The storyline is basically Mystic River.

5/24/2011 6:53:37 AM

No one would argue that this story is that original or unique... could probably find 200 episodes of law and order that are exactly the same then just merge that with some show about politicians (never watched any)

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5/24/2011 7:17:02 AM

I wouldn't say the storyline itself is unique, but I think the way the story is told and the way the show is shot is pretty unique. Plus, I don't think there's another show that has explored just one case through the course of an entire season.

But, like others, I usually don't watch shows like this because I hate them. This one I've been pretty damn impressed with, though. And I agree with whoever said the characters are believable and have a little depth to them. That and good acting could be a significant part of what makes this show different for me.

Also, I could see the Mystic River comparisons, but the storyline of both MR and this show is kind of a classic tale; to expound on my point that the show/story is Shakespearean, having Mitch effectively (but not explicitly) convince Stan to murder Bennett after, 20 years ago, she helped him shake his history of violence is a tried-but-true dramatic/tragic twist that's been around since Romeo and Juliet. Everybody's helpless and makes mistakes that could've been avoided. I realize I'm rambling a bit, but I swear it makes sense in my head.

[Edited on May 24, 2011 at 1:57 PM. Reason : s]

5/24/2011 1:51:51 PM

Quote :

"Plus, I don't think there's another show that has explored just one case through the course of an entire season. "

Twin Peaks?

(as has already been mentioned by a few folks in comparison)

Quote :

" Twin Peaks is an American television serial drama created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. The series follows the investigation, headed by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan), of the brutal murder of a popular teenager and homecoming queen, Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee). Twin Peaks' pilot episode was first broadcast on April 8, 1990 on ABC, which led to another seven episodes being produced and a second season, which aired until June 10, 1991. The show's name came from its setting, a small fictional Washington town. Exteriors were primarily filmed in Snoqualmie and North Bend, with additional exteriors shot in southern California. Most of the interior scenes were shot on standing sets in a San Fernando Valley warehouse. Twin Peaks became one of 1990's top-rated shows, a critical success both nationally and internationally. Reflecting its devoted cult fan base, the series became a part of popular culture, referenced in other television shows, commercials, comic books, video games, films and song lyrics. Declining viewer ratings led to ABC's insistence that the identity of Laura's murderer be revealed midway through the second season. In 1992, the series spawned a prequel, the film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, a commercial failure in America. In 2007, Twin Peaks was listed as one of Time magazine's "Best TV Shows of All-TIME."[1]"

[Edited on May 24, 2011 at 2:16 PM. Reason : .]

5/24/2011 2:10:25 PM

Very true. Fair enough.

5/24/2011 2:26:29 PM

I think The Killing is doing it better than Twin Peaks, though. With Twin Peaks, no one knew how long it was going to go when the show first started. It was just out there, open ended. With The Killing, I believe the talk is that they will wrap this murder up by the end of the year, and then season 2 will be a different murder.

5/24/2011 2:43:25 PM

Quote :

"Plus, I don't think there's another show that has explored just one case through the course of an entire season"

the wire

5/24/2011 2:51:33 PM

^^Yeah, that's what I've heard. One case per season (assuming there is a second season). I'm wondering if some of the same characters will bleed into the next season or not.

^I reject that. The Wire was so much more than that. I mean, I kind of get where you're coming from, but it ALWAYS seemed so much bigger than one case. The more shows I watch, the more I become convinced that no show will ever be as perfect as The Wire. I'll just have to settle for really fucking good shows like The Killing, Boardwalk Empire, Breaking Bad, etc. (still need to catch up on Mad Men, too). Treme is good, too, but very inconsistent.

5/24/2011 3:00:02 PM

^ well the wire had multiple angles and views of different groups of people, but all related to the same case (especially in the first season). I think The Killing is similar but not quite as wide-spread so I don't think it'll have such an ah-ha moment at the end

5/24/2011 3:18:43 PM

It's not just the basketball cliffhanger, it's re-using the "didn't make it to Sonoma" and "promise to mitch broken" events. Theres one character that has almost no depth: Rosie! After the first couple episodes seemed to build her up, she now just feels like a generic CSI victim to me.

Ps george costanza's date from the big salad episode ... Was Mitch, just noticed this last night.

5/25/2011 1:44:08 AM

alright tonight's was better.

5/29/2011 11:10:40 PM

Can I watch this online anywhere? Don't have tv for 2 more days

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5/30/2011 1:18:59 PM

^pm sent

solid episode. glad that it looks like it wasn't belko royce, since i've been worried i spoiled the ending ever since i accidentally read that he did it in the swedish version. starting to think it might've been councilman richmond.

i will say that the writers of the show should've just had bennett die instead of having him in the hospital on life support. as shitty as that is, that would've been better for the story IMO.

