Air Date: Sunday, June 17, 2012, 9/8c on AMC
RATING:
“Where were you the night the Larsen girl died, Jamie?” – Councilman Darren Richmond
This scene broke my heart. At least the Larsens get their closure.
I’ve had some time to think about my feelings on The Killing’s season two finale. At first I thought, “At least AMC doesn’t make you wait an entire hour to get to the good stuff.” Then I realized things probably aren’t what they seem. Why give us a finale if you’ve already told us who the killer was during last week’s episode? Well, patience sure is a virtue because you have to wait for the real gem to be discovered. I was a bit surprised that an entire two seasons worth of mystery, innuendo and suspicion was nothing but subterfuge skillfully used to throw viewers off the scent. I made my guesses but had no clue who killed Rosie Larsen (Katie Findlay). So yeah, the big reveal doesn’t go down the way I thought it would. I didn’t cry although I came pretty darned close to it. *shaking my finger* Very sneaky, writers. You almost made me dislike this episode. You got me good, though. You got me good.
Observations and thoughts:
I’m completely at a loss for words because I can’t believe the big “ah ha!” moment comes down to one man’s political ambitions. A lot of shady things happen in order to win a race and it makes me think twice about the motivations of anyone in the political arena. At any rate, I guess now I understand why there was so much intrigue surrounding the mayoral race and the Wapi Eagle Casino. Essentially, Rosie was killed so a casino could be built to help Councilman Richmond’s (Billy Campbell) chances at becoming mayor. This is the big, evil plot surrounding a senseless murder? Say it ain’t so, folks!
How do you think Richmond will fare as Mayor? I hope he isn’t as bad as Adams turned out to be.
The rage needed to commit Rosie’s murder fits Jamie Wright’s (Eric Ladin) persona although, I never thought he did it. Jamie is an overzealous lunatic, but so is Gwen (Kristin Lehman) when you think about it. So, I’m sorry but I call bullshit. I couldn’t swallow the reasoning behind Rosie’s killing—nor her killer—that was thrown at us during the first 15 minutes of “What I Know.” I’m sure I’m not alone in this but even if I am, I’m still sticking to my guns. I was expecting to be blown away when we found out whodunit and all I could think was, “Really? A sociopathic martyr? Huh.” I’m not sure what the writers were going for except shock and awe and I was shocked, that’s for sure. Who would have guessed that the run through of Rosie’s last day leading up to her murder was only half the story?
Jamie wasn’t a favorite of mine but his dedication to Councilman Richmond (and the lengths Jamie would go to for success), shines a new light on both men. “You put me in this chair!” I have to agree with Richmond on this point. If it weren’t for Jamie, the councilman could have avoided unwarranted blame, humiliation, and paralysis. Still, I’m not quite satisfied with this turn of events.
“I want you to know, both of you did good work on this case.” Really, Lt. Erik Carlson (Mark Moses)? Because I could have sworn he was pissed off at Linden (Mirielle Enos) and Holder (Joel Kinnaman) for disobeying orders and continuing to pursue leads in the Larsen murder. But now that things have turned around and his detectives have gotten their man, he’s giving them his full support? I think Holder and Linden need to keep an eye on the lieutenant in the future. I don’t think he’s trustworthy.
What will Linden do with herself now that she doesn’t have this case to obsess over?
So even though the case is ‘solved,’ you know Linden will continue to search for clues because she has a sixth sense about these things. She’s never satisfied and rightly so. Things aren’t always what they seem and thank goodness she pays attention to her surroundings. If she’d missed the broken taillight on Terry’s (Jamie Ann Allman) car, would they have figured out what really happened that night? Would Jamie still be the scapegoat for Rosie’s murder?
I doubt anyone gave my rain theory any merit, but maybe you noticed the rain falling as Linden and Holder find Terry in the Larsen garage? Uh huh… (Not saying I told you so or nothing.)
I have a ton of questions but I’m not sure they’ll ever be answered. There are a lot of things I just don’t understand and my mind is reeling. Damn.
I’m floored by Stan (Brent Saxton) and Mitch’s (Michelle Forbes) reactions after hearing what happened to their daughter, and applaud Saxton and Forbes for their superb acting skills. Forbes remains the stoic matriarch as she learns who killed her daughter. Her eyes gloss over, she seems to go stiff with hurt and confusion, and she has no words. I loved this reaction because it fit Mitch’s character. Saxton took it to the extreme with a physical reaction to his character’s pain. But isn’t that what Stan would do? Isn’t he the father who protects his family by any means necessary? He doesn’t tap into his emotions very well; he reacts the only way he knows how. This scene almost brought me to tears; I thought it was poignant in the way it brought the Larsens closure. I couldn’t watch this scene twice because I was sure I’d end up in tears.
Memorable lines:
Councilman Richmond: “The girl, Jaime; what happened with the girl!?”
Jamie: “It was an accident!”
**
Linden: “Jamie never said it. No one ever said what happened to her here.”
**
Terry: “I didn’t know it was Rosie.”
**
Holder: “Linden, we got the bad guy.”
Linden: “Yeah? Who’s that?”
**
“What I Know” feels more like a series finale than a season finale. Though all of the pieces fall into place, I still feel like I don’t know everything. What else is there now that we have the answer to the million dollar question, you ask? Um, lots because I want to know how someone can be so cold toward another human being without any thought or feeling. It kills me to know Rosie’s murder was caused by someone who is senseless, selfish and stupid. But I guess that’s the point to The Killing. It leaves you questioning everything and never satisfied. I think that makes for excellent writing and a damn good series.
For more information on The Killing, visit http://www.amctv.com/originals/the-killing.
LIKE The Killing on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheKilling.
Follow The Killing on Twitter: @TheKilling_AMC, hashtag #TheKilling https://twitter.com/#!/TheKilling_AMC.
Photo credit: Carol Segal/AMC © 2010-2012 American Movie Classics Company, LLC. All rights reserved.
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All I want to know is, when is the killing coming back?
The Killing was cancelled by AMC. There is no season 3. There is talk of the show being possibly being ‘resurrected’ by DirectTV and Netflix but no official word yet on that front.
I gues’ed it right a couple weeks ago, and I was right@! Don;t I get a prize or something? I did enter the contest.
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I think if you participated in the contest AMC was hosting, you were eligible to win a prize. Thanks for commenting!