So far, so great.

The first episode took a little while to seem real, but, as Holder would say, I was feeling it before long. Like Linden, I was drawn back in.

It relies on excellent work from Enos as the dark, damaged Linden and Kinnaman as the slightly lighter Holder to carry us along even when the plot seems to be stagnating.

A year after the Rosie Larsen case ended, this new chapter is compelling enough to earn some fan forgiveness.

It is finally unshackled, plot wise, from the far better Danish version of the show and should be able to pace itself in a more effective and gripping way than it did it the past.

As was the case with the first two seasons of The Killing, this new one takes its sweet, sweet time getting going, and as it slowly gains momentum, it carries itself as if it's the greatest series in the history of American television, single-handedly reinventing the police procedural for the 21st century.

Beyond the central duo’s initially sparsely connected threads and the splendid addition of Peter Sarsgaard as Ray Seward, a hollow-eyed Death Row inmate, much of the narrative meanders--so slow, bleak and dreary, it’s difficult to muster much interest as to when (inevitably) it’s all going to begin to intersect.

Even though it moves slow, it is still very engaging. We all know that the last episode or two will bring it all together, so getting in the mood during the build up is well done here. There are a few threads here, and some say the story of the kids is disjointed. However I see that as a good thing as their lives are disjointed. Nothing moves smoothly in the killing, it frustrates you because it is only an hour long and ya gotta watt for a week or just save it all up for a binge viewing. I binged the first two years it was amazing. The cast is stellar.

Brilliant as last 2 seasons not only the atmospherics and cultures of Seattle and Vashon (which are right on the money), but the effects of violence on everyone it touches. Linden and Holder are as compelling as Holmes and Watson.

This show is all about the mood. There is a constant uneasiness and unsettling quality to the show (similar to movies like Silence of the Lambs and Seven). This is done mostly with the visuals (locations, cinematography, lighting). Great locations and great camera work really help sell the grimy, dark tone of the show. The story of season 3 seems to be playing to that quality even more. Overall, it's a darker storyline. Overall, however, the show is just too slow and dull. Outside of Holder, the characters are just so bland. Most of the characters are generic and have the same dull, depressed personality. It's basically like they tried to stretch out a Law & Order episode into an entire **** they didn't add enough interesting things to fill in all that extra **** what you're left with is just a very long, slow-moving episode of Law & Order.

A few good episodes through out the season and I would have given it a 7 easily if it had ended well. However, It did not. Hands down one of the most disappointing endings to a show I have ever seen, Very disappointing.

Hardly any suspense, street kids subplot is disjointed, characters not so compelling even though their respective situations are hard up and sad. Death row subplot is mostly just there for the gore effect. Not the tension between Holder and Linden, and between Linden's head and heart that were present last season are just missing here. I'll probably stick with it for next couple episodes to see if it gets more interesting. But, here's my verdict on episode 3: I got up midway thru and finished the dishes in the kitchen. Yawn.