From the network that airs such astounding dramas as “Mad Men” and “Breaking Bad,” comes a noir-styled, multilayered crime thriller. Adapted from a popular 2007 Danish television show called “Forbrydelsen,” AMC’s “The Killing” is a new murder-mystery drama that centers upon the show’s promo and underlying question: Who killed Rosie Larsen?
This story, along with other elements within the show, set “The Killing” apart from other crime dramas where murders are normally solved within 40 minutes. All of the episodes are set in a certain chronological fashion, with none lasting longer than a single day of the investigation. The entire story successfully manages not to spoil too many of its secrets, as there are more than just the mystery behind Larsen’s murder.
The show opens with two women out running. While one is out at night running for her life, and the other during the day as a long-distance runner, their paths are eventually linked. A missing person’s case turns into a case of murder when detectives Sarah Linden (Mireille Enos) and Stephen Holder (Joel Kinnaman) take on the case surrounding Larsen’s homicide.
“The Killing” doesn’t just revolve around the mystery of Rosie Larsen. Other aspects of the show’s story include the grief felt by Larsen’s parents (Brent Sexton and Michelle Forbes) after her death and its impact on the entire community. Also, city councilor Darren Richmond (Billy Campbell) catches detectives’ attention after they discover that Larsen has some involvement in his mayoral campaign in Seattle.
Mireille Enos steals the show while brilliantly portraying Detective Linden. Her character is ecstatic to leave to marry in California, but the murder case of Rosie Larsen forces her to stay. Enos not only portrays Linden as a tough detective and a struggling mother but also an emotionally troubled character as her job is complicating her relationship with her fiancé.
Joel Kinnaman portrays a captivating Detective Holder, an ex-narcotics detective whose idea of prying information from teenage girls is offering them some marijuana.
His character also seems interestingly more connected to the suspects than the good guys. Michelle Forbes is also superb as Larsen’s grieving mother whose relationship with her daughter is more complicated than it looks. The scene where both she and her husband hear about Larsen’s death is the most emotionally captivating moment to hit television this the year.
Anyone familiar with the classic murder drama “Twin Peaks” would probably instantly recognize the similarities. Since both shows revolve around the death of a young girl somewhere in the state of Washington, “The Killing” may even feel like a rip-off of “Twin Peaks” to some people. However, while the comparisons are undeniable, this doesn’t undermine the show at all.
Everybody feels the effect of Larsen’s death, and everybody is a suspect. The show’s undeniable suspense and brilliant performances will make audiences waiting impatiently for what happens next and for the murderer to be unveiled.