Of all the special TV events vying for attention Sunday -- including the launch of Showtime's The Borgias and the opening installment of the orphaned, adopted miniseries The Kennedys -- the most compelling and impressive is also the darkest. It's The Killing, the newest bold programming move by AMC...
The Killing, premiering Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on AMC, is based on a 2007 Denmark miniseries named Forbrydelsen, which probed the murder of a local high-school girl from three different perspectives: the detectives investigating the case, the parents of the victim, and a politician who may or may not be implicated in the murder. Each hour of the miniseries represents a day in the investigation, as the cops weave their way through a gauntlet of puzzling clues, evasive suspects, and unsatisfactory answers.
For the U.S. audience, the show has been reworked (by Veena Sud, upping her game from the more formulaic Cold Case and the quirkier but less satisfying Push, Nevada), transplanted (to Seattle, though it's actually shot in Vancouver), and recast -- and recast very, very well.
Quality TV viewers are bound to recognize, and welcome, Michelle Forbes (Homicide: Life on the Street, True Blood), who plays the mother of the slain Rosie Larsen, and Billy Campbell (Once and Again), who plays mayoral candidate Darren Richmond.
But the stars in the making in The Killing are Mireille Enos as Sarah Linden, the homicide detective whose last day on the job becomes complicated by the discovery of Rosie's body -- and Sarah's replacement, Joel Kinnamon's Stephen Holder, who arrives to take Sarah's place, but stays on as her temporary, very unorthodox partner.
Kinnamon is a Swedish actor just recently arriving in the Americas, and his role here is a standout -- kind of like Columbo as a sly slacker. But Enos, who did double duty playing the twins on Big Love, gets an even bigger chance to shine here. Amid all the gloominess, she's luminous, reflecting the tender soul and quiet determination of a cop who's always questioning, but always caring.
The Killing is extremely, intentionally slow-paced, and relentlessly dark. It's a little like Twin Peaks without the comic relief, and its characters, pace and focus may remind you of other landmark TV series as well. (For a full rundown, read, or listen to, my review of The Killing on NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross, by clicking HERE.)
But as dark and deliberate as it is, it's also haunting, involving and unshakeable. You care about these people, and certainly care about what happens next. It may not sound like the sort of TV entertainment you want to cozy up to -- but think of it: Did Breaking Bad? Did The Walking Dead?
Yet by exploring its dark side, AMC has come up with yet another bright jewel in TV's crown. To sample it for yourself, here's a four-minute preview from AMC. It's spoiler-free, but gives a very good sense of the show's tone and quality...