[Edited on May 30, 2011 at 7:02 PM. Reason : s]

5/30/2011 6:43:18 PM

If it is Richmond, I will be really surprised, and pissed. It isnt supported by Richmond's actions in private or in public that he would be capable. He'd have to be a Jeckyl and Hyde, with no one seeing his Hyde to this point.


[Edited on May 31, 2011 at 2:47 PM. Reason : .]

5/31/2011 2:47:18 PM

Yeah, I think it'd be Jamie before Richmond

5/31/2011 2:52:52 PM

i kind of agree that it'd be farfetched if it was richmond. i just think that it might be him because they were exploring that handshake thing so close to the end of the season.

and they DO already have sort of a built-in motive: they could paint it as his way of grieving for/being tortured by his wife's murder. like i said, farfetched and i wouldn't really be happy with that result, but i could see it taking that route.

for some reason, i don't think it's jamie, although he is definitely slimy. i think another sleeper candidate is mitch's sister, only because there've been some weird scenes throughout the season where they've randomly focused on her character (the one that really sticks out is showing her breaking down crying during a montage a few episodes ago and showing her, and mitch's, mom being verbally abusive to her, indicating that mitch has always been the favorite child in their family).

then again, it could just be some random criminal, a wrong place at the wrong time kinda thing; although, i'm pretty sure a lot of viewers would be pissed if it was someone random and not a character we've been introduced to.

5/31/2011 3:04:35 PM

agree about Mitch's sister too, she seems kind of shady sometimes

5/31/2011 3:07:30 PM

at the very least, i get the vibe that she had an affair with stan. remember that odd scene where he went out of his way to thank her for doing the dishes and he had that look in his eye? to me, it really looked like something was up there

5/31/2011 3:13:19 PM

^ agreed

5/31/2011 3:16:36 PM

From the Breaking Bad thread dillydaliant

Quote :

"All I really ask in dramas is that the writers do justice to and are honest with the characters and storylines."

What exactly does that mean and how has The Killing accomplished it?

5/31/2011 3:26:48 PM

Probably means not pulling some surprise bullshit out of their hat by making Richmond be the killer which goes completely against all plot queues and explaining through means that no one could reasonably come to on their own through what the screen writers previously exposed in the story.

5/31/2011 3:39:01 PM

^not what i was talking about specifically, but i suppose that could serve as an example

^^It just means that I prefer dramatic shows that, to me, are believable and real. Part of it is the dialogue; if the dialogue of the characters is either too over-the-top or too universally black-and-white/good-and-evil, I usually won't enjoy the show. I think shows in which the dialogue is more ambiguous or open-ended are shows that more accurately reflect the difficult choices we make in everyday life, ESPECIALLY if we are going through something as traumatic as losing a child. Every character in The Killing is flawed, but no character is intrinsically evil, either. To me, this is key.

Another big part of it is, quite simply, the plot development. Like the dialogue, I don't like when there are plot developments that are fantastical or are put there just to shock the viewer, if that makes sense. ^ could be an example of a plot development that just makes you question both the confidence or strength of the writers and the believability of the story; one show that comes to mind that, to me, failed in this regard is Lost: Lost had a LOT of crazy developments that made the show temporarily interesting while the show was ongoing, but looking back on the show, I would argue that by the season finale, the writers had collapsed under the weight of their insane plot twists and were unable to tie everything up neatly by the end of the series. So far, to me, enough of the plot developments in The Killing have been logical that I haven't been significantly distracted by the character's actions.

By the way, all this is part of the reason why I think The Wire was a damn near perfect show and will never be topped as the greatest television show of all time. It was just about flawless at accomplishing the things mentioned above.

5/31/2011 4:04:48 PM

i would put it on the chick in the campaign before Jamie. Jamie, even though he plays politics kinda of dirty, is pretty harmless imo. "Slimy" politician is far from murderer... he hasn't suggested that they "knock off the other candidate" or anything of a violent nature.

The chick, however, is romantically linked to Richmond. If something was up between Richmond and Rosie, or she thought it was... ya never know.

I also kind of like the sister angle. But again, I don't see Jamie killing someone -- at worst, maybe accidentally.

5/31/2011 5:35:05 PM

^Yeah, I agree with your assessment of Jamie. He seems pretty harmless.

5/31/2011 6:01:26 PM

Shows that convey character through a parsimonious use of dialogue are top notch. It means you are relying on the actors and directors to be at the top of their game. And for shows where the dialogue itself is awesome (The wire, deadwood), they convey a lot of information and don't waste talking time.


I'm not settled on the Killing's just yet, but the above is why The Wire is several tiers above something such as Game of Thrones.

