I remember when I first watched the pilot for The Killing. It was a dreary, dark Monday afternoon, one day after the show premiered. I hit play as the rain hit the windows of my apartment relentlessly and I was mesmerized. The pilot oozed with fantastic performances, a shocking mystery, and beautiful cinematography that captured rainy Seattle at its darkest and emptiest moments. The season followed the mystery of "Who Killed Rosie Larson?," which also happened to be the tagline on the key art for the show's first season. The early episodes were insanely strong but as the season progressed, a shift in public and critical opinion quickly leaned towards frustration. Red herrings were frequent and the show spent a good amount of time following dead end trails that ended up being just a bunch of filler. Then, the season finale came and instead of solving the season's mystery the show left the audience with a cliffhanger that didn't only NOT solve the case but opened up a whole other can of worms with a twist that left us pondering the motives behind one the main characters. Fans were livid and an epic backlash was ignited, mainly on Twitter, because that's where backlashes happen these days. Loyal viewers vowed never to return to the show and expressed deep disgust for show creator, Veena Sud, who appeared to have permanently placed herself on some sort of showrunner blacklist. Surprisingly, I wasn't upset. I thought the first season was strong albeit not perfect, but I wasn't against spending more time in the world of the Rose Larson mystery like most were.
Season 2 came and the backlash showed its strength. Ratings dropped and general interest in the show had decreased significantly but I held onto the hope that the writers knew what they were doing. Season 2 had its moments and I found the ending to be generally satisfying but by the end of the season it was clear The Killing would need a massive overhaul to climb out of the hole it had gotten itself in. On July 27, 2012, AMC announced it would not be renewing the show for a third season. It was a move that came as quite a shock to some but was completely expected by others. I however, was pretty upset. The show was still averaging a healthy-ish number in the ratings and the cancelation felt more decided upon the public and critical backlash as opposed to the fact the show was no longer benefiting the network financially. The show that supposedly "lied to their audience" was gone for good. There was some mild discussion over AMC's decision but then everyone kind of moved on.
In January, out of nowhere, AMC announced the show would be returning for a third season. In a complicated, Hollywood deal, Fox Television Studios and Netflix worked with AMC to help lower the cost to produce the show and aided in making the return a possibility. Also returning was show creator, Veena Sud who released a statement that the third season would be a much improved The Killing and she promised to close the case by the finale. People shrugged their shoulders.
The series returned from the dead on June 2, 2013. The advertising was heavy on the fact that the season would focus on a brand new case, a move surely made to help restore goodwill towards viewers who had turned their backs on the series long ago. Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman returned as Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder respectively, and in an interesting casting move, Peter Sarsgaard signed on for season-long arc in what everyone assumed would be the "big bad" of the season.
After the two-hour premiere, I was kind of miffed. Was that just The Killing?! The new season bursted out of the gate, not with the limping self-pity most expected, but with an electric new storyline and a renewed energy that was sorely missing from the show's second season. The central plot focused on a serial killer picking off street kids one at a time, and Ray Seward (Sarsgaard), a man Linden put away sometime for the murder of his wife, who's now on death-row.
The show felt alive again. Enos and Kinnaman returned strong as ever. Seriously, the bond these two characters have is incredible to watch and the scenes of them sparring back and forth are some of the most enjoyable on television. They feel so lived in, nothing artificial. In the premiere, we are introduced to young Bex Taylor-Klaus as a smart, brave, yet terrified homeless kid, Bullet. Her closest street friend disappears in the first episode which drives the action going forward. Taylor-Klaus is a revelation. She plays Bullet with a fierce cockiness that walks a fine line between endearing and annoying. As the case deepens, Bullet and Holder form a special bond, a bond that Bullet fights at first but succumbs to eventually because deep down she know she needs him. Her only true friend has disappeared and the girl she has a crush on, and would do anything for, has fallen in "love" with another homeless kid with selfish ambitions that Bullet sees right through. She's alone, and so is Holder. The pair's relationship, and the performances by Kinnaman and Taylor-Klaus are magnetic. Seriously.
