Sud. Sud wrote the pilot and used the talented Patty Jenkins to direct. One year ago I was hooked, between the solid writing, directing, and performances I was on board for this mystery/thriller. I don't have the same the feelings as much anymore.
The show cleverly uses each episode to describe a day in the lives of the characters. Throughout each day the police investigate the murder, we saw Rosie's parents grieve, and the election for mayor unfold. I liked the way they constructed each episode to represent a day, it helped with the pacing and made the show feel as though it were going somewhere. The problem was that within each episode you followed a red herring, like within a procedural, and at the end of all of episode it felt as though the show led you down endless dead end streets. The show is not meant to be a procedural, but within the context of the case I felt it lost that center.
After to the novelty of the first episode I kept tuning in to this (and may still) because of the great acting from three of its stars. Mireille Enos plays lead detective Sarah Linden, a woman who is hellbent on solving this case; she is a determined cop who often lets the job consume her. Enos received an Emmy and Golden Globe nomination for her portrayal. Michelle Forbes plays Rosie's mom, and she does such a fantastic job, and not only grieving for her daughter but trying to piece her own life together. Forbes received a Best Supporting Actress Emmy nomination. The third person is Joel Kinneman who plays Liner's partner Holden. You never know if you Holden is a good guy, or if you can quite trust him, and Kinnemand plays this brilliantly.
While the acting has been solid since the pilot, the direction of the story has unraveled, and seemed to wander dropping little clues in a frustrating manner. One of the major reasons this show failed at the end of season one was because of the network, AMC.As the first season was coming closer and closer to the end many people wondered, would we know who killed Rosie Larsen? Would the show be picked up for a second season? AMC waited until the last possible minute to release they would be renewing the show, and boom season one ended with an unsatisfying result.
The beginning of season takes the red herring from the end of season one, and makes the story go in another completely different direction. I am dizzy from all of this, and this show needs to focus on solving this case sooner than later. If AMC brings this show back they need to be brave and do what Ryan Murphy is doing with American Horror Story (I never thought I would say those words), but they do not believe in this show enough to completely reboot. This means solve the the case and move on, sorry Rosie Larsen, but this show is making me less interested in you.
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