5/31/2011 6:45:16 PM

Yeah i almost cried when she found out it wasn't him

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6/8/2011 10:56:22 PM

hated the last episode because they could have condensed it and still gotten the same story done plus the actual case they should be working on...it was clear when the warrant was going to take awhile that this was a side story episode only AND i never thought the son would die

6/8/2011 11:45:48 PM

I was pretty sure the son wasn't going to die, but i wasn't sure if they were going to use him as a safety for a second season. Around 10 minutes in when i figured out that since they hadn't shown the larsons or the mayor candidate dude that it was just going to be about linda/jack i just kinda accepted it and i think we learned a lot about them. Also she looks hot in them workout pants

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6/8/2011 11:50:14 PM

I don't have a problem with an episode that is entirely character development for the leads, but it should have been done WAY earlier in the season. The sequencing of this episode killed any narrative momentum the show had going for it, and while individually I enjoyed it quite a bit it felt VERY shoehorned in.

6/9/2011 12:00:10 AM

I will agree with you there, and i could definitely see how the whole jack missing tactic used in this episode is kind of an elementary plot scheme that has been used very recently on a number of shows (V and other shows that don't suck as hard), but thats obviously not what the episode was actually about or at least not what they were trying to do.

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6/9/2011 12:07:29 AM

^^I enjoyed the ep and didn't think of it that way. But you're totally right...it should have been aired earlier. I think they thought it would be too boring for some viewers and people would stop watching...they had to get us all hooked first.

6/9/2011 3:11:13 AM

This was one of the only good character development episodes so far in the entire series.

6/9/2011 10:50:52 AM

Quote :

"I don't have a problem with an episode that is entirely character development for the leads, but it should have been done WAY earlier in the season. The sequencing of this episode killed any narrative momentum the show had going for it"

6/9/2011 12:41:49 PM

I wish they hadnt drained all the momentum with the previous episode. Tonights was pretty good. I'm glad they figured out the killer on tonights ep because they definitely need to devote a full episode to why it happened and the ramifications. I would've been pissed if they discovered the killer in the last 10 minutes of the finale.

6/12/2011 11:31:31 PM

oh snap

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6/13/2011 1:29:51 AM

Yeah, they are doing precisely what I hoped they wouldnt.

Back on May 31st:

Quote :

"If it is Richmond, I will be really surprised, and pissed. It isnt supported by Richmond's actions in private or in public that he would be capable. He'd have to be a Jeckyl and Hyde, with no one seeing his Hyde to this point. "

6/13/2011 9:43:34 AM

it's not 100% that it's Richmond

6/13/2011 10:21:17 AM

This show has proven that you should not follow the path/suspect the previous show targeted. Look where the plot or suspected story of what happened started and where it is now. Next thing you know they will introduce space aliens and pink elephants as possible suspects. Oh, I love this show.

6/13/2011 11:52:52 AM

^or a giant and dancing little person!

6/13/2011 12:02:58 PM

I think you meant this thread

message_topic.aspx?topic=596784

6/13/2011 12:04:19 PM

it probably isn't Richmond

though I could see him having her killed

it would be funny if the blonde chick did it

6/13/2011 12:10:25 PM

The police will be involved in some way in her murder - calling it now.

6/13/2011 12:12:14 PM

So is this show worth watching?

6/13/2011 12:12:29 PM

It's definitely watchable, I'm just not sure I'd go out of my way to see it. I'd recommend it if you have nothing else on your DVR or Netflix that you've really wanted to catch up on.

6/13/2011 12:34:18 PM

picked up for a second season.

6/13/2011 3:18:00 PM

[Edited on June 13, 2011 at 7:53 PM. Reason : d]

6/13/2011 7:52:06 PM

This show is in the process of quickly turning from an effective and affecting drama about how one murder can affect every aspect of a community into a silly, over-the-top political conspiracy thriller. Did not enjoy the last episode. When they zoomed in on that picture of a blank silhouette with a question mark for Orpheus' profile all like "WHO IS ORPHEUS???," I literally laughed out loud. Same thing during the "I KNOW WHAT YOU DID." e-mail and the "YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE GETTING INTO. THIS THING IS BIGGER THAN YOU AND ME" warning phone call from the Beau Soleil girl. Shit got ridiculous.

6/14/2011 12:47:14 PM

ya the show's getting weaker by the minute. holder is pretty one-dimensional, although entertaining, i wanted to see more of his drug history/bad side come through to complicate things.

But no, instead we get this last stupid twist.

6/14/2011 1:03:09 PM

The name of the show is "The Killing" and the tag line is "Who Killed Rosie Larson?"

I don't think they are going to just jump out and spill the beans in the first few episodes and season. It's just that simple.

6/14/2011 1:32:29 PM

^huh? what is your point?

6/14/2011 2:05:05 PM