In the previous two seasons, characters were added to distract and stall time from the central mystery. In season three, Holder and Linden are surrounded by a strong cast of suspects and supporting players that all add to the story and don't detract from it. The gritty underworld of Seattle is explored in fascinating realism. It's a subject many choose to ignore or admit exists but the show handles the subject with grace and panache while simultaneously revealing just how desperate of a situation it is for these kids. One scene set in a homeless shelter focuses on the nightly "bed lottery," which assigns available beds for the night to those in need. Those leftover are told sorry and excused back to the streets. Rather heartbreaking, right?
While the serial killer of street kids was the central focus this season, the side mystery was that of Ray Seward. Arguably, my favorite television character to come along in quite sometime. Ray enters death-row on account of the murder of his wife, a case Linden had a rather large hand in. Opposed to the lethal injection, Seward demands to be hung for his actions, making life difficult for his future executioners. Ray is a fascinating character played masterfully by Peter Sarsgaard. Throughout the season, you're never quite certain if this is a bad man guilty of his actions or an innocent man who is so defeated over how his life has turned out that he doesn't have the energy to fight it. His scenes, and Sarsgaard's performance, are filled with a darkly-grim wit that, despite the seriousness and misery of his situation, made for some wickedly entertaining moments.
This past Sunday, the penultimate episode of the season, "Six Minutes" aired. It was penned by Veena Sud and was one of the best episodes of television I've ever seen. SPOILERS AHEAD. Throughout the season, Linden uncovers a shift in evidence and realizes Ray Seward isn't the guilty man everyone thought he was. The claustrophobic episode focuses on Linden's last ditch effort to save Ray from his inevitable fate. To add tension to proceedings, the episode begins with an eerie fake out of the execution. After the executioners raise the test dummy from gallows they pronounce, "twelve hours, the clock starts now..." It takes what easily could have become a meandering mess and provides the urgency the episode needs to feel real. Set entirely within the confines of the prison, "Six Minutes" was a showcase for the power of Sarsgaard and Eno's performances this season. Ray reminisces with fascinating stories of his past and Linden laughs and cries along with him as they both try to cope with what his future holds.
As the hour nears its conclusion, Ray's son who is now under adopted care has come to see him. The son is nervous and very confused of the entire situation and Ray is hesitant to see him at all. Linden talks to him and says he needs to have a proper goodbye to his son, for both of them to move on. When Ray decides this is the best decision, he nervously fidgets with his clothes, making sure his shirt is properly tucked in and is as presentable as possible. Then, the unthinkable happens – his time is up and the guards come to collect Ray just as his son is standing outside to see him. It's devastating As he is whisked away, Linden screams repeatedly "look outside your windows, Ray!" As the prison guards drag Ray down the hall towards the noose, he resists, not out of protest but of genuine fear, they pause in front of a window where Linden is standing outside with his son. His son gives him a gentle wave that calms him, and gives him the strength to go on. It was incredibly moving and was the moment the episode cemented its place in my list of TV's all-time greatest. In the end, Ray was hanged but not before spitting out this gem – the executioner calls for his last words, Ray responds: "Salisbury steak's not steak; it's ground beef. Now, let's get this show on the road, Warden." Genius. It made me smile, a lot. Seriously, Sarsgaard's performance was magnificent and in a better world he would be walking away with an Emmy this fall for supporting actor.
Tonight, The Killing airs its two-hour season finale and I really hope that it isn't its last. This season the show has delivered on all the promises it made back in April 2011. A complex, intriguing central mystery, supporting characters that actually support, don't detract, from the story and the continuing story of two fucked up detectives, who are still afraid to admit that they need each other as they navigate the endless despair in their personal and professional lives. It's not a happy show. It can make you feel pretty awful but as opposed to the first two seasons, where the misery seemed to be thrown in just because, this season it means more. The world has gone mad and these characters, specifically Linden and Holder, seek desperately for any possible way to do some good for society and the people who surround them. They stumble, they lose their way but in the end they are two people fighting against a justice and social system gone horribly awry It's these types of moments that give the world of the The Killing light. Even in its darkest times, even when the rain refuses to stop, there is hope.
The two-hour season finale of The Killing airs tonight at 9/8c on AMC.
