TODAY IN DEFENSE OF THE KILLING

This past Sunday's trifecta of Mad Men episode 3 plus the season premieres of Game of Thrones & The Killing was like a game of "duck, duck, goose", if we all assume ducks are well written and well produced where as geese are disappointing, rainy, and essentially just a Twin Peaks rippo. 

The Killing has a lot of faults. The story moves at a tepid pace. Many episodes are laid out the same way with NEW EVIDENCE POINTS TO NEW MURDERER CLIFF HANGERS that don't pan out. And the scenes often seem to have no purpose other then two characters hanging out and looking depressed. (SEE: every seen in the hospital between Gwen and Jamie). But for some reason I still want to watch it. Why, for god's sake? I asked myself. Here is what I said back.

1) The absurd Twin Peaks similarities aside, it actually is a good story. I do want to see how and why Rosie Larson was murdered and I do want to see Sarah Linden solve the case. I just think it would have made a better movie then a series. Or, truly, it should have wrapped up the murder in season one. Because I spend all last season thinking "man, they are really dragging this shit out!" and now I have to face another whole season of that. (SEE: Gwen and Jamie talking, ever.) 

2) Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder are really interesting characters. I love a disturbed detective and Mireille Enos is really turning it out. I like the fact that I don't trust her not to be insane and make bad decisions (all references to that fucking "past case" aside...shut up!) She is a really messed up mom, a suspect police officer, but really believes she is doing the right thing in a sea of people doing all the wrong ones. And Stephen Holder is cool. I don't want to believe that he is a bad guy, but he definitely lives on the edge and in the shadows. I want to know what he's up to or just watch him pretend to get high school girls high. Any. Day. Of. The. Week. 

3) Seattle is a nice backdrop. I know everyone hated the rain last season, but I wasn't one of them. It added to the feeling that it was always night time, that Seattle was always on the brink of falling apart or breaking down, just like Linden. I don't know if the actual city looks like Pittsburgh on a bad day but I totally bought it. It's wet, you can't get enough sleep, it's always night time, and the kids ride skateboards under a bridge. It's noir! or noir-ish! Whatever!

We'll see how much longer the show can keep my interest (Gwen and Jamie! Shut up!) but I feel pretty confident that I'm gonna stick around at least this season to see what happens. Especially now that Balko is dead, because what the hell was going on with that character?