hojer112

(2012-05-01 11:48:26)

The Killing

Actually the Series is the remake of a Danish series not Swedish andalso written by Danes , all due respect to the late Stieg Larsson. Lotsof good things coming from Scandinavia these days which is DenmarkNorway ,Sweden, Finland and Iceland.Not only Sweden , just think of therecent best foreign film winner at the Oscar "In a betterworld".However the series is great. set in the US version in Seattle ,which is a very good choice. Casting is excellent and very true to the"original" in my opinion. Cant wait to see the rest. I was glued to myseat.I can not wait to see the development of the series and if thekiller is the same as in the original. You just can not guess it, sincethere are so many twists and turns to the story. I remember that thestreets in Denmark were swept for people when the series wereshown.Hope for the same success in the US , truly deserved since it isnot as predictable a series and story as so many are these days. If youhave seen 1 episode you have seen them all, not so with the Killing.Enjoy!!!

Rat_27

(2012-05-01 05:51:08)

Mindless waste of time

I have watched all of last season, and most of the Season 2 premiere. Ihave come to the conclusion that I really don't care who killed RosieLarson, she was a hooker. I do not care about dead hookers, there arehundreds of stories of dead hookers, and I don't care about any ofthem. As far as the living characters, the grieving mother is ahorrible example of a good parent, the main character is a horribleexample of a good mother, and the grieving father is leading a prettypisspoor example for this two sons. Right now it sucks that thecouncilman is paralyzed, so it seems like this is just a dark story forall involved. Maybe it will improve, but I do not see how. I am notinspired to watch any more. It just feels like every episode they leavea few more breadcrumbs, but if they don't lead anywhere, why botherfollowing them?

fatant41

(2012-04-29 13:48:21)

The Killing - One death

I just think this series is brilliant. The filming, acting, script,music etc is done so well.The amazing thing is after watching so many TV Series murder seriesthis one shows the results to an ordinary family of a murder. There isno glossing over the real suffering and ongoing agony of the family andfriends.The investigators are real people going through the turmoil of doingtheir job and suffering the pain of what they are actuallyinvestigating. Following the fight for mayoral candidates and ruinedlives this murder leaves in its wake, is almost to real to watch.Please watch this series and give it a chance.

rumor1234

(2012-04-29 04:24:58)

the killing

Best show on TV !! I must admit a slow start on the pilot but its akeeper. The 2nd episode was great. Can't wait for next week. I believethat the show slow burn method is the best part. Another side of theshow its keeps your attention is dark bleak look. The angle of 3different groups of people being affected by this one death. Thehardest thing about losing someone is fact its easy for the one whodies.Or gets taken. Its always worse for those left behind. This showshows this fact. The way everyone is involved keeps you hooked. AMCwill do well keeping this alive. A another season is a the best ideayet. Too many great shows die because of all the crap on so manychannels.

andy-109-738550

(2012-04-29 00:14:08)

Awful sub standard copy

Having been engrossed by the Danish version recently in the UK Isomehow knew that an Americanised (Canadianised?) version was reallynot going to be as good. I could not even guess that it would be as badas this. Thankfully in the UK we got 2 episodes back to back for 10weeks. I have recoded the first 3 of this version and have just startedto watch the first episode. The scene for scene copies, the tap(faucet?) scene, the watch, etc were so cringe makingly bad, the actingwas embarrassingly appalling, it was just dire. I have got as far asthe first ad break and I really do not think I am going to go anyfurther with this. How it scores 8.0 on IMDb is completely beyond me.If you have not yet started to watch this series avoid it at all costs,watch the Danish original (do subtitles not go down well in the US orwherever the high scorers are from?).

Pocketplayer

(2012-04-28 14:25:29)

Top Notch - This Show Delivers!

