Written by: Kevin Berge
I hate every character in this show that assumes these two are sleeping together, but I wouldn't be against it if they did. (Image Courtesy of: slashfilm.com)
Quick Take: The Killing Season 3 is the best the series has to offer with strong compassionate undertones on top of a dark and intense central story. While still slow by conventional TV standards, every story in this tale is well told and acted with a closing chapter that wraps up everything in a depressing tragic bow.
The Killing Reviews: Season 1 | 2 | 4
***This is a focused review of the third season of The Killing, looking at what makes this season different from past seasons. The expectation is the reader has seen the entire season, so there will be heavy spoilers.***
The first two season of The Killing focused on one case, leaving the question of what the show would do to continue the story particularly knowing the series was running low on support from AMC. This needed to be an important and defining story to likely close the series.
Within 15 minutes, the season reveals it's taking an interesting risk, opening up the mystery case that haunted Linden right into retirement. I was skeptical at first as that case was always going to be dangerous to cover as it served as a haunting shadow that defines who Linden is.
However, thanks to a smart move of pushing the timeline forward, the dynamic of the show changes just enough to make the story worth exploring regardless of the tale. The case feels secondary similar to the first season of the show until the threat ramps up in the two-part finale.
I was not expecting much of the third season and was pleasantly surprised. The secondary stories with a new cast of characters are engaging again. This time, the victim focus is on street kids, trying to survive, while the suspect focus is on the soon-to-be executed Ray Seward (Peter Sarsgaard) who Linden helped arrest.
It helps that the lead kid Bullet played by Bex Taylor-Klaus is great in the role, and the drama is well-told enough to get through the show's typical pacing issues. There's some intense stories here in the mix with the constant threat that anyone in the group can be taken by the killer.
Even more important to this season is Peter Sarsgaard who puts in perhaps the best performance of his life. Seward's story barely moves past his relationships with the inmates around him, but Sarsgaard so completely inhabits Seward's growing nervous breakdown as his fate approaches that it makes every moment work.
Of course, the heart of the show is still Linden and Holder who have clearly grown with their time apart. What is interesting is they have now truly come to an understanding. You can feel how much their respect has grown for one another.
***This is a focused review of the third season of The Killing, looking at what makes this season different from past seasons. The expectation is the reader has seen the entire season, so there will be heavy spoilers.***
The first two season of The Killing focused on one case, leaving the question of what the show would do to continue the story particularly knowing the series was running low on support from AMC. This needed to be an important and defining story to likely close the series.
Within 15 minutes, the season reveals it's taking an interesting risk, opening up the mystery case that haunted Linden right into retirement. I was skeptical at first as that case was always going to be dangerous to cover as it served as a haunting shadow that defines who Linden is.
However, thanks to a smart move of pushing the timeline forward, the dynamic of the show changes just enough to make the story worth exploring regardless of the tale. The case feels secondary similar to the first season of the show until the threat ramps up in the two-part finale.
I was not expecting much of the third season and was pleasantly surprised. The secondary stories with a new cast of characters are engaging again. This time, the victim focus is on street kids, trying to survive, while the suspect focus is on the soon-to-be executed Ray Seward (Peter Sarsgaard) who Linden helped arrest.
It helps that the lead kid Bullet played by Bex Taylor-Klaus is great in the role, and the drama is well-told enough to get through the show's typical pacing issues. There's some intense stories here in the mix with the constant threat that anyone in the group can be taken by the killer.
Even more important to this season is Peter Sarsgaard who puts in perhaps the best performance of his life. Seward's story barely moves past his relationships with the inmates around him, but Sarsgaard so completely inhabits Seward's growing nervous breakdown as his fate approaches that it makes every moment work.
Of course, the heart of the show is still Linden and Holder who have clearly grown with their time apart. What is interesting is they have now truly come to an understanding. You can feel how much their respect has grown for one another.
Nothing better than interspersing your adult murder drama with annoying teenage drama. (Image Courtesy of: collider.com)
Holder starts with a new partner, but he turns right back to a retired Linden when his partner tries to pawn off this next big case on someone else. When Holder points to the ties between this case and Linden's old case, she is pulled back in to the case that broke her.
Holder has slowly but surely taken on Linden's better traits, and I honestly worried this season was about breaking him. It might have been the more complex story, but I was glad that instead it was about Holder proving himself in spite of repeatedly having to stand up for Linden.
While Linden deals directly with finding some resolution only to be forced to pass hurdle after hurdle, Holder plays the people game. It was especially hard to see Holder get to know Bullet and then nearly break after she is killed. More impressive from the show is that his break doesn't cause unnecessary drama, treated naturally.
The reveal of Skinner as the killer was a bit extreme though built well enough to make sense. It was hard to take given he was built as Linden's happy ending. Instead, this important character in Linden's life is the reason she has never been able to have a happy ending. It's tragic storytelling.
Season 3 was all about the love, particularly the love we take for granted. The kids have flawed lives only brightened by their fractured relationships with one another. Linden and Holder have finally reached the stage in their partnership where they can fully embrace their own platonic support of one another.
Even Seward who has been broken by the system that always saw him as guilty appreciates his son's unconditional love for him right as he's being dragged away to his execution. These compassionate undercurrents in this dark story highlight the heart of the series.
Even with her less contentious relationship with Holder though, Linden is the one most isolated within the theme of the story. Her son is off in Chicago. Her potential love interest is the villain. It all causes her to break, killing Skinner, leaving the most intense cliffhanger the show has ever done. It's some of The Killing's strongest storytelling and makes the most of its talented cast.
Holder has slowly but surely taken on Linden's better traits, and I honestly worried this season was about breaking him. It might have been the more complex story, but I was glad that instead it was about Holder proving himself in spite of repeatedly having to stand up for Linden.
While Linden deals directly with finding some resolution only to be forced to pass hurdle after hurdle, Holder plays the people game. It was especially hard to see Holder get to know Bullet and then nearly break after she is killed. More impressive from the show is that his break doesn't cause unnecessary drama, treated naturally.
The reveal of Skinner as the killer was a bit extreme though built well enough to make sense. It was hard to take given he was built as Linden's happy ending. Instead, this important character in Linden's life is the reason she has never been able to have a happy ending. It's tragic storytelling.
Season 3 was all about the love, particularly the love we take for granted. The kids have flawed lives only brightened by their fractured relationships with one another. Linden and Holder have finally reached the stage in their partnership where they can fully embrace their own platonic support of one another.
Even Seward who has been broken by the system that always saw him as guilty appreciates his son's unconditional love for him right as he's being dragged away to his execution. These compassionate undercurrents in this dark story highlight the heart of the series.
Even with her less contentious relationship with Holder though, Linden is the one most isolated within the theme of the story. Her son is off in Chicago. Her potential love interest is the villain. It all causes her to break, killing Skinner, leaving the most intense cliffhanger the show has ever done. It's some of The Killing's strongest storytelling and makes the most of its talented cast.
