Written by: Kevin Berge
They're back, and this time they might get their killer by the end of the season or at least make you think they did again. (Image Courtesy of: tunefind.com)
Quick Take: The Killing Season 2 takes its mystery plot to the extreme with higher stakes, larger conspiracies, and incredible hurdles which makes it feel less grounded than the first. However, the connection between the two lead characters and strong tense storytelling sell the second season through its pacing and tone issues.
The Killing Reviews: Season 1 | 3 | 4
***This review will focus on the events of the second season directly and thus will contain spoilers. If you plan to see the show and have not seen the second season, do not read past this point.***
When I began watching The Killing, what drew me in was the gritty realism. It was a murder mystery about community and consequences. With an open-ended first season that ended on a cliffhanger, it was hard to be completely satisfied, but the experience was strong.
The second season feels completely different from the first. Having established the setting and characters, the murder takes over the story even more, growing more wild. It is a web of a conspiracy that binds together the case, and it feels much more dramatic and TV-friendly.
Luckily, there's a thread keeping the show close to its roots: the characters. In particular, this season dives far deeper into who Stephen Holder is. Perhaps to keep the tense question of whether Holder could truly be dirty based on the ending of season one, the first season kept him at an arm's length.
Here, he becomes a central character especially in the early episodes with Holder and Sarah Linden separated. Linden struggles to trust anyone especially the man who "wrapped the case" by handing over a fake picture. Holder is forced to face the reality that he might be a pawn in a larger game, and it nearly breaks him.
He wrestles with his old addictions as Linden keeps him at a nervous distance as the only friend he can find. It shows how much he cares about being good at the job that he is so torn apart. It makes it easy to truly root for him, seeing him come back from the brink.
This makes it harder to watch Linden and Holder fight because they're both broken and only function through the job. They just struggle to talk about it. When it matters most, they back each other up, but, when they are fighting over their own insecurities, you would assume they hated each other.
That is where this season shines. The realism of the second season becomes a bit hazier, but these are the same characters with the same problems. It's okay that the case has taken over because Linden and Holder are fully realized characters stuck in the middle.
***This review will focus on the events of the second season directly and thus will contain spoilers. If you plan to see the show and have not seen the second season, do not read past this point.***
When I began watching The Killing, what drew me in was the gritty realism. It was a murder mystery about community and consequences. With an open-ended first season that ended on a cliffhanger, it was hard to be completely satisfied, but the experience was strong.
The second season feels completely different from the first. Having established the setting and characters, the murder takes over the story even more, growing more wild. It is a web of a conspiracy that binds together the case, and it feels much more dramatic and TV-friendly.
Luckily, there's a thread keeping the show close to its roots: the characters. In particular, this season dives far deeper into who Stephen Holder is. Perhaps to keep the tense question of whether Holder could truly be dirty based on the ending of season one, the first season kept him at an arm's length.
Here, he becomes a central character especially in the early episodes with Holder and Sarah Linden separated. Linden struggles to trust anyone especially the man who "wrapped the case" by handing over a fake picture. Holder is forced to face the reality that he might be a pawn in a larger game, and it nearly breaks him.
He wrestles with his old addictions as Linden keeps him at a nervous distance as the only friend he can find. It shows how much he cares about being good at the job that he is so torn apart. It makes it easy to truly root for him, seeing him come back from the brink.
This makes it harder to watch Linden and Holder fight because they're both broken and only function through the job. They just struggle to talk about it. When it matters most, they back each other up, but, when they are fighting over their own insecurities, you would assume they hated each other.
That is where this season shines. The realism of the second season becomes a bit hazier, but these are the same characters with the same problems. It's okay that the case has taken over because Linden and Holder are fully realized characters stuck in the middle.
If they revive this show, the only logical direction is to have Tom return as a psychopathic serial killer. (Image Courtesy of: amc.com)
I do wish this show kept more of its realistic edge. The web this season weaves is a bit too ridiculous to trust, and it feels like everyone is unraveling at a level that is made for TV. However, it still worked. Linden and Holder are too good a pairing to not want to watch, and the storytelling is driven by fantastic tension.
In fact, it is the outside stories that begin to falter as the tension grows. The Larsen family remain a center of the tale, but their situation feels like it's stuck in neutral. The time spent especially on the mother Mitch is empty TV time. The father Stan has some really strong moments, but his story takes too many unnecessary turns.
Darren Richmond was shot at the close of season one, and his road to recovery makes for solid television, far better in line with what was seen in the first season. However, the recovery does feel like a dominant story, making his handicapping too much a focus with the moral grays of his political campaign taking a while to resurface.
Ultimately, these stories are just filler rather than centerpieces that could have been shaved away. The main focus is Linden solving the impossible case and helping Holder become the cop many seem to think he cannot be. The world is against them, and they come out the other side stronger.
It is likely this show would have benefited from throwing out its one-day-per-episode formula and taking the episode count down here. The mystery does not warrant a full thirteen extra episodes which leads to pacing issues that are much more noticeable this time without the well-told side stories.
I can't say though that I was not gripped throughout. As I began to piece together the mystery and see how the many stories linked together, I was impressed with just how well everything worked even if it was far too ridiculous a final solution with the killing connected to the Richmond campaign, the Indian reservation, and Terry's affair with Ames.
The main concern this season brings up is the show's lack of strong cohesion. Despite bringing back the same group with showrunner Veena Sud and executive producers Dawn Prestwich and Nicole Yorkin, the show felt fundamentally different in its second season. Will it continue to change or find its niche?
In fact, it is the outside stories that begin to falter as the tension grows. The Larsen family remain a center of the tale, but their situation feels like it's stuck in neutral. The time spent especially on the mother Mitch is empty TV time. The father Stan has some really strong moments, but his story takes too many unnecessary turns.
Darren Richmond was shot at the close of season one, and his road to recovery makes for solid television, far better in line with what was seen in the first season. However, the recovery does feel like a dominant story, making his handicapping too much a focus with the moral grays of his political campaign taking a while to resurface.
Ultimately, these stories are just filler rather than centerpieces that could have been shaved away. The main focus is Linden solving the impossible case and helping Holder become the cop many seem to think he cannot be. The world is against them, and they come out the other side stronger.
It is likely this show would have benefited from throwing out its one-day-per-episode formula and taking the episode count down here. The mystery does not warrant a full thirteen extra episodes which leads to pacing issues that are much more noticeable this time without the well-told side stories.
I can't say though that I was not gripped throughout. As I began to piece together the mystery and see how the many stories linked together, I was impressed with just how well everything worked even if it was far too ridiculous a final solution with the killing connected to the Richmond campaign, the Indian reservation, and Terry's affair with Ames.
The main concern this season brings up is the show's lack of strong cohesion. Despite bringing back the same group with showrunner Veena Sud and executive producers Dawn Prestwich and Nicole Yorkin, the show felt fundamentally different in its second season. Will it continue to change or find its niche?
