The Killing-New AMC Show

[Eastern Girl]

I thought Richmonds wife died after being hit by a drunk driver?

I had a feeling that the Aunt was hiding something after Rosie's funeral, when they were back at the house and people were greeting them. The dad of Rosie's rich ex was there and she seemed to expect some sort of reaction from him and was hurt when he just blew her off. They never really addressed that though. I imagine that he was perhaps one of her dates.

Also, what's going on with the guy in the hospital? He's still hanging in there then?

I could have used a few more episodes frankly to hash some of this stuff out.

[Badgers Nose]

Originally Posted by getbak

Do we know how Richmond's wife died?

I'm thinking she drowned somehow. Then, when he was with the prostitutes, he would choose women who looked like his wife and try to relive his time with her.

The girl who posted the warning said that he was a nice guy until he started asking her about drowning, which was when it got creepy. So, if he's going on these "dates" to try to resurrect his wife, he eventually remembers that he's not with his wife, and he turns wistful and starts thinking about her and how she died.


I'm also thinking that Richmond is one final red herring, and it will turn out to be either the female campaign advisor, or the male campaign weasel who killed Rosie, either out of jealousy, or because Rosie was threatening to go public with information about the Beau Soleil.


I also think it could turn out that Rosie wasn't actually working for the Beau Soleil, but she found out that her aunt was, and she was blackmailing the Richmond campaign to keep it a secret.

Good theories - same as my wife's.

IMO Richmond is too obvious - I agree that he is a red herring. I don't think it is Drexler either.

Re: Campaign Team - Killing a little girl out of jealousy or to keep her quiet does not fit those characters. They would risk more in a campaign by killing her. And blondie does not seem like the raging type.

Maybe her dad the Senator could do something like that? But that is a stretch.

I think the Greek mafia will play into this. Maybe they run the Beau Soleil and Rosie stumbled into something she shouldn't have.

Love this show.

[Barnes]

I also think Rosie got the 7g's by blackmailing Richmond. The blond dude in his campaign killed her to keep her quiet.

[GGG]

I have had the Current Mayor from the first show so I am sticking with him setting up Richmond.

I like the show but what bugs me about it is the Red Herring to Red Herring nature without really forshadowing who the actual killer is. Really before this episode we had as much info on who the actual killer was then we had after the first episode.

Maybe it is supposed to simulate a police investigation where they go from one suspect to the next but it seems like a very linear way of story telling. Instead of the plot going its the kids, its richmond, its the teacher, its the muslim, its the employee I would perfer the cops slowly found evidence for all the suspects and narrowed from there from episode to episode. More of a multi-pronged approach then what they do.

It is a subtle difference but it would allow for a more fufilling discussion of who did it then the current format allows where the keep walloping us with new evidence and twists every episode.

All that said I do really enjoy the show.

[Ark2]

Originally Posted by GGG

I have had the Current Mayor from the first show so I am sticking with him setting up Richmond.

I like the show but what bugs me about it is the Red Herring to Red Herring nature without really forshadowing who the actual killer is. Really before this episode we had as much info on who the actual killer was then we had after the first episode.

Maybe it is supposed to simulate a police investigation where they go from one suspect to the next but it seems like a very linear way of story telling. Instead of the plot going its the kids, its richmond, its the teacher, its the muslim, its the employee I would perfer the cops slowly found evidence for all the suspects and narrowed from there from episode to episode. More of a multi-pronged approach then what they do.

It is a subtle difference but it would allow for a more fufilling discussion of who did it then the current format allows where the keep walloping us with new evidence and twists every episode.

I agree with this. I think the writing is really wasting some very good acting performances from the cast. The basic formula has been, follow a lead for 1 and a half episodes, then have it completely explained away by some ridiculous and far fetched coincidence, then begin new lead. Maybe it's because I watched The Wire, but I just expect some realism from a show like this.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Ark2

I agree with this. I think the writing is really wasting some very good acting performances from the cast. The basic formula has been, follow a lead for 1 and a half episodes, then have it completely explained away by some ridiculous and far fetched coincidence, then begin new lead. Maybe it's because I watched The Wire, but I just expect some realism from a show like this.

The acting is why I keep coming back to the show.

I really like the two cops, Richmond, and the slimy campaign guy.

[Saint Troy]

Cool episode, didn't hate last week but thought it seemed out of place. Nevertheless I need to know what went down, and the acting has been solid, so I'm in for the long haul now.

[getbak]

I think last week's episode would have worked better if it had been a lot earlier in the season.

To me, the overall pacing of the story has been the big drawback of the series. Too much time was spent chasing the leads on the teacher, which ended up going nowhere, and now they're into the final episodes and the case finally comes together.

It reminds me of when I was in school and had to write an essay in English or Social on the final exam, and I'd start writing and be very verbose and go into a lot of detail setting up the essay, then I'd look at the clock and realize time was running out and I had better get to my point before I ran out of time, and I'd end up rushing through the actual important parts to get done.


The original Danish series was 20 episodes long, so I wonder if the American show-runners tried to copy it too closely without properly adjusting for having 7 fewer episodes to work with?

[HPLovecraft]

Say what you want about the Killing, but this show has a knack for making kick-ass cliffhanger episode endings.

[Ark2]

Originally Posted by HPLovecraft

Say what you want about the Killing, but this show has a knack for making kick-ass cliffhanger episode endings.

