❮ The Killing
Season 1
Season Premiere:
Apr 2, 2011
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
84
User score
Universal Acclaim
8.1
My Score
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Season Episodes
Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
100% Positive
29 Reviews
29 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Mar 31, 2011
100
What sets The Killing apart are its steady sense of dread, its dense atmospherics--that feeling that rain may at any moment pour from our sets--and its beautifully drawn characters.
Apr 4, 2011
90
Even on the rare occasions when those shows [like CSI or Law & Order] tell stories involving the death of a child, they're almost never as raw, palpable and grim as The Killing, an engrossing, well-made drama series that viewers should embrace despite its tough subject matter.
User score
Universal Acclaim
84% Positive
336 Ratings
336 Ratings
10% Mixed
41 Ratings
41 Ratings
6% Negative
24 Ratings
24 Ratings
Aug 1, 2020
10
Linden and Holder are amazing characters and Mireille and Joel do a fantastic job. The rest of the cast round out nicely. This show focuses on the right things and keeps you invested, I love this show.
Mar 27, 2017
10
While searching for some program to watch on Netflix I came across this show and ended up binge-watching the first season all day Sunday. What an amazing program! The writing is the best I’ve seen on TV in a long time. One cannot tell who the suspect is from episode to episode. The acting is also great. While Season #1 left one in suspense, Season #2 is even better.
Apr 1, 2011
90
What distinguishes this drama from countless mysteries about missing young women gone to terrifying deaths is the unrelenting focus, complex and haunting, on the family left behind. A riveting tale with a hunt for the killer that's no less compelling.
Apr 5, 2011
80
In the suspenseful early hours of The Killing, Rosie's family goes about its bereavement in muted tones, and a subplot about a mayoral candidate drawn into the crime's eccentric orbit flashes with potential, and, primarily, our expectations for cop shows are teased, gratified, and artfully upended.
Apr 1, 2011
80
There's considerable strength in the performances (Forbes and Sexton are especially good), while delivering a reminder how TV can tease out such a narrative in a way almost no other medium can.
Apr 1, 2011
80
The Killing marks another bull's-eye for AMC in presenting complex, literate, well-crafted television.
Apr 1, 2011
70
So the atmosphere and central performances feel worthy of telling one story over 13 hours. My concern is whether the story can say the same.
Aug 3, 2014
10
Season 4 wrap was perfect. I almost gave up on Season 1, but the characters, Holder in particular, brought me back. Season 3 was so much better than first two seasons. The character of Bullet gave the series someone to care about and took the performances to another level. Season 4 gave us the ending we needed.
Jun 25, 2012
6
Definitely a show that takes a lot of patience. The start of the series is a bit slow and it took me two tries to finally get into it. Once you have a better sense of the characters and the storyline around episode 4, you'll begin to feel more of a connection with the show, in my opinion. Definitely not a series I would recommend hands down but if you're in between series, I would say check this out.
Jun 18, 2011
6
OK so this is a good show but THEY RIPPED OFF TWIN PEAKS and especially the first episode. I really like Holder in the show but Linden just has no personality that is attractive or alluring. At least Twin Peaks had a sense of humor and didn't take itself so seriously. Also, a casino? Really? She was an escort? Why not just call the casino One Eyed Jacks for Pete's sake. PS Does every politician have to whisper everything? UGH. Give TWIN PEAKS some due credit.
May 14, 2012
3
In brief, two points:
1)You can't judge this show by its first few episodes, which is why the scores are so drastically inflated. 2) I am simply in shock at how bad the writing is [scene by scene and in the series overall]. It's like an elephant playing piano. How did this show-runner get to adapt a series? More details:
The writing's so bad that it's hard to gauge the talent of the actors, so I will reserve judgment there. However, for those of you who haven't studied the interplay of writing and acting, you may find yourself frequently inclined to blame the actors. I've found this show to be an interesting study in what a series can get wrong at the same time that it gets several things right. [Its strong points are cinematography, design and editing; and the fact that it's based on a Danish series with an interesting premise: an in-depth examination of a murder case] Many user reviews cite "slow and depressing" as a problem with this show, but I disagree. I think that a show like this, if written well, would not bother people with its heavy themes and in-depth examination of a case.
May 18, 2011
3
I've been watching this series from the beginning. "The Killing" just goes on and on and on .... are the detectives never going to solve this case? I have absolutely no interest in suffering through the grief of Rosie's family and the politician's story is just as dull.
I want the story to stay with the two--interesting--detectives. Hurry up!
