Loved the line the Detective Sarah Linden said to the old-timer and arrogant SOB, Detective Carl Reddick:
Why haven’t you made sergeant despite your 23 years of experience, [because] all you are is in the way.
That was the highlight of the show. Last week I did a write-up of the first three episodes of Season 3 of AMC’s The Killing. I felt quite positive about the show, despite the difficulties in dealing with a show about runaway kids, and a predator who makes some of them dead. So I had high hopes and was looking forward to the 4th episode.
Simply – for almost all of the episode, nothing much happened in terms of action. But there were some advances made on the case. They busted the motel proprietress known as ‘Mama Dips’ played by Grace Zabriskie who long ago portrayed George Costanza’s almost mother-in-law on Seinfeld. I did get a kick out the way Mama Dips snarled and acted all tough when she was grilled by the cops.
Twitch (foreground above) suffered at the hands of his parole officer before going out of his way, seemingly intentionally, to get beaten up by some young punks at a skating playground called Freeway Park. Bullet did her part by trying to dissuade Twitch, but he ignored her.
Bullet suffered silently, maybe I should say waited patiently, at the 5-0 HQ. She would ID the ring on Kallie’s hand in the motel video. Bullet is an intriguing character. She’s tough, she’s brazen, and she’s often guilty of exposing a bit too much uncalled for, even foolish – bravado. Then I have a gripe about her latest look. She looks androgynous – so why ruin the look by burying her beneath a baseball cap?
I don’t get Stephen Holder. Is it the actor’s choice, or is he written as a cop born elsewhere. His drawl doesn’t seem Northwestern as much as it does Southern.
Linden and Holden’s boss Carl Skinner (Elias Koteas) seemingly ran into a problem from his bosses about the motel busts. He also has his past relationship with Linden to deal with.
I’m also perplexed by what’s going on with Seward on Death Row – I mean he had help – the razor blade in the bar of soap in the prior episode – but what was the point of it? And what was the point of him refusing his meds – which led to another prisoner being beaten up by the prison guards. Either he wants to live or he doesn’t. Either way, it seems as if compliance would be in his best interests. Unless Seward is simply nuts.
As usual – Linden (Mireille Enos) was great. But it seems quite likely that she will have to face some personal demons, some setbacks, as well as some intense emotional stress before solving the case. While her character Sarah Linden is brooding – it is still a joy watching her act.
I think this series – The Killing (Season Three) is a dark story that isn’t easy to watch. There’s almost nothing onscreen that seems to warm the heart – and speaking of that, let’s start a list of least loved characters on the show – I nominate Kallie Leeds’ Mom – Danette Leeds as most disliked.
Who do you feel should earn this sobriquet?
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Glad to see you covering this show. And I like your focusing on the characters, while I try to figure out “who did it?” If this season follows the path of the previous two, you may well feel like you’re being driven crazy as the show deliberately cast suspicion on a different character in each episode. Hopefully, we’ll again will be bamboozled by the red herrings and never figure out who’s guilty until the final episode. Meanwhile, enjoy the acting, direction and especially the writing, which seems to capture the gritty police milieu with unusual accuracy.
I’m still following the case and more and more I’m liking Reddick for the doer. Reddick tried to undermine Holder’s investigation from Episode 1 when he suggested trading the murder case off for an easy collar in narcotics where Holder used to work. He also protests too much against Linden’s theory that the current string of serial killings is related to the murder of Seward’s wife. It looks like Seward’s kid saw his mother’s murderer and Seward is the patsy on death row who’s willing to die to protect his son. Linden needs to figure out who murdered Seward’s wife. She got it wrong the first time. Reddick needs to keep Seward’s execution on schedule. Callie is probably the key — the one who got away.
I’m still following the case too. I like your speculation on Reddick. And I like your theorizing to reach that conclusion. However I wouldn’t exactly call Seward a patsy. Of course I didn’t see last year’s episodes so I don’t know how Reddick behaved prior or was he even on the show least year, nor do I know how Seward behaved last year.
I did see Episode 5 which I thought was a kind of go-no where kind of episode – with the big reveal, and per your conclusion/theory – a false lead. I mean nothing at all happened and then we find out that Danette (Callie’s Mom) is dating a bad guy. Is he bad because he has a record, or is he bad because they say he is bad. It seemed to easy and too obvious when Callie’s phone is in this guy’s bag. Any one who has been alive in the past decade AND used a cell phone AND watched TV knows that the phone can be traced via triangulation between towers receiving the phone signals.
I wasn’t enamored of Episode 6 either. I like the way Linden’s boss has begun to put the pressure on his detectives, but I didn’t much care for the girl bolting the hospital – Wasn’t Reddick on duty at the H at the time? That would bolster your theory.
