For some time now, I've been arguing that AMC's The Killing is one of best new shows on television and, thankfully, I must not be alone since the ratings proved strong enough to spend another season unearthing murders in Seattle. Yes, with only one episode left in its first, the heavy on atmosphere - light on plot, murder mystery has been granted life for second season.
Deadline notes that a second season seemed inevitable after "The Killing defied the common downward ratings trajectory for a heavily serialized drama by keeping its ratings steady while garnering cult following and major awards attention." Inevitable as it may have been, it still took until now for the announcement to be made official by the cable TV network whose perfect renewal record was tainted by last years' equally engaging but less watched Rubicon.
Rarely do we get to keep a show so dedicated to telling its story through atmosphere and character development (for example, the paint-by-numbers CSI continues to be the most watched show on Earth) that news of it's renewal brought a smile to my cynical face. I was worried, with the recent backlash against the show's deliberate pacing (and I do agree that a 10 episode arc would have been stronger...), that next week could have been the last time we saw our sleuths on the rain-soaked Seattle streets but, it seems, who killed Rosie Larsen will not be the last question the show answers.
The Killing is adapted from the award-winning Danish series of the same name (Forbrydelsen) and stars Mireille Enos, Billy Campbell, and Joel Kinnaman. It airs on Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on AMC.
