The Killing

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.

Suda has created a sublime mystery/ thriller. This series has excellent direction, cinematography, writing, setting, score and acting. All the actors involved deliver superlative performances. Enos and Kinnaman command the series. The plot is set in a rainy and dark Seattle which sets the mood for the series. The plot revolves around the mysterious murder of a young women. Teaming up to solve the case are two detectives with much different styles and both with turbulent backgrounds. One is a seasoned by the book detective, Sarah Linden and the other is a younger street smart detective, Stephen Holder who is transferred from the narcotics division. Together they make a perfect team viewing the mystery from different perspectives and styles. During the case they encounter obstacles at every angle and the case reaches as high as the most elite individuals in Seattle. The plot is consistent, flawless, intense, clever, ingenious, violent, memorable and unique. The series is duplicitous and a has a cathartic ending that brings complete closure, including the partnership of Sarah and Stephen. This remains one of the best series in it's genre to this day.

"The Killing" is an adaptation of a Danish TV series, and was billed to me as "Twin Peaks meets 24". Well it certainly does seem like an updated "Twin Peaks" so far, minus some of the bizarre twists and turns. Not that there's anything wrong with that, beautiful-girl-murdered is a time-tested premise that makes for a good crime drama.

In the first two episodes I was relieved to find some serious, quality television. The story isn't terribly remarkable - so far we know that a pretty typical teen girl has been murdered, that her parents are genuinely crushed with grief, and that the detective who caught the case, Sarah Linden, was due to leave the job and move to San Diego to get married had the case not come up.

The story is told with impressive direction and good enough writing, with plenty of details and realism to hook in most viewers. Like any good mystery, the introduction simply raises questions, and gets the viewer to care about what's going on. Mission accomplished.

The music is a bit hokey, drifting into melodrama at times, but that's the only real fault I can find. This is a fine start. It seems unlikely to dethrone "The Wire" as a pinnacle of realism but it's already better than any crime drama the networks have going. I'm looking forward to the next episode.

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 am writing this after the first season finale, and I came to this without expecting much and what a shocking pleasant surprise it was and absolute gem of a thriller.

I rarely give a rating of 10, there would always be some part that would be missing and something goes wrong in any department, nothing ever went wrong with this.

The whole first season is one murder case, so you can expect some slow pace, and slow pace doesn't always mean a drag, and "The Killing" is the best example for that, the pace is deliberately set to slow, to let all emotions, settings to sink in, the show gives you very subtle clues and you would swear that know who killed "Rosie Larsen" and think it is your idea, which is most often first proved right then wrong :) The acting, direction, screenplay, music a absolute top notch, a lessen that other crime thrillers (CSI, Criminal Minds, Suspect Behavior et. al.) should take a note of this epic of a thriller.

If you haven't watch it yet you are missing an epic.