I also like the bigger presence of Bullet in this episode 6 – she is a welcome diversion from Linden’s intense cop, and Holden’s laid back cop.
I stopped writing about the show only because the last couple of episodes failed to trigger any impulses to get me to write about the show. Maybe they will return.
The previous two seasons focused on a different investigation in which neither Reddick or Seward were involved, so no previous knowledge is not a hindrance, except knowing that Linden is one tenacious lady detective. I agree there’s some fat in the middle of this season, but it’s not as bad as the previous case which dragged on over 20 plus episodes. That series kept me guessing right up to the end, so I hope my Reddick theory isn’t right. I like to be surprised more than I like being correct!
I have to admit this case looks like another down to the wire, keep ’em guessing, mystery from showrunner Veena Sud.
While I knew Pastor Mike wasn’t the bad guy, I’m now a little less sure it’s Reddick. He’s in the cut — and that’s the main reason I’m betting he’s the killer. But, the most recent episode complicated things.
Bullet was caught in a lie. And Francis Becker, the sadistic death row guard, keeps going off the reservation, like a governor from South Carolina.
Then there’s Danette Leed’s missing boyfriend. Didn’t Callie, who’s also still missing, try to avoid him when she spotted his car driving around in Epsiode 1?
And how weird are these prison guards? When Becker’s wife pleaded with her husband’s co-worker, Even Henderson, to let her talk about her marriage problems, Becker’s buddy walked away. Pretty creepy, even for death row.
And if Seward didn’t kill his wife, who did? And why? What’s the connection to the current finger amputation murders?
While suspects popped in and out of the “person of interest” umbrella this week, Linden almost had a nervous breakdown during her near death experience with Pastor Mike.
Great episode! And only three more weeks to crack this case. Anyone have a clue?
I posted a comment yesterday, but it must have timed out. Too bad, because it dealt with why I’m still watching The Killing not The Newsroom at 9:00 pm on Sunday night. I won’t restate my case, but I will remind readers that there are only two episodes left this season.
Time is running out for Seward, the guy Linden mistakenly sent to death row for the murder of his wife. But, even if Linden wins a professional victory this year, she’s still going to have to live with the fact that she’s a better cop than she is a mother. And, by the way, what other leading lady have you seen kick a guy in the face while he’s on the ground, definitely NOT resisting arrest? Certainly, not any of the fourth estate women in The Newsroom.
So, who’s the killer? Is it Reddick as I predicted from the start? Or will Veena Sud surprise us with a last minute twist ending?
As Holder often says, “I’m just asking”.
Thanks for the comment. And thanks for keeping something going about the show. I’m still watching but this show is difficult to write about.
I see why you made Reddick the bad guy. When Bullet was in the diner, we saw that she had been followed. The hand on the steering wheel looked like Reddick’s
But after the attack by Holder, – with two episodes left we are out of alternates. Wasn;t Carl Mills, wasn’t PPastor Mike.
Maybe it is Goldy – the young guy we met so many eps back and haven’t seen much of him since. You know, just like Carl Mills – they had him, they questioned him, and then what happened to him?
jmm
Miller was in Alaska when Seward’s wife was killed. The other possible suspect is Francis Becker, the prison guard. But, what’s his motive? If all the murders are the work of one person, what’s the motive for killing Seward’s wife as well as the younger homeless girls? And where did Twitch get the cash to pay advance rent on a new apartment.
Bullet tries to call Holder. Reddick takes the message that Bullet knows who the killer is. This info probably comes from Callie, who’s been in hiding since someone tried to kill her. Reddick pays Twitch to help him locate Bullet.
And lo and behold, when Miller is caught, Reddick finds all the victims’ jewelry in Miller’s storage unit. But, Linden notices that one of the killer’s souveniers looks like Seward’s wife’s missing ring. If Miller was in Alaska when Mrs. Seward died, how did her ring get into his storage unit?
So why would Reddick kill Seward’s wife? Maybe she wasn’t the intended victim. Maybe the intended victim was Seward’s kid. You know, the kid hiding in the closet. What if he drew a picture of the exact spot where he saw someone dumping something in the water? Something in a plastic bag.
That’s a motive, isn’t it? I’m just saying…
One episode left to solve The Killing after last night’s wrenching ticking clock drama on death row.
What’s still hanging in the balance now is justice. There’s still a long list of unanswered questions:
Did Linden make a mistake?
Did Seward kill his wife? .
Who killed Bullet?
Is Kallie still alive?
Did Adrian see his mother’s killer?
What happened to Tricia Seward’s ring?
Before you watch the two-hour finale next Sunday night, check out the episode by episode recaps, clues, and evidence posted on the AMC web site and see if you can figure it out before Linden and Holder. It’s now or never.
Or as Holder said to Linden: “you missed your chance.”