If you're a fan of The Wire you know they take an entire season tocapture one story. The Killing does the same. Unlike The Wire, there isnot the depth of storyline, but this show proves great acting,directing, and music score make all the difference.Mireille Enos & Joel Kinnaman are the perfect combination. Usually,this type of pairing would be filled with so many clichГѓВ©s...not here.There are scenes acted and directed together I've never seen in a moviemuch less a TV show.The directors allow for a lot of space a movie does not allow. A TVshow has more time to invest. If you like LOST you will like this show.It moves in many directions and the pace and flow are masterful. Thereis also a lot of rain which makes for a darker, realistic setting.From top to bottom this is a strong cast. Some of the weaker storylines surround the mayoral race, but they are tolerable.

ivko

(2012-04-26 18:05:46)

Dark and brilliantly introspective.

When I was twenty-four, I was the foreman for the jury of a murdertrial. There was plenty of evidence, including eye witness testimony,that indicated the young man's guilt. After two days of deliberationsand endless discussions, we voted to convict. On our way out of thecourtroom, I remember distinctly the high spirits we were all in. Wehad done our job as citizens. We had helped take a bad man off thestreets. We helped get justice for a murdered individual. There were alot of smiles and handshakes and back-pats. Then on the way out wepassed the convicted man's eight-month-along pregnant wife. She wassitting, alone, on a bench outside the courtroom, sobbing. Theimplications of our decision for her and that unborn child hit me allat once as we passed. I wasn't smiling anymore; none of us were. Thething is, I still believe we did the right thing. It was our job tovote on the evidence and that's what we did. But even so, I'd be lyingif I said I slept soundly that night.The reason I mention that long-winded story is to illustrate a point.Real life is messy. Even when we make what we truly believe are the"right" decisions we don't always feel all that good about them.Sometimes to do what we think is right we end up hurting, albeitunintentionally, someone else. Even worse, sometimes we hurt someonedoing what we think is right and then find out later that we werewrong. And that, as Aristotle would say, just plain sucks.But it is the imperfect, wonderful world we all live in. Which bringsme to AMC's fantastic 'The Killing'. A Danish import, 'Killing' followsthe murder investigation of young woman in Seattle, Washington. Thestory is told in thirteen 1 hour episodes through the perspectives ofthe people whose lives are impacted by the murder and subsequentinvestigation, with special emphasis on lead investigator Sarah Linden(played picture-perfect by Mireille Enos). Amazingly, despite a fairlylarge cast, there is nary a flat character to be found. All the playersare fleshed out, fully realized people with deep complexity andback-story. This allows the show to rise above a simple whodunit policeprocedural and really delve into just what a murder means to the peoplein the victim's life. It is alternately dark and gritty, inspirational,and heart breaking to watch these people cope with the loss and fearthat surrounds this girls murder.And that brings me back to my original point. The reason I love thisshow so much is because, unlike the many many many police proceduralsout there, it is no fairy tale with all the bad guys punished and goodguys victorious. It makes you wallow in the mud with the characters,encouraging you to feel all the frustration and confusion that theyfeel. It makes you want what they want, only to remind you that evengood people and good decisions have consequences that are far less thanideal. This is the kind of show that you think about after it's over,asking yourself if you would have done this or that differently. Butthat deeply unsettled feeling you get is the digestive price you payfor such a rich, not-written-for-kids storyline, and is so worth it.There is really nothing quite like it on TV right now; I highlyrecommend it.

Nina Mitchell

(2012-04-26 04:49:08)

It's good- worth watching

It's a good show, albeit a bit slow moving but I think that's the'point'. The investigation plods on over and slowly uncovers the deep layers.I like the characters- especially Sarah Linden and the character ofRosie's father Mitch. Linden for reasons that actually you might not like her or get a bitannoyed with her or want to shake her sometimes BUT it just proves howgood the actress is! I have not seen a character like hers on TVbefore. Series one is just finishing up on UK TV so will be interesting to seeSeries Two.For comparisons with Twin Peaks- I do get that. It has that small town,shadowy eerie feel to it. It's always raining!! Just makes it even morebleak and adds to affect which is what they were intending.

knucklebreather

(2012-04-26 14:11:23)

