Crime and murder shows are a dime a dozen these days. "CSI," "Law & Order," "Criminal Minds," their multiple spin-offs — it's safe to say that you could turn on your TV at any moment and find a team of detectives investigating the latest whodunit and trying to bring a killer to justice.
Where "The Killing," AMC's newest drama series, varies from those shows, though, is that the titular crime is the focus of the entire 13-episode season, not just one episode. Each week's installment does not tie up a different case in a neat little bow. Instead, the murder is drawn out, giving the audience the chance to see how it actually affects those parties involved.
Sarah Linden (Mireille Enos) is the lead homicide detective investigating the murder of young Rosie Larsen. Although Linden was about to move to Sonoma, Calif., (a sunny change from perpetually rainy Seattle, where the show is set) with her fiance and son, her final case keeps her around, partnered with Stephen Holder (Joel Kinnaman), the detective who was supposed to take her place.
Enos plays Linden with a calm quiet that is unlike any TV detective we're used to (especially any female detective). Holder has his own skeevy style of investigating, but Linden is all about thoughtful observation, and Enos expertly captures her penchant for few words.
Although Linden is unquestionably the lead, the police investigation is only one of three main stories being told. Rosie Larsen's mother Mitch (Michelle Forbes) and father Stanley (Brent Sexton), as the emotional anchors of the series, are the second focus. Their evolution in the pilot episode alone, from thinking Rosie just spent the weekend at a friend's house to learning she had been killed, was heartbreaking and terrifying to behold. Their story is one not normally seen in crime dramas, beyond the typical single-scene breakdown, but if there is anything "The Killing" reminds us of, it's that Rosie is far from the only victim of the horrific crime.
The third piece centers on Darren Richmond (Billy Campbell), a city councilman running for mayor. His story at this point has the most tenuous connection to the murder storyline, but when Rosie's body is found in the back of a town car belonging to his campaign, the connection becomes immediately more substantial. Campbell seems to play the principled politician well, but it's hard to pass judgment before his role in the grander story is clearer.
The other big difference between "The Killing" and your run-of-the-mill crime procedural is that it airs on AMC, the basic-cable home for prestige drama. That platform, and the network's desire to keep building upon the brand it has established with "Mad Men," "Breaking Bad" and "The Walking Dead," are what enable the series to play out as a long-form murder mystery that's more about the characters than the case.
Series showrunner Veena Sud, who adapted "The Killing" from the hit Danish series "Forbrydelsen," has taken that creative freedom and run with it. Sud, as a veteran of CBS' "Cold Case" (2003-10), is no stranger to crime dramas, but here she is doing a complete 180 in terms of story length and character building and so far seems to be having no trouble.
Sud has also done a terrific job thus far establishing the dreary tone and atmosphere of the series. Although the costumes are not as rich as Don Draper's suits in "Mad Men" and the landscapes are nothing compared to the picturesque backdrop of Albuquerque, N.M., in "Breaking Bad," "The Killing" nevertheless has a distinct style after only two episodes. The sound of rain is constantly in the background, and the color palette is full of cold blues and greens, setting the scene for a chilling tale.
If anything, "The Killing" most resembles AMC's sole failure, "Rubicon." Both share a slow, methodical pace and intensely human characters. If "The Killing" can, unlike "Rubicon," just make sure to stick the landing, it looks like we might have another AMC classic on our hands.
