The Killing on AMC

[MissingPerson]

BBC4 are repeating the Danish original day by day. We're three episodes in, and thus far, there's been a killing. Sweet Moses Jones, folks weren't kidding about the glacial pace of proceedings.

[rasooli]

Saw a preview for the new season during the walking dead. The new season premieres April 1. Who is going to watch it?

[HandBanana]

Fuck that show.

[RageAgainstTheAoki]

Oh God. I wonder how many of the haters are going to watch the first episode and then pile in here with their list of complaints of how the show wasn't proceeding according to their requirements. I may be alone here, but I'm excited! Love the slow, deliberate pace. Love the characters. Love the red herrings. Ready for more.

Just noticed that Patty Jenkins, director of Monster, won this year's DGA award for tv drama direction for her work on the pilot of The Killing.

[TallGuyCM]

Imma watch it. I'm really curious to see how it ends, and what happens between now and then. I can't help it, although maybe I'm a glutton for punishment.

[rasooli]

Their Wikipedia page says that they'll reveal the killer by the end of the second season. I hope they give a thorough recap of what happened in the first season during the season 2 premiere. I've forgot many of the twists and turns of the first season.

[HandBanana]

Oh God. I wonder how many of the haters are going to watch the first episode and then pile in here with their list of complaints of how the show wasn't proceeding according to their requirements.

Yeah, way to be your own man, watching a terrible show that has nothing to recommend it beyond being a delivery device for a mystery that isnt interesting enough to sustain it.
The dialogue, relationships, and subplots are boring and useless for any other purpose than to pay off this stupid mystery but not for you, you're not like those other "sheeple" (lolz)

You sure dont need your art spoonfed to ya!

They are all just haters anyway, which is totally a thing that regular people say, even when they are not 14 years old.

[RageAgainstTheAoki]

Yeah, way to be your own man, watching a terrible show that has nothing to recommend it beyond being a delivery device for a mystery that isnt interesting enough to sustain it.
The dialogue, relationships, and subplots are boring and useless for any other purpose than to pay off this stupid mystery but not for you, you're not like those other "sheeple" (lolz)

You sure dont need your art spoonfed to ya!

They are all just haters anyway, which is totally a thing that regular people say, even when they are not 14 years old.

Oh good lord, man, what is with the vitriolic response? That^ is not what I'm saying. I get why some people couldn't stand the show. Truly, I do. I get the complaints about finding it dull, feeling that it was all atmosphere and not much else, feeling that some of the acting was far too subtle (the lead detective) and some of it was over-baked (the mother) and thinking that all the red herrings were indications that the show-runner had no idea what she was doing until the end. I even get the sense of betrayal that some people felt after not getting all the answers in the season finale. I get those complaints. I don't agree with them, but I get them. What I don't get is the thousands of people who felt that way but still tuned in week after week. If half way through you realize that the show isn't for you and that the only thing that interests you is knowing the killer, why not stop watching and then just check Wikipedia later on? We live in a time in which you have instant access to an almost endless array of entertainment. In fact, you could argue we're living in a golden age of television in which there are a great number of well written, expertly produced and well acted shows to choose from. If this one isn't doing it for you, turn it off.

[TallGuyCM]

Solid premiere tonight.

[cutterbutter]

Yup yup, still on board with this. Might rewatch the 2nd part though as I lost a bit of my attention. 2 hours for this was a bit much, should have just waited until next week. I was dreading that a new case was going to come about, and the original Rosie case was just going to get tied in haphazardly down the road. Forgot how much I love the atmosphere of this show.

[TallGuyCM]

Yeah, with DirecTV being stupid this was my first time watching the show in HD, and yeah the atmosphere and the scenery was really easy to sink myself into.

[cutterbutter]

I have verizon fios, and the new episodes air at 5pm and 6pm(east coast channel?), but I almost always just record it and watch it late at night. I love any scene in cars, with the rain on the windows; so many shows avoid that.

[TallGuyCM]

haha I was just thinking that exact thought tonight, how neat that looked. And yeah, DirecTV gives me the east coast feeds, but I get some pretty shitty glare on my tv so I never watch anything of substance until it's dark.

[cutterbutter]

I think the editing is a lot stronger now then it was before when its flipping back and forth between different characters/scenes happening at the same time in the show's world. There was a much greater sense of confusion on everyone's part not knowing the all the details but without leaving the audience in the complete dark (besides the mystery of course).

Looks like there are 13 episode again to this season. Looking forward to watching.

[RageAgainstTheAoki]

Very solid premiere; agreed. I think you're right, two hours was too long for one sitting, but I don't think they could have left it with just the first hour. The first was about establishing so much new business. Oh gosh, when Linden realized her Lieutenant was involved in this conspiracy, collected her son from his house, rushed out to the car and turned back to see the lieutenant watching her from his window? Chills. Holder's clearly a good guy, or at least I think he is. Now, who the eff was photographing Linden? Investigative reporter? The Feds? Hmmm. I still think there may be a connection to Terry's old flame -- the wealthy father of Rosie's ex-boyfriend. I'm guessing that crystal glass she was unpacking was a gift from him. But, it could just be another red herring.