Promising

"The Killing" is an adaptation of a Danish TV series, and was billed tome as "Twin Peaks meets 24". Well it certainly does seem like anupdated "Twin Peaks" so far, minus some of the bizarre twists andturns. Not that there's anything wrong with that,beautiful-girl-murdered is a time-tested premise that makes for a goodcrime drama.In the first two episodes I was relieved to find some serious, qualitytelevision. The story isn't terribly remarkable - so far we know that apretty typical teen girl has been murdered, that her parents aregenuinely crushed with grief, and that the detective who caught thecase, Sarah Linden, was due to leave the job and move to San Diego toget married had the case not come up.The story is told with impressive direction and good enough writing,with plenty of details and realism to hook in most viewers. Like anygood mystery, the introduction simply raises questions, and gets theviewer to care about what's going on. Mission accomplished.The music is a bit hokey, drifting into melodrama at times, but that'sthe only real fault I can find. This is a fine start. It seems unlikelyto dethrone "The Wire" as a pinnacle of realism but it's already betterthan any crime drama the networks have going. I'm looking forward tothe next episode.

jmedalen

(2012-04-25 19:10:52)

What's with the accents?

When I first read that this was a danish remake, I thought the actorswere channeling the originals. Then I read that the main location isBC. Couldn't they afford some Seattle voice coaches? I am lookingforward to compare/contrast with Twin Peaks at the end of the seasontoo. On the positive side, I AM still watching it 30 minutes in to it.Good characters, nice interchange with character background and currenttime-line. Really like the back-draw of the investigator. Is thissomething along the lines of Gone-baby-gone? Too obvious to accept as apossible source? This has enough of main points to be a solid drama.Now if the main investigator was pregnant ...

jboohan

(2012-04-25 17:01:59)

Some terrible acting, slightly suspenseful

This is a terrible series. A lot of the story doesn't make any sense. I think that it is trying toslowly tease us but fails miserably. Michelle Forbes (Mitch)inparticular is painful to watch and not in the way I'd imagine theymeant her to be. I will be haunted by the image of Mireille Enosstanding around pouting as she spends most of the series doing. I don'tunderstand how she has been nominated for awards for this. Erik Ladenand Brendan Sexton stand out in my mind as they play the two mostbelievable characters. Joel Kinnaman, Sarah Lindens partner is quietgood also. If I was to watch it again it would be to see how hischaracter develops. But I won't!I watched nearly all of the series as my partner was enjoying thesuspense but I just don't care who killed her. I feel like I totallywasted my time watching this series and should have just stopped afterepisode 3 - Just to make sure that I gave it a proper chance.

COB-3

(2012-04-24 22:10:39)

Just not as good as it could have been

The Killing is a re-imagining of the excellent Danish originalForbrydelsen. For the first couple of episodes they are almost word forword. Unfortunately it is when the story steps out from the core plot,the death of Rosie Larsen, that it comes unstuck. In the main it doeshold that same slow gripping pace and the story taking unexpected turnsbut its choice of back-story is weak. The excessive focus on SarahLinden and her son, her home life and the peculiar disconnectedrelationship with her mostly unseen fiancГѓВ© are immensely distracting.Many of the other characters,especially the marginally psychotic BelkoRoyce, are utterly dysfunctional. While it is a grim tale there islittle about the characters that makes you warm to them. It is not helped by the producers choosing to rerun the torrentialdownpour of Se7en,which just adds to the misery. The original in tone is not much different but it does have far greatercharacter development as well as a larger, more diverse cast aspotential suspects.Where The Killing falls down most is its choice of story lines. As a 13parter rather than the original 20 it was going to make changes. Thepity is these choices left it with some fairly ludicrous plot lines,especially towards the end of the season. It also removed scope to givesome more development to the main characters, especially Linden andMitch. All in all not a bad effort. It starts well, has enough twists to keepmost viewers interested but its choice of characters and their storieswill leave you disappointed. Do check out the far superior original.

