How to catch a killer — it’s one of the most universal questions a TV series can answer. And yet, it’s also one that never seems to get old.
AMC’s drama “The Killing,” based upon a Danish television series, started off by asking, “Who Killed Rosie Larson?” After numerous award nominations — including across the board at the Emmys, the Critics Choice Television awards, the Saturn Awards and the Golden Globes — “The Killing” was canceled by AMC.
What happened next? Netflix happened. The media-streaming giant sought to acquire exclusive rights to a third season of “The Killing.” Then, a few months later, AMC revived the show. The result has been an unexpected third season.
In seasons one and two of “The Killing,” we get to know Seattle detectives Sarah Linden (Mireille Enos) and Stephen Holder (Joel Kinnaman).
Sarah is a short, skinny product of the foster-care system who always has her hair in a ponytail and likes to wear knit sweaters. On the outside, she seems unassuming and nonthreatening. But she has an uncanny nose for detective work and can’t be intimidated. She’s the type of cop who forgets to eat and sleep when she’s working a case.
In contrast, Holder is tall and charismatic. He may be the only one who understands Linden’s gift.
After navigating some rather prickly twists and turns — Sarah winds up institutionalized for a hot second and proves a willingness to sacrifice just about everything to catch this killer — the pair finally solves Rosie Larsen’s murder.
At the start of season three, we re-visit our duo only to learn that one year later, Sarah is no longer a cop. Holder is teaming with someone else as they get called to the murder of a young runaway.
When Holder digs up apparent connections to an old case of Sarah’s, she can’t help but get sucked back into the world she left behind.
This time, however, our bad guy is a serial killer. Someone is murdering street kids, dozens of them, and all girls. That matches a murder that has stuck with Sarah over the years, but she caught the culprit and he’s on death row. End of story. Or is it?
The new season is interesting because it is completely different from the previous two. Instead of a murder — past tense — we’re dealing with an active killer with multiple victims.
I’m thrilled that “The Killing” is back. Like Mulder and Scully of “The X-Files,’ Linden and Holder have that special something that makes me want to watch them for years to come.
I’m a fan!
By the way, if you don’t have AMC, season 3 of “The Killing,” like the show’s previous seasons, will be available on Netflix.