Release Date: March 13, 2012
Rating: NR
Running Time: Approximately 587 minutes
Season 1 of AMC’s critically acclaimed new show “THE KILLING” comes to Blu-ray and DVD on March 13 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. With exclusive Blu-ray and DVD features, including an extended season finale, loyal fans and new viewers alike will dive deeper into the captivating mystery and complex characters that garnered the freshman series six Primetime Emmy® nominations and one Golden Globe® nomination. Catch up on the show that everyone will be talking about when “The Killing” returns to AMC for season two this Spring.
From writer, executive producer and series showrunner Veena Sud (“Cold Case”) “The Killing” ties together three distinct stories around a single murder including the detectives assigned to the case, the victim’s grieving family, and the suspects. Set in Seattle, the story also explores local politics as it follows politicians connected to the case. As the series unfolds, it becomes clear that there are no accidents; everyone has a secret, and while the characters think they’ve moved on, their past isn’t done with them.
“The Killing” stars Emmy® and Golden Globe® nominated Mireille Enos (“Big Love)” as Sarah Linden, the lead homicide detective that investigates the death of Rosie Larsen; Billy Campbell (“Once and Again”) as Darren Richmond, Seattle’s City Council President and now running for Mayor; Joel Kinnaman (“Snabba Cash”) as Stephen Holder, an ex-narc cop who joins the homicide division in the investigation to find Rosie’s killer; Emmy® nominated Michelle Forbes (“True Blood”) as Rosie’s mother, Mitch Larsen; and Brent Sexton (“W.”, “In the Valley of Elah”) as Rosie’s father, Stan Larsen. The pilot was directed by Patty Jenkins (“Monster”).
The Killing is one of the most gripping crime dramas on television today and one of my favorite series period. I highly recommend everyone watch as soon as they can. Never before have I seen a series take on a case this way… one case, just one case and in a way in that it’s not just about the case, it’s about the people of this city. We’re not just trying to find out how Rosie’s last night played out but who killed Rosie and everyone’s part in Rosie’s life leading up to that fateful night. Following her family, the local politicians, and the detectives on her case… these characters have depth and that’s really why I love AMC. Their shows have real people and they aren’t afraid to explore and show us their journeys, their faults, their souls. It’s so genuine. Rosie Larson’s murder is not given to us as entertainment on a platter. Murder brings a heavy heart and heartache…and not particularly in that order but this series is not afraid to show how one murder affects so many. It’s not something to be taken lightly, or mull over in one full swoop.
There’s no rush! Solving a murder case takes time. At first, the pacing catches you off guard, especially since the tone of the show is so dreary in its own right, in a nonstop rainy Seattle. But once you settle in it by the beginning of episode two, you can kick back your heels and really relax in the show. Now that you know about the pace, you won’t be disappointed to learn that we do not find out who the killer is at the end of the season. But what kind of show would it be had that happened anyway? Where’s the longevity? I could honestly go another season or two before finding out who the killer is at the rate that season one went (time span of two weeks) and still be completely at ease where the show is going. Now that thinking is probably not representing the majority, but I am okay with the formula here. You think you have it figured out and then the writers throw crazy twists and turns into the mix, leaving you right back at square one.
The Killing goes far beyond a “Who Done It?” and they do it darn good. With season two nearing and plenty of television already on my plate, I was on the fence about continuing to follow the series but I promise you that you will be addicted to this series whether you want to be or not when that finale guts you. And I can’t end without praising the cast who do a phenomenal job. I was truly rooting for each and every character. And then that curve ball was thrown and now I am lost. I love that mystery. Sneaky. Frustratingly brilliant. What an incredible series AMC has presented us. Let’s hope this show goes nowhere anytime soon.
Bonus Features:
* Gag Reel
An Autopsy of The Killing (Approximately 17 minutes) – This featurette provides great insight into the world of The Killing, from the brief talk of casting and character studies as well as the relationship between Sarah and Holder to making this series respect the original Danish series while standing on its own and also respecting the people who have experienced the pain on this show in real life. What is so gripping about this series is that the storytelling is so authentic, so for Veena Sud to bring this up and acknowledge how much of a factor this was in bringing this story to life was very reassuring for the seasons to come. There is not an awful lot to take away here, so I’d recommend watching the commentaries for a more in depth analysis of this story and the characters, more specifically for the Pilot episode. The real “Autopsy” is there.
Appearing in this Feature:
Showrunner/Executive Producer, Veena Sud
Executive Producer, Mikkel Bondsen
Producer, Kristen Campo
Co-Executive Producers/Writers, Nicole Yorkin, Dawn Prestwich
Cast Members, Katie Findlay, Joel Kinnaman, Mireille Enos, Billy Campbell, Eric Ladin, Kristin Lehman, Michelle Forbes
Deleted Scenes – There are about two dozen deleted scenes here to watch, the most moving I think coming from the Larson family. There is one scene in particular where Mitch is sitting at the kitchen table appearing to have cut herself intentionally on her wrist that I found to be especially moving. I wonder why it didn’t make the cut. Mitch preparing for the funeral in another season also almost brings me to tears. Michelle Forbes is phenomenal in this role. But aside from a small handful of scenes, there’s nothing to see here.
Extended Season Finale – As I did not watch the season finale live, I decided to go straight for the extended cut on the DVD rather than the aired version since I was already so engrossed in this world and wanted as much as possible of it right then and there. I still do not know what the aired version is like, in fact, I cannot imagine what was cut from the extended edition. I love it so much! Please let there be an extended season finale on every season’s DVD.
Commentary – The commentary on the Pilot is conducted by Creator/Executive Producer/Writer, Veena Sud. Typically, commentaries conducted by one person are not my favorite thing. The monotony of it all really takes the excitement out of following an episode in what is supposed to be a very enthralling journey. The perfect commentary has multiple people including both cast and crew members, not one or the other and has an even balance of technical notes as well as fun memories from off and on set. Sud does her best keeping the viewers hooked with both technical notes (i.e. story and production notes, the original Danish series and this series, etc…) and fun memories behind the scenes. As a big fan of characters myself, Sud pointing out how much this series is a character study was very important to me. Diving into what is so fascinating about all of these characters is what really reeled me into the series in the first place. Everybody has faults, secrets to keep, lies to tell, and a path to take or veer off from and watching them make those decisions… it’s what makes the story. So once Sud really begins to touch on the characters that’s when I really got sucked into this commentary. While it starts off as a less than thrilling commentary, in the end, this is definitely worth watching.
The commentary on the season finale extended cut, Orpheus Descending is conducted by Actress, Mireille Enos and Writer, Nicole Yorkin. Because of reasons stated above, right away, I knew that this would be my favorite commentary of the two. This is also my favorite episode of the season, so there’s that. But commentary is really about your style preference within, so I can’t really recommend one over the other if your style preference is different from mine. But there’s nothing like getting the perspective from an actor and a writer together on the work that they helped bring to life. The talk of the pacing of this series was appreciated because as mentioned, it is something that really appeals to people, especially since we’re not used to it here in America. The entire first season takes place over two weeks. And I thought that the pacing for The Walking Dead was slow. Slow as it may be, it’s gripping and that’s not as easy a task to complete as one may think, perfecting the pace. There’s so much to learn and discover from this commentary whether it be about Mireille Enos’s wardrobe or the fact that she was five months pregnant when the Pilot episode was shot. All of this said, come season two, there definitely needs to be a mix of female and male cast and crew members participating in the commentary. Make it a party!
Own The Killing on Blu-Ray and DVD today. Watch The 2 hour season 2 premiere of The Killing Sunday, April 1, 2012 at 8/7c on AMC.