User reviews

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.

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.

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.

Stunning, brilliant, searing and unending emotional commitment from stars Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman. Kinnaman has gone on to a little project called Suicide Squad and is leading man material - I like that he is a unorthodox hero that's been dragged thru the gutter, an ex-junkie with a heart of a lion. Enos is the surprise here. Feral, caustic work and she is often unlikable and yet you love her for her humanity. The series has tough police work and tough cases that are unflinching and, at times, stomach churning. Excellent supporting work from Billy Campbell (career best) and Brent Sexton and Michelle Forbes' scenes - particularly early on is literally the best thing you will ever see on television. She and he both deserve Emmys.

The best season is Season 4 and it is heartbreaking and breathtaking at the same time. I will not spoil the ending, but I will say this. I was sobbing as it came to an end hoping and wishing it would not conclude with such adroit and dry-eyed heaviness and I was rewarded. I cheered thru my tears. I cheered for my television. I cheered for writers that found humor and home and love in this mess of a show and that's why I am rating it 10 Stars! The Killing wears it's heart on it's sleeve and beats you senseless and - at the end - gives you the one emotion that truly matters. Watch and you'll know what I mean.

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!

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.

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 spent two weeks binge-watching this series and after finishing last night, today I re-watched the first 6 episodes. My stomach has been in knots all this time, and frankly, most of the time I felt like I was about to have a heart attack.

That's how intense the show is. Not everything is perfect, and some reviewers point out some 'flaws' but that's a matter of opinion. I personally loved that we see the grieving family so much, and Linden's relationship with her son. Normally in shows the gruesome stuff is hidden, we don't get to feel what it's like to lose someone, to struggle from day to day trying to be the person we want to be. In other shows the focus is on the killer and detective work, and we don't see what a cop's personal life is like when he/she has to deal with the nuances of the job that they chose as their calling. 'The Killing' makes you wonder, who in this world is capable of being a homicide detective? Who wants to do that? If you criticize Linden, try to imagine what it would be like for you. I love how messed up she is, she's been doing it for years, it all must have gotten to her. And Holder, her junkie joke of a partner? That's what he is initially but he slowly becomes a real hero. Both of them are heroes because they care like no one else. They work round the clock to catch the bad guy, and they'd do absolutely anything, and sacrifice everything for the case and their partner. Both are seriously messed up but they 'found' each other and can fix each other - and that's not an easy job. It's beautiful to watch how tight they become in the end.

Well, that's why I wanted to give the show 9 stars - because at the end of season 3 things get crazy, and even though it does make sense throughout season 4, I felt royally cheated until almost the very end. Here you have the good guys with principles go off the rails. They turn on each other and seem like they're gonna lose everything. That wasn't supposed to happen (in my opinion at least). They were supposed to be OK. Now it looks like they didn't have a chance from the start. I hated who Linden and Holder became, and barely managed to get through season 4 because I was seriously expecting them to kill each other, and I couldn't stand the thought.

I love that the show is slow-cooking, but at the same time there's a lot of information coming in from all directions so it's a nail-biting experience. The detectives have such great chemistry that it's insane - and I don't mean they're so into each other. They simply get who the other person is. The acting is brilliant, as is the writing for these two. Most people would spend hours talking on a date and wouldn't find out much about each other, but Linden and Holder need only a sentence each to communicate a thousand words. Their most intimate conversations are about the case, and that's weird but also sweet because this is all they have: this job, and they can only show their true selves in a conversation with another person who knows this job inside out like they do. You get to know them so well through those limited sound bites that you learn to literally read their thoughts. That was the main reason why I was so immersed in the show: I wanted to see how their relationship develops - not a romantic relationship but their relationship as friends who could die for each other if they had to. They will remind you of you in your darkest hours, there is so much to relate to here, no matter where you've been emotionally. How does someone write that into a show and make it so real and authentic? The writers of the show did an outstanding job.

At first I didn't like the fact that Linden's ugly and that they always wear the same clothes and it always rains. But then the little things added up to create a mood that you can't shake off. (OK, I was happy that Holder finally changed into a different hoodie after maybe 8 episodes and that in season 2 it rained much less.) Linden basically has the same facial expression 95% of the time, but with that one face and her emotionless voice she does it all. And Holder, the ex-junkie joker has a whole arsenal of moves and looks that define him and help him connect with Linden in ways that no one ever has. That's why they're such a powerful, unstoppable force that you can't stop watching.

Season 4 is uglier than the previous ones, and of course throughout the show I asked myself sometimes, why this or that, but it does makes sense and the show is amazingly well written and directed. The story lines keep you guessing, and it seems like the writers were in control of all the threads of every story. Either that or they did a good job hiding what didn't work.

