1. JennetP

   10

   The critics have it right this time: "The Killing" is compelling television. Subtle and intricate without ever seeming slow, the series manages something rarely seen outside of Shakespeare: the sense of a single death having tainted an entire city, from the corridors of power to the hallways of the local high school, even the weather. Normally, I'm annoyed when the media depict Seattle as a place of hard rain, as its precipitation falls mostly as drizzle, but the torrents have a role to play in the series, not as pathetic fallacy, but as something apocalyptic, nature out of control and dangerous. As for more conventional role-playing, I can't cheer loudly enough about the casting, especially the two lead detectives. Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman give unusually raw, intelligent performances, demonstrating by contrast how used to bad acting we've become here in the US. Enos's senior detective, divided between longing for a gentler life and intimacy with violent death, serves as a master class in restraint, hinting at depths of understanding and compassion while maintaining the hard surface the job requires. Kinnaman's young gun is more brash, a badge-wearing bad boy emboldened by success working undercover narcotics and willing to cross ethical lines to solve cases. She's a little bit frumpy, and he's a little bit sleazy, which is brave and absolutely perfect. I'll admit, I don't see much of "Twin Peaks" here, outside the fact that the plot revolves around the body of a murdered girl in water. But "The Killing" lacks TP's quirky characters and fascination with the surreal, and its metaphysics are more "King Lear" than "The Lotus Sutra." The two series do have in common a respect for viewers' intelligence and for the artistic achievement possible in television when those involved are willing to take some real risks. Thank you, thank you, thank you.… Expand

   • Helpful?

     14 of 21 users said yes
2. benjitek

   5

   If you can handle 20 hours of subtitles, the original Danish version is much better. So much was changed or left out of the 13-episode American version. A lot of the plot elements that just didn't seem to fit with the story of the version aired on AMC weren't a part of the Danish original. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the original for rent anywhere -- just for-purchase on Amazon, around $100 for the series -- it's called Forbrydelsen.… Expand

   • Helpful?

     0 of 0 users said yes
3. CrimsonFlush

   0

   How funny to see the Critics give this the highest score this season, one of the worst shows out there. Thank God I stopped watching after episode 2 and didn't have to bare witness to the turd they but out as their final episode. I feel sorry for the people that watched them all this year.… Expand

   • Helpful?

     1 of 1 users said yes

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