The Killing

I was quite hesitant about watching a US production of The Killing after reading negative reviews comparing it to the Danish original, but in the end opted to do so and am very glad I did. What an excellent production! I love the understated mood that somehow manages to amp up the tension so much better than a lot of the hysterical, overacted BS one CAN get with some American crime-themed shows. This one is a standout.

The acting is excellent: the case bring their characters to life subtly but forcefully. And -- hallelujah! -- the people are real, they LOOK real, and they are credibly flawed, and not the laughable, plastic and pretty TV stereotypes we are usually subjected to. Think Bones (for example) ... and if the thought makes you want to vomit, you will love The Killing. If you are a Bones et al fan, go watch The Killing for a lesson on how it should be done.

There is more and more good stuff coming out of the USA ... good news for those of us craving quality entertainment.

I had to watch this twice, the two hour premiere that is. I think what struck me most was the calm and slow storytelling. When TV is drowning in unrealistic CSI's et al (where investigators cook up fingerprints to techno music in dimly lit rooms), every time we pass a CSI on channel surfing my husband always says 'don't they ever turn on the freakin lights in that office?' and we both laugh.

This is police work as it really is, plodding, unexciting, procedural, a lot of driving, mixed with a bit of clever intuition, slammin good.

Every character is a suspect, the story can go anywhere, so promising.

If anyone was worried about the state of the serialized TV drama going too far down the f-word/porn route, all arguments that only subscription HBO or Showtime dramas were good bc they used nudity or cursing bc 'that's how real life is'...this is yet another AMC show that shuts them all up. Don't get me wrong, I love my Trueblood and huge fan of Sopranos et al, but this show isn't a 'guilty pleasure', its just a pleasure.

I love a good whodunit series and this one was excellent; kept me guessing at every twist and turn and there was a lot of both. This drama pulled me in and didn't let go until the last scene which had me holding my breath. Story lines were gritty and not over-the-top. The acting in this thing was old-school good like when directors gave a damn about their craft. The two lead characters were extremely well developed; I always knew who they were and Kinnaman and Enos played off of each other like two virtuosos, stuff was really magic. Seasons 3 and 4 were the best two for my money but seasons 1 and 2 made me stick around for the latter two. I fancy myself a film snob, I'll give films 15 or 20 minutes before I'm bored and surfing for something else. If I watch an entire episode maybe there's something there, I stuck around for all 4 seasons and had withdrawl symptoms when it ended. I can almost promise you that you will never guess whodunit.

Having watched the Danish original "Forbrydelsen" it was with great anticipation and some apprehension that I finally got to see the American adaption to this outstanding and huge successful drama. I was both surprised and amazed. "The Killing" has managed to maintain the somber and somewhat dark ambiance of the original while still incorporating enough elements to make the current version plausible. Kudos to the cast of this version which has kept the integrity of the original and so far, it looks every bit as good as I could have hoped. Although the plot takes its time to unfold, it's well worth the wait. Soon you will be trying to guess who killed the beautiful High School student and realize that nothing is as it seems, each episode offering a different perspective (and suspect) until the tantalizing conclusion. Get hooked!! ;)

I am not someone who typically watches a lot of the new crime investigation shows, most of them are very similar and repetitious however The Killing was really able to catch and keep my attention from the very beginning. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact this show doesn't jam one case into a 1 hour episode with little to no character development. The Killing focuses on one complex murder case per season with many surprising twists and turns that will have you continuously asking who did it?

Joel Kinnaman plays a very likable, colorful detective who is somewhat new to his life of sobriety. Due to his past drug use he has a very keen eye to what goes on in the streets which has allowed him to become very good good at his job and a very useful player on the Seattle police department, he also has some of the funniest one liners that he deliver without coming of corny. Mireille Enos is his partner who also at times is haunted by her past and when initially watching this show her amazing acting really stood out, she was a great pick and fits the role perfectly.

The 1st season was a breath of fresh air in the crime drama genre, the second season was tasked with a sub par storyline, but season 3 I must say has had the best start of the whole series that has me counting down the days till the next show. I highly recommend The Killing and after almost being canceled I hope this show finally gets the views it deserves!