4 gibbles out of 5

“The Killing” nails atmosphere from the get-go. A gorgeous blend of wet, murky atmosphere contrasting with blaring, flashing reds of police lights; earthy, quiet dialogue; a constant undercurrent of dread… but it loses steam in season 1 as the plot extension suffers from unrepentant TV-ism, several episodes becoming irrelevant once certain details come to light and the continual finger-pointing of whodunnit starts to feel silly. “Killing” keeps its characters strong throughout, but the tension dissolves and you’d be forgiven for getting bored waiting for a solution. Unfortunately. Season 2 learns the lessons and gets it right, finding a brilliant midpoint between advancing the plot and tying that evolution into a more character-driven story. The plot is sort of an unweird Twin Peaks, an off-kilter lead agent (Mireille Enos) unable to settle into her retirement due to a last minute case – the disappearance of local girl Rosie Larsen. Rosie is almost never seen in the series proper (which is admittedly the main Peaks comparison), and thus we follow agent Enos through dead ends as we all try to solve what happened together. But as things go along, the show absolutely more becomes about how far-reaching even subtle aspects of a crime go, and that’s where the series eventually becomes rewarding… and depressing, in true noir style. Casual viewers rightfully might get bored with the initial wayward plotting, but crime fans should stay tuned to gobble up what’s to come. The acting is mostly excellent, and the atmosphere is dreary perfect. Perhaps without the need to stick to 13 episode seasons, this could’ve been a wonderfully paced slow burn tale.