For better or for worse, AMC’s The Killing returns tonight at 8p with a two-hour season premiere. The ambitious Twin Peaks-inspired series launched to acclaim last spring, but managed to alienate and anger much of its fanbase by season’s end. It wasn’t merely the lack of resolve over the central case that put people off, but the season-long habits of hasty conclusions and wild goose chases, not to mention a surprising amount of tv police ineptitude.
Where We Left Off:
Lead detective Sarah Linden (Emmy-nominated Mireille Enos) and her son finally boarded the plane to San Francisco when she gets word that the Rosie Larsen case’s linchpin evidence against Councilman Darren Richmond (Billy Campbell) is actually a fake.
Her partner Stephen Holder (Joel Kinnaman) fabricated the photo to nail Richmond, but it’s clear he is working for someone else as he hops in a strange car, saying the “photo worked — he’s going down.”
Meanwhile, Belko (Brendan Sexton III) approached Richmond with a gun, in a possible assassination attempt, and a grief-stricken Mitch Larsen (Emmy-nominated Michelle Forbes) walked out on her husband and two sons.
What to Expect:
More of the same, except that the Rosie Larsen case will be solved by season’s end. New characters from Stan Larsen’s mob past emerge, as well as Holder’s sister, played by Homeland‘s Marin Ireland, and Sarah and her son, Jack (Liam James), continue to have a rough go of things.
“You definitely get to know Linden’s more personal side,” says Enos, “but there’s not a lot of levity in this season. It’s pretty serious and focused.”
As far as other details, well, as it was in Season 1, there’s been a tight, heavy lid on spoilers. When we spoke to Enos midway through filming Season 2, not even the cast members knew who the killer was. But Enos promises the wait will be worth it.
“Everybody’s secrets are coming out more and more, and the stakes are getting higher every episode. People are going to be sitting on the edge of their seats the whole season.”
Chances of a Sophomore Slump:
High. If The Killing doesn’t pack one heckuva punch this season, fans aren’t going to stick around through one more red herring.
The Killing > AMC > Sundays Beginning April 1
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Photo: AMC
