The Killing

Tonight I found myself wondering, what if all television was like AMC's "The Killing"?

Compared to "The Killing" other television seems like shrill, birdlike cries, cries that seem empty, meaningless.

At this point in the mystery, I'm not sure where "The Killing" is going. We've been served up many possible suspects--two politicians engaged in a bitter competition, at least two drug-addled youths and one high school faculty member who may have an unhealthy attraction to the younger student body.

In a typical mystery, "The Killing" doesn't really offer much that is new to its audience. What it gives us is a gritty depiction of a murder investigation from multiple, parallel perspectives. One perspective is that of the detectives investigating the case; another is that of the family members experiencing the loss, a third is that of the political candidates engaged in a no-holds-barred battle to win the upcoming election.

To the family members, this is the case of the loss of a loved one--a loss that comes under the most frightening circumstances. Not only do the parents learn that their daughter was murdered, but they also find that their daughter likely suffered terribly before she died.

To the political candidates whose campaigns are linked to the investigation, the death of the girl is either a political asset or a liability--depending on the campaign with which you are aligned. The girl was found in the trunk of a car used by the Richmond campaign. Perhaps this was a campaign tactic by the current Mayor Lesley Adams to smear the name of challenger Darren Richmond. At this point, the viewer has no idea.

What makes this series really work is its gritty realism. None of the key characters can trust their comrades in this mystery. Even the lead detective Sarah Linden (played by Mirelle Enos) looks into her partner Stephen Holder (Joel Kinnamen). Darren Richmond (Billy Campbell) has a leak in his campaign, but he has no idea who that leak is. And the audience has no idea whether Richmond himself could be the killer.

Each episode follows Linden and Holders' leads as to the identity--or possible identity--of Rosie Larsen's killer. Each episode eliminates--or seemingly eliminates--one or more of the suspects. The viewers cannot help but conclude that her death is somehow linked to the ongoing political battle between Richmond and the current Mayor Adams.

Occam's razor would have the viewers cleave to the simplest premise, but the events depicted move the audience's thoughts to the political backdrop as well as the social realities depicted in the series.

AMC's "The Killing" is compelling as much for the mystery with which it confounds its viewers as for its realism and the detailed character analysis. The viewers come to realize that all of the characters depicted in the story are complex and detailed. Each individual is drawn with an attentive brush. It's up to the viewer to see where the descriptions lead.

I can't say with any certainty who the killer is at this point. All I know is that I'm hooked and I can't stop watching.