Based on the Danish series “Forbrydelsen” (“Crime”), AMC’s “The Killing” is masterminded by writer-producer Verna Sud (“Cold Case”) and examines the aftermath of a young girl’s murder.
The cast includes Michelle Forbes (“Battlestar Galactica,” “True Blood”) as the victim’s mother and Billy Campbell (“The Rocketeer,” “The 4400”) as a Seattle mayoral candidate. Mireille Enos (Kathy and Jodeen Marquart on “Big Love”) plays the lead homicide detective. Kristen Lehman (“Century City,” “Drive”) is aboard as a campaign aide.
Reviews are strong!
… The Killing itself is a slow burn, or rather drizzle. Three episodes in, I can tell you that I'm drawn in by the characters and eager to see a fourth; I can't guess whether the story is finally going to be satisfying, and the show is deliberate and sparing in parceling out details on the case. But it's so far moving and captivating. …
… What distinguishes this drama from countless mysteries about missing young women gone to terrifying deaths is the unrelenting focus, complex and haunting, on the family left behind. A riveting tale with a hunt for the killer that's no less compelling.
… with the spellbinding The Killing, AMC reconfirms its reputation as a place where serious and emotionally compelling drama thrives. …
Something wicked this way comes. And a TV audience starved for good new drama should embrace it. Arriving Sunday, just when a so-far-dismal season could use the boost, this Americanized version of a Danish hit, Forbrydelsen, is a true rarity: an adaptation that doesn't leave you wishing you were watching the original or, worse, wondering what people saw in the original in the first place. Writer Veena Sud (Cold Case) has so brilliantly translated and transferred it to America, you never once get the feeling that it doesn't truly belong here. …
… scary and suspenseful, but in a subdued, meditative way that is somehow all the more chilling. … There have been plenty of dark, cheerless murder mysteries on television. “The Killing” is as bleak and oppressive as any, but it’s so well told that it’s almost heartening. …
… While "The Killing" will probably not cause the stir of the David Lynch classic, it promises to become something even more valuable: a show that is visually poetic, normatively compelling and, most important, sustainable for a good long haul. Though one doesn't like to use blurb words, the first two episodes are riveting, and if the third slows down considerably, it's still pretty darn good. …
… The pilot establishes the world and its characters, but it isn't until a closing sequence involving Detective Linden and Stan Larsen that the show really begins to differentiate itself from all the CBS cop shows. By pairing it with the second episode - which has more of those slow, powerful moments - AMC makes it clear from night one what this show is doing on the same channel as "Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad." … This may not be a comparison AMC executives want to hear, but at this stage the AMC show that "The Killing" most reminds me of is "Rubicon," the low-rated, cerebral spy thriller that had fantastic atmosphere and fine performances but tended to stumble whenever it actually had to deal with plot. In particular, "Rubicon" completely botched the resolution to the story of its first and only season. Until we get to "The Killing" finale, there's obviously no way of knowing whether Sud has a better conclusion in mind, but that's the risk you take with this type of extended plot-driven series: the 13 hours you spend on a season might feel utterly wasted if the resolution isn't satisfying enough given the commitment. …
… It's rare for a new program to demonstrate as much confidence as 'The Killing' does in its excellent opening hours. …
… Like the cult favorite “Twin Peaks,” “The Killing” creeps up on you with its share of seemingly commonplace yet off-kilter visuals. This viewer is loath to say much more. This is no CBS crime procedural, and viewers deserve the chance to delve into this smart mystery for themselves. Here’s the easy solution: AMC, home of “Mad Men” and “The Walking Dead,” has another hit on its hands.
… With “The Killing,’’ AMC further solidifies its position among cable’s original series elite, the position it first earned with Matthew Weiner’s “Mad Men.’’ The channel selects material that asks for — and then rewards — viewer’s patience. The reason the difficult “Rubicon’’ didn’t fly was because the rewards were too few and very far between. Not so with “The Killing,’’ which quickly hooks you with its steadily unfolding story line. Created by Veena Sud, based on a Danish TV hit named “Forbrydelsen,’’ the show draws you into the tragedy of the crime, and then makes you crave its solution. …
… excellent, absorbing and addictive. When each episode ends, you long for the next -- a hallmark of great dramas. With that out of the way, give credit to AMC for being unafraid to green light a series that moves slowly, lacks a lot of flash and holds tight to the clues of a dark mystery. …
… Equal parts "Twin Peaks" and "Murder One," this grim, absorbing show restores the horror to homicide, while its cliffhangers deftly propel viewers from one hour into the next. …
9 p.m. Sunday. AMC. 
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