So does True Blood. Doesn't make it a good show.

[HPLovecraft]

Originally Posted by Ark2

So does True Blood. Doesn't make it a good show.

Did I say it did?

[nik-]

Originally Posted by HPLovecraft

Say what you want about the Killing, but this show has a knack for making kick-ass cliffhanger episode endings.

Kick ass? They're cheap cliffhanger endings because for several of these episodes there is little to no plot advancement and then at the end of the episode they do 5 minutes of the story into a cliffhanger.

There is nothing about that that is "kick-ass"

[Ark2]

Originally Posted by nik-

Kick ass? They're cheap cliffhanger endings because for several of these episodes there is little to no plot advancement and then at the end of the episode they do 5 minutes of the story into a cliffhanger.

There is nothing about that that is "kick-ass"

Agreed. Especially when in the very next episode, the previous episode's cliff hanger is foiled and becomes nothing significant.

[Eastern Girl]

But isn't this how actual cases tend to churn out? I haven't investigated too many murder cases myself, but isn't that how they go about it, following whatever leads they get? Sometimes it takes them to more tips, sometimes they don't pan out, many people are suspects and methodically ruled out, as they gain more evidence.

That's what they have done and I've been enjoying it. Like I said earlier, I could have used another couple episodes just to hash out some of the things they've brought up and seemingly glossed over, but otherwise, I think it's been a strong season.



Will we actually find out who the killer is tonight? Or is this going to go into next season? Assuming there is another.

[metallicat]

If this continues on into next season and they don't reveal the killer, I am not watching anymore. Take that AMC!

[HPLovecraft]

Originally Posted by nik-

Kick ass? They're cheap cliffhanger endings because for several of these episodes there is little to no plot advancement and then at the end of the episode they do 5 minutes of the story into a cliffhanger.

There is nothing about that that is "kick-ass"

I'm not talking about the rest of the episode, I'm talking about the scenes that compose the endings of them, which, yes, are exciting and kick-ass. The good music helps, too.

If you didn't find last episode's e-mail chimes an exciting end to the episode, I'm not sure what to say. Or the beating of Bennett in the rain with Ratboy punching the rock, even though it ultimately led to a dead end, is, still, a hell of an ending to an episode. Amongst many others.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by HPLovecraft

I'm not talking about the rest of the episode, I'm talking about the scenes that compose the endings of them, which, yes, are exciting and kick-ass. The good music helps, too.

If you didn't find last episode's e-mail chimes an exciting end to the episode, I'm not sure what to say. Or the beating of Bennett in the rain with Ratboy punching the rock, even though it ultimately led to a dead end, is, still, a hell of an ending to an episode. Amongst many others.

I can't just compartmentalize a single scene like that and ignore the build-up to it when the scene is supposed to be a result of what's happening in a story. Last weeks scene was great, but the episode overall was much better than normal so you have this good episode unravelling plot and then ending on this suspenseful note. When it's a BS episode and then they toss the cliffhanger at the end, it's not entertaining, it's annoying and sort of lazy.

I mean there's no right and wrong here, if you're enjoying it, then it's working for you and it's successful. I just hate when shows pull this crap.

[HPLovecraft]

Originally Posted by nik-

I can't just compartmentalize a single scene like that and ignore the build-up to it when the scene is supposed to be a result of what's happening in a story. Last weeks scene was great, but the episode overall was much better than normal so you have this good episode unravelling plot and then ending on this suspenseful note. When it's a BS episode and then they toss the cliffhanger at the end, it's not entertaining, it's annoying and sort of lazy.

I mean there's no right and wrong here, if you're enjoying it, then it's working for you and it's successful. I just hate when shows pull this crap.

Meh, each their own, I guess, but I can still appreciate good scenes in the midst of a crappy TV show or movie. I hated Jurassic Park 2, but that scene where the T-Rex parents attack the research vehicles and the bald guy is trying to haul them up with the chain in the middle of it all was kick-ass. Rest of the movie, not so much (and, oddly enough, that movie also has one of my most hated and despised scenes on film - that little kid defeating the raptor with those stupid gymnastic flips). The Phantom Menace was an annoying POS, but the Darth Maul fight scenes were kick-ass. Doesn't mean I'm a fan of the work, though.

[Mike F]

Originally Posted by Eastern Girl

But isn't this how actual cases tend to churn out? I haven't investigated too many murder cases myself, but isn't that how they go about it, following whatever leads they get? Sometimes it takes them to more tips, sometimes they don't pan out, many people are suspects and methodically ruled out, as they gain more evidence.

I doubt most real cases have the cops having no idea that a person in their midst all along is the killer, but then find one key piece of evidence that reveals the killer 5 minutes before they arrest him/her. The obvious exception being DNA found at the scene.

I suspect that the people arrested are "persons of interest" long before the cuffs get put on them. They may not be the only person of interest, with others being ruled out over time, but I'm betting the arrow starts to point to them, more and more evidence is gathered to build a case, and the arrest is finally made when the evidence becomes overwhelming.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Eastern Girl

Will we actually find out who the killer is tonight? Or is this going to go into next season? Assuming there is another.

There will be a second season (AMC announced it last week), but the Rosie Larsen investigation should wrap up tonight.

For the Danish original, I think the female detective was the only main character in common between the first and second season, with a few minor characters reprising their roles. The overall mystery was a completely different case.