The Killing (2011– )

Follows the police investigation of the murder of a young girl, tying together three interlocking stories as investigators chase a variety of leads.

Stars:

Mireille Enos, Joel Kinnaman, Liam James

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 2 wins & 16 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Mireille Enos	...	Sarah Linden (38 episodes, 2011-2013)
Joel Kinnaman	...	Stephen Holder (38 episodes, 2011-2013)
Liam James	...	Jack Linden (35 episodes, 2011-2013)
Billy Campbell	...	Darren Richmond (26 episodes, 2011-2012)
Michelle Forbes	...	Mitch Larsen (26 episodes, 2011-2012)
Brent Sexton	...	Stan Larsen (26 episodes, 2011-2012)
Kristin Lehman	...	Gwen Eaton (26 episodes, 2011-2012)
Eric Ladin	...	Jamie Wright (26 episodes, 2011-2012)
Jamie Anne Allman	...	Terry Marek (26 episodes, 2011-2012)
Evan Bird	...	Tom Larsen (22 episodes, 2011-2012)
Seth Isaac Johnson	...	Denny Larsen (22 episodes, 2011-2012)
Tom Butler	...	Mayor Lesley Adams (19 episodes, 2011-2012)
Annie Corley	...	Regi Darnell (16 episodes, 2011-2013)

Storyline

In Seattle, Det. Sarah Linden is on what is supposed to be her last day on the job. She and her son Jack are supposed to leave that evening to join her fiancé in Sonoma. Her replacement, Det. Stephen Holder, is ready to take over but they answer a call from a patrol car who have found a bloodied sweater in a field. When the missing girl, Rosie Larsen, is found in the trunk of a car at the bottom of a lake it turns out the car is registered to the campaign committee for councilman Darren Richmond, who is running for mayor. Linden delays her departure for what she hopes will be only a few days.

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Plot Keywords:

murder | based on tv series | crime investigation | seattle washington | police detective | 

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Taglines:

Be Careful What You Uncover

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

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Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Official Sites:

AMC [us]

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English Persian

Also Known As:

Dochodzenie

Filming Locations:

The Bridge Studios, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

KMF Films, Fuse Entertainment, Fox Television Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

45 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Danish title of the original series, "Forbrydelsen", actually translates to "The Crime" - not "The Killing" as it was called in the UK.

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Connections

Featured in The Wright Stuff: Episode #15.125 (2011)

User Reviews

Dark and brilliantly introspective.

When I was twenty-four, I was the foreman for the jury of a murder trial. There was plenty of evidence, including eye witness testimony, that indicated the young man's guilt. After two days of deliberations and endless discussions, we voted to convict. On our way out of the courtroom, I remember distinctly the high spirits we were all in. We had done our job as citizens. We had helped take a bad man off the streets. We helped get justice for a murdered individual. There were a lot of smiles and handshakes and back-pats. Then on the way out we passed the convicted man's eight-month-along pregnant wife. She was sitting, alone, on a bench outside the courtroom, sobbing. The implications of our decision for her and that unborn child hit me all at once as we passed. I wasn't smiling anymore; none of us were. The thing is, I still believe we did the right thing. It was our job to vote on the evidence and that's what we did. But even so, I'd be lying if I said I slept soundly that night.

The reason I mention that long-winded story is to illustrate a point. Real life is messy. Even when we make what we truly believe are the "right" decisions we don't always feel all that good about them. Sometimes to do what we think is right we end up hurting, albeit unintentionally, someone else. Even worse, sometimes we hurt someone doing what we think is right and then find out later that we were wrong. And that, as Aristotle would say, just plain sucks.

But it is the imperfect, wonderful world we all live in. Which brings me to AMC's fantastic 'The Killing'. A Danish import, 'Killing' follows the murder investigation of young woman in Seattle, Washington. The story is told in thirteen 1 hour episodes through the perspectives of the people whose lives are impacted by the murder and subsequent investigation, with special emphasis on lead investigator Sarah Linden (played picture-perfect by Mireille Enos). Amazingly, despite a fairly large cast, there is nary a flat character to be found. All the players are fleshed out, fully realized people with deep complexity and back-story. This allows the show to rise above a simple whodunit police procedural and really delve into just what a murder means to the people in the victim's life. It is alternately dark and gritty, inspirational, and heart breaking to watch these people cope with the loss and fear that surrounds this girls murder.

And that brings me back to my original point. The reason I love this show so much is because, unlike the many many many police procedurals out there, it is no fairy tale with all the bad guys punished and good guys victorious. It makes you wallow in the mud with the characters, encouraging you to feel all the frustration and confusion that they feel. It makes you want what they want, only to remind you that even good people and good decisions have consequences that are far less than ideal. This is the kind of show that you think about after it's over, asking yourself if you would have done this or that differently. But that deeply unsettled feeling you get is the digestive price you pay for such a rich, not-written-for-kids storyline, and is so worth it. There is really nothing quite like it on TV right now; I highly recommend it.