Tweekums

(2012-04-23 07:21:07)

A good remake of the Danish original

Having watched the excellent Danish original I nearly didn't watch thisAmerican version but the reviews seemed positive and the TV guidestated that there had been notable changes so I decided to check itout. I am glad that I did as I really enjoyed it. The beginning wasalmost identical to the original; Rosie Larson, a high school girl, isfound drowned in the boot of a submerged car by Sarah Linden, apolicewoman, who was due to leave the area the next day. She remains onthe case that pleases neither her family nor Stephen Holder, theofficer who was due to take over her job. Over the thirteen episodesLinden and Holder investigate many leads many of which come to nothingas suspects are eliminated. The investigation is made more sensitive bythe fact that Rosie was found in a car belonging to the campaign of acontestant in an upcoming election for the city mayor. We also see theeffect the murder has on Rosie's family as they attempt to deal withwhat happened.Having watched both this and the Danish version is it hard not to judgethis against the original; this is a little unfair though as this is agood story in its own right and there are enough changes to make itmore than just a remake. It is also quite a lot shorter so as well asthe changes quite a lot of the original is omitted altogether. MireilleEnos does an impressive job as Linden and Joel Kinnaman is fun to watchas Holder; other notable performances come from Brent Sexton andMichelle Forbes as Rosie's parents and Billy Campbell as mayoralcandidate Councilman Darren Richmond. The constant rain helped give theseries a fairly oppressive atmosphere and the wide number of possiblesuspects kept this viewer guessing whom the killer was right until theend. Talking of the end; the final scenes provide a nice twist and setthings up for a promised second series.

chopendoz

(2012-04-23 06:26:17)

Watch the original

May contain spoilers .... As has been mentioned, 'The Killing' is aCanadian adaptation (albeit set in Seattle) of the Danish TV series'Forbrydelsen'. Having watched all 20 episodes of 'Forbrydelsen', Ifeel compelled to draw comparisons between it and the Canadian version.Seen for the first time, 'The Killing' comes across as 'brilliant' and'the best thing on TV' etc. but it pales by comparison to itsScandinavian ancestor. One of the reasons is that the Danish actorswere unknown to me and that added a greater sense of realism to thecharacters. The Canadian actors that I had seen before came across as... just actors. It's not their fault but it detracted from theirperformances (from my perspective). I would recommend that Americanviewers get hold of the original series as opposed to watching a badimitation. I found it hard to understand the writers whose adaptedcharacter, a 'detective', shared drugs with schoolgirls. If this isreality, I'm not surprised that the female detective is asked to stayon the case. Also, I am at a disadvantage in that I already know whothe killer is (if the adaptation remains true to form). In fact Ipicked him quite early on in the original series. It does seem to methat 'The Killing' relies heavily on mood music to set the tone and thecharacters are, so far, undeveloped - as opposed to the original where(for example)the father of the dead girl was painful to watch. Bottlingup all his emotions and trying to remain strong. Will we be treated toother adaptations of foreign series because American writers have lostall their imagination and/or creativity? How about other Scandinavianseries like 'Irene Huss' or 'Van Veeteren' - or the brilliant Frenchcrime series 'Engrenages' (Spiral) now showing on BBC in the UK? Moregrist for the mill?

Cedric_Catsuits

(2012-04-21 19:46:26)

Why?

The Danish original was stylish, haunting, gripping, realistic,superbly acted, beautifully shot, and had soul. This scene for scenecopy has none of those things, so why bother making it?Within about 20 seconds of the opening it became clear that nobodyinvolved in this understands how to create tension and draw theaudience in.Mireille Enos in the lead role is so different to Sofie GrГѓВҐbГѓВёl, withlittle of the talent or charisma of the Danish star. Not her fault ofcourse, but nobody who has seen the original will be happy with thisperformance.In truth, each of the main players here is inferior to their Danishcounterpart. It smacks of shoddiness and cost-cutting. I can't possiblyrecommend this - watch the original instead.

orrtyone

(2012-04-21 06:17:07)