I think directors are often the unsung heroes in television. I noticed they've lined up some heavyweight talent thus far. The first episode was directed by the talented Czech/Polish director Agnieszka Holland (Europa Europa, To Kill a Priest, Olivier Olivier, Washington Square, Copying Beethoven and several eps of The Wire and Treme). The second episode was directed by Daniel Attias who directed some of the most thrilling episodes of Big Love plus Six Feet Under, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Friday Night Lights, The Wire, Homeland.... Dude knows what he's doing. Someone should give him a feature.

[RageAgainstTheAoki]

S2E2 -- this ep was a bit a messy. I think they just tried to do too much in one episode. Any suspects jumping out at you? There's obviously something sinister going on with the Polish mafia sorts. I'm starting to wonder if Jamie's devotion to the Councilman is a little more intimate than political loyalty.

[TallGuyCM]

Messy is a nice way of saying it. To me it was like "...aaaaaaand we're back to hour long episodes that don't make one iota of progress in the case or plot/storyline."

[RageAgainstTheAoki]

Well I don't know about that. I just thought it was a bit unfocused and tried to cover too much in under an hour. To me the whole ep was almost worth it for Joel Kinnan's performance and for finally seeing him and Linden reconnected. Pretty crushing stuff seeing him rejected by his nephew -- I thought that scene was beautifully played. And we learned quite a bit. Polish mafia guy appeared to have some connection (ownership?) to the escort agency, the tattoo'd guy from the video works for Stan (and the Polish mafia dude?), Mitch is alive and.. really, really fucked up. The councilman is a shameless flirt with younger, pretty women (the nurse). Jamie seemed to watch the flirtation knowingly. Did he see the same flirtation with Rosie and do something about it...??

Okay, 95% of that will lead nowhere, but I still think that's part of the fun.

[TallGuyCM]

I don't understand what those pieces of wires that Stan found in the van have to do with the mob and/or Rosie's murder...?

[RageAgainstTheAoki]

The stuff that he almost slipped on in the van was lighter fluid and those must have been fuse wires (?) which were used to start the fire at Beau Soleil. He connected the dots and realized that Yannick was responsible for the fire which destroyed Beau Soleil and had something to cover up.

Stronger episode than last week's, I thought. I still think there's some sort of connection with Jasper's dad. The aunt keeps calling him, but that could just be another red herring.

[TallGuyCM]

Much stronger. Just the whole tattoo belongs to the kid who's dad was killed by Stan part was more progress than the entire last episode.

[TallGuyCM]

Fantastic episode tonight. Now we're getting somewhere!

[RageAgainstTheAoki]

That was so good. So Stan wasn't Rosie's real father. Maybe Mitch wasn't her real mother? Maybe the aunt got knocked up while working her night job by someone prominent and her sister and brother-in-law adopted her? Rosie found out and tried to expose this? Okay, grabbing at straws here. But, yeah, great episode.

[RageAgainstTheAoki]

Hmph. Not a great episode. Felt like a necessary transitional ep to get us to wherever the story is going next. Good ending, though. Of course I'm curious to know who David Reiner, Rosie's biological father is and who the hell is following Linden and posting pictures on her fridge. I'm guessing that drawing was related to the prior case that keeps getting reference; the one in which she got a bit obsessive.

[RageAgainstTheAoki]

Don't know what to make of this last episode. I'm probably being too PC here, but the evil Native Americans plot line feels a bit questionable to me.

[Justin170]

I dug it.

[Dogvolta]

I've been needing a new series to watch, and every time I come across The Killing I am super tempted (mainly because I'm a sucker for addicting dramas and Twin Peaks is forever in my top 5). The only thing that prevents me from buying the season is...well, basically everything that has been covered in this thread. I've heard from a few people about the "tactics" this program uses to keep viewers watching...with no pay off. I've read through this thread, and chances are I'll pass on this show. Programs like that piss me off to no end, it fills me with a strong sense of having wasted precious hours and energy only to get slapped in the face.

EDIT: Although I must admit, once season 2 comes out on DVD, I may purchase both seasons. Like I said, I am a sucker for addicting dramas, and this one DOES sound like a roller coaster.

[gazercmh]

Don't know what to make of this last episode. I'm probably being too PC here, but the evil Native Americans plot line feels a bit questionable to me.

Don't forget the evil Asian guy stalking Linden and her son.

[RageAgainstTheAoki]

Dog - why buy them? Check out a couple of eps online or on Netflix. If you dig them, you dig them. If you don't, you don't. The show has its faults, but it's quite unlike anything I've seen on American television before and the cast is really stellar.

Don't forget the evil Asian guy stalking Linden and her son.

Ha. Wait. What? I literally have forgotten that plot line. No kidding. But that's probably just the early onset of dementia. One Asian guy is a little different than an entire Indian tribe, though. I guess it just sticks out to me because they're such an under-represented group on television. And when they are represented they're usually drug addicts and alcoholics or saint-like "spiritual" sages.

[Dogvolta]

Thats right, I forgot it was on Netflix...