Anyone can point out plot holes or weird things in the show but the truth is, there's a lot that isn't said because you can work it out yourself. I like to pick a show or a movie apart. Here, I believed the writers. I think the show scores very high on credibility and it will have you asking until the end: 'Will they or won't they?' You go figure out what I mean.

This is the best crime show I've ever seen, no doubt. And that heart attack feeling isn't going away soon. It's definitely unmissable and addictive as hell. It cost me two weeks of my life but man, it was worth it.

I haven't seen the original Danish version and America has always received flack for their versions of European films or series. I have to say though The Killing US is slow, dreary, and brilliant! The first episode was gut-wrenching and I was sucked in straight away. It is very slow, not much happens in each episode but it allows for the viewer to feel the pain and frustration of the family and the police in finding the culprit. If I had watched the Danish version I cannot say I would feel the same. Obviously the original is always better but I think people are being unfair in slating the US version. A must-see in my opinion.

Seattle's chaotic atmosphere effects characters. This series never take the way easy out, screenplay went deep with whole details. There is no disconnect with twists and pilots. On the other hand, acting.. it must be a acting lesson, Mireille Enos, Joel Kinnaman they gave one of the best performance ever that on TV history. Emotions, noir, reality are masterpiece. And again, Seattle is such a dark city. Plot twist was a unpredictable and perfectly Sophisticated.

The show could have been good if it wasnt so drawn out. There is so many plot details that go nowhere and just exist to prolong the story. The first case could've been solved in 10 episodes easily but is drawn out to 26. There are better detective shows to get yourself into.

This is an excellent police drama. The first two seasons focus on one murder, and the many avenues taken to solve the crime. The last two seasons each deal with a single crime. This was very well cast and written. I honestly can not say enough good about this series, except for the fact that is is only four seasons long. I had extremely high hopes that it would keep going once Netflix picked it up. Unfortunately, as is the case with many very good dramas, it ended before its time. Give this show a watch, you will not regret it.

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.

This is the Americanized version of a Danish series. I use the word Americanized as that aspect probably goes some way to explaining some of the negative reviews on here that encourage people to watch the Original Danish version. I watched one episode of the Danish version but decided I didn't want to have to READ every (subtitled) episode and so moved on to the Americanized version.

And I'm glad I did.

I enjoyed the slow pace at which the story unfolds and the fact that I couldn't tell who the 'guilty' person was by how many minutes were left in an episode.

The characters feel to be believable and are well portrayed.

It's best not to know too much about the story (or stories) before watching as it is the flow of it's telling that determines how much you will enjoy this series. You'll know after two episodes if you want to carry on.

Watch, enjoy, and let others know of it.

"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.

Holy crap I can't believe I missed this show when it was on tv. I have to say it's probably the best crime drama I've ever seen and once you get watching it, you won't be able to stop. The acting is almost perfect from every character. The acting is probably the best I've seen and the cast is spot on. It will keep you guessing from start to finish and is so stinking good I can't believe they stop making the show. If you like crime dramas then this one will capture you hook line and sinker. Give it 3 episodes to get familiar with the characters and then call it a wrap. You won't be able to stop watching. It's gritty, it's intense, it's true crime no question about it. It even has a little humor mixed throughout from the "serial chiller" himself Holder. You will like this show guaranteed and so worth your time. Man what a show...

I watched the original Scandinavian version & actually downloaded this series by mistake believing that a US version would not be able to match the intensity of the original, how wrong I was.

Although I didn't initially warm to the 2 detectives on the case they grew on me, their imperfections were there for all to see and the viewer made his/her call as in all good media. As the series developed the exploration into individual character & personality became more detailed & intense which along with the twists & turns of the plot made compulsive viewing.

I think what was unique about this series was the examination of events on individuals, be they family members, investigators or people just caught up in the bow wave. Some performances are very strong, Stan & Terri & the 2 boys stand out for me!

In conclusion an excellent view & highly recommended 9/10.

The Killing starts decently enough to keep one entertained and gripped. Heck, some might even binge watch it just to know who committed the murder.

But, this cringe worthy subpar soap opera had no intention to tell the viewers that. This TV show is the ace of making the viewers pull their hairs. What makes it worst is some subplots that consume whole episodes. This TV show must have been cancelled even before it started.

No, this is not True Detective and No, this is not a crime show. This is a soap opera dubbed murder mystery. Spare your hairs and call it quits before you go bald.

It's unfortunate that the series is ending, and luckily we get one last season on Netflix. I heard about the Killing from some friends, some mentioned the US version and some mentioned the original version. Since the US version was on Netflix, we streamed it and slowly got hooked.

The relationship between Linden and Holden is so intense and dynamic. They are a great pair of detectives, and the murders that surround them are also interesting. There are some twists and turns but their dedication and dynamic of two broken detectives are story lines on their own.

It's worth a watch. The killing is great!