A who done it on steroids

I decided to wait before I added my two cents worth of comments. Afterthe pilot I would have agreed with most of the comments made here.Well, I have seen 6 episodes now and I am still enjoying the series.Will I watch it to the end, probably not but I hope to see the lastepisode or at least read about it. I did find myself at the edge of myseat at every episode but it wasn't the suspense, it was the lighting.I was finding my eyes being drawn away from the character by one formof back lighting or another. I get the impression that the directorreally likes lamps. Its difficult to make out the expressions on thecharacters' faces which is a shame because I think the acting on awhole is good. After 6 episodes there are no changes to the story, justmore details. I would be interested to hear what the earlier posterswould have to say now. It is very hard to hold onto viewers for a fullseason without giving them some closure on the way, just ask theproducers of "Lost" when they ran out of ideas and started dragging outthe plots.Its one thing to create 20 suspects in a movie or a miniseries. After the third episode there was no suspense. I knew thatnothing would change till the end. There are two solid points for me inthis series and that is that there is virtually no swearing and minimalgore. (call me old fashioned) well, I just watched episode 11 and onlyabout 5 minutes was spent on the murder. It looks like we have anotherLost series. They are already stretching it out.

ronniepmillar

(2012-04-21 01:37:11)

Not as good as the original Danish version

I watched the Danish version and thought that this version may bebetter because there would be no subtitles, but alas it was a poorimitation. Somehow this version lost a lot of the tension which was akey feature in the original Danish version. Also in general the actingwasn't as good, however the detective Sarah was the best actor in theseries. It was not as nail biting or addictive as the Danish versionand so I didn't continue to watch the whole series. Anyone who hasn'twatched the original should make an effort to see it. It is great incomparison. It's a pity but this is a very disappointing copy of a goodstory!!!!

sraines321

(2012-04-20 10:10:09)

AMC gives viewers what they deserve, a true, poetic and gritty story

Once along time ago, movies could mean something. They did not have tobe action packed or filled with porn or language. Films such as TheBicycle Thief and Citizen Kane or The Grapes of Wrath. These moviesshowed out as there own and became classics, but then that was lost tospecial effects and movies and TV shows such as 'True Blood' 'Saw' and'twilight' and many more came along and people are turned away from theclassics. Now only the TRUE bold people can leave away from what everyone wants and give them what they deserve, a true, poetic, story, thatis where AMC stands. I don't know weather it was the part where Lindonsees the pink bike in the garage and puts two and two together, or whenthe mom listens on the phone to her husbands cries at the police, orwhen one of Rosey's brother tells the other one that they will neversee Rosey again because she is dead. Or maybe when the mom hearsRosey's voice on the answering machine, or when she tries to drownherself to fell what Rosy felt. I felt the emotions too and I havenever felt dragged into a show ever before. I would like to see'Spartacus' do that (which it did not)

emilio-1

(2012-04-20 02:35:37)

Should be called "The Boredom"

I came into this really wanting to like it but I gave up after episode5. It's just too darn boring. Aside from the story moving along slowerthen a snail's pace, I can't figure out who decided to cast the leadwith someone who should have been cast as Ugly Secretary #6. Not onlyis she literally hard to look at, but she and her character doabsolutely nothing for me. Hence, I don't really care about anyone elsein the story except for the wasted stoner partner she has who isinteresting to watch and the only reason I gave it 3 stars instead of1. Everyone else in the story might as well be wallpaper. I gave upafter trying to watch episode 5 but fell asleep 3 times in doing so.

ricpantale

(2012-04-19 14:38:30)

Good Series turned awful....

In one fell swoop, all the good things that were said about THE KILLINGis completely blasted apart by the worst ending in Series History.They destroyed any credibility that series had, relegating it to amiserable experience that satisfies no one.AMC should take a serious hit with this series.. After 13 hard wonepisodes, you stuck with it because you wanted to know who killed RosieLarsen..Every week they had a dumb red herring, and the ultimate insultoccurs with the Finale that still tells you nothing, and throws Holderunder the bus. Next year? Won't be watching...A dishonest series thatshowed great potential.