The Killing on BBC4 has finally ended with more twists, turns, somersaults and surprises than Ed Miliband trying to explain why Labour cuts are better than Tory cuts. Needless to say, I, 'Sherlock Hercule' Duff, the greatest detective in, er, this study, applied my 'little grey cells' and provided you all with the identity of the culprit weeks ago. Back on the 16th February I wrote:
Personally, I have my eye on that foreman chap who works for the dead girl's father.
Never liked the cut of his jib, old boy, shifty around the eyes, don't you know! Yes, it's that sort of shrewd, insightful thinking which has got me where I am today - sorry, I didn't quite catch that . . .
Anyway, don't ask me to explain the various plot lines, I was lost weeks ago. There seems to me to be, so to speak, a number of 'hanging chads' but quite frankly I was so exhausted last night I couldn't work them all out. The good news is that there is a second series on its way. I do hope it will feature the same lady detective whom I can only describe as the 'mostest with the leastest', by which I mean that she had very few lines to speak but gradually and inexorably she grew before our eyes into an almost monstrous, monosyllabic, unstoppable machine which slowly but surely minced up all those around her, the loved and the unloved, as she pursued her quest to find the killer. The only problem, I suppose, is that part of the tension in the series arose from watching her destroy, one by one, her entire family and and her lover, but now she has no-one left. It was an unforgettable performance and I cannot applaud the writers, directors and the actress loudly enough for avoiding the sentimental tantrums and flare ups which a second-rate show would have felt was necessary. Her controlled, cold, not to say, glacial, exterior was exactly right and only the slight twitch of a jaw muscle or a quick turn away was needed to show us the torment she was feeling inside as one by one she sacrificed those close to her in her relentless pursuit of the killer.
Perhaps the most overtly upsetting theme in the series was the Larsen family. Shattered by the murder of their daughter, slowly their private life was stripped bare and we saw the guts of a family with all its wounds laid open. Theiss, the father, a magnificent, tragic figure, was nearly brought down early on but gradually clawed his way back up only to be felled in the last episode. Another cheer for the producers who refused a sentimental ending and a double cheer for the actor and actress concerned who were simply terrific. Similarly, the parallel political plot-line ended with a nice, bitter, little dollop of cynical truth for us all to swallow before we went to bed!
Next week, I gather, we are to be offered a French thriller series so I must set up that nice magic-box-thingie that my mate 'Rupe' gave me. I hope it is good enough to fill the achingly empty weeks ahead before we get the next Danish series back again.
Well done, BBC4!
I agree with all you say - it was most excellent and had me gripped throughout. The writing and acting was immense. I loved the twists, turns and the way it gave us the killer then he wriggled out of it but then he was snared. Was little disappointed Theis shot him thought that maybe Pernille might have pleaded with him more as it meant losing him to prison. Thought political messgae at end was just superbly bittersweet. I want one of those Lund jumpers!
Posted by: Sam | Sunday, 27 March 2011 at 12:53
Glad you shared my enjoyment, Sam, but I disagree with you on Theis's sad ending. He was an archetypical, paternal character of Old Testament proportions. For him not to have shot the killer of his daughter would have been against character. It was a case of, to quote the famous expression, "sometimes a man has to do what a man has to do". As for Lund's jumpers, if you fit them as neatly and attractively as she does I'm sure they will look superb - er, you are a girl, aren't you, Sam?
Posted by: David Duff | Sunday, 27 March 2011 at 13:05
DD
I didn't realise that a third series of "Spiral" was on its way. This is really gritty stuff and involves despicable politicians and (except for one of the main protagonists) highly political and right-on turds on the judicial bench: par for the course in France and, sadly, much like the reality of the UK.
Posted by: Umbongo | Monday, 28 March 2011 at 14:37
"Spiral"?! Dammit, have I missed a couple of corkers? It won't happen again now that I am fully house-trained to check the BBC4 listings regularly.
By the way, 'Bongers', did you enjoy the Danish thriller?
Posted by: David Duff | Monday, 28 March 2011 at 15:30
The Killing was worth the licence fee alone. Brilliant acting from everyone. Just shows what spending time on a good drama can do; the excellent plot was character led and not merely telling a story. Can't wait for the next series and I am left wondering if Sarah lund will still be investigating those unsolved murders against her bosse's wishes going into dark and creepy places whilst also trying to solve the 21 stab wound case as seen on the trailer. DON'T go alone Sarah!
Have missed 'Spiral' like David but will definately be watching it now. Signed up to the newsletter so that I won't miss anything.
Posted by: Judith Gilbert | Monday, 28 March 2011 at 18:45
i was a bit tired when i watched the last episode but i am totally confused about what happened in the flat. Are we supposed to know ??
Posted by: sonj | Monday, 28 March 2011 at 19:41
"character led". Exactly right which is why I think the ending was so good with none of the writers/directors losing their nerves.
Sonj, there are so many unanswered questions but my mind begins to ache when I try and work out the answers! I leave that sort of thing to Sarah Lund!
Posted by: David Duff | Monday, 28 March 2011 at 19:52
"By the way, 'Bongers', did you enjoy the Danish thriller?"
I certainly did although it had its weaknesses; for instance knowing, because this was a whodunnit and 20 episodes long, that "obvious" villains identified in mid-series would be shown to be innocent (eg the Iranian(?) teacher). This was not The Wire or Mad Men which are highpoints of my 60+ years of staring at the box. Fair dos though, The Killing beat recent home grown stuff into a cocked hat.
Posted by: Umbongo | Monday, 28 March 2011 at 23:14
Haven't seen 'Mad Men' and, of course, 'The Wire' stands supreme. Even so, can't wait for the next Danish series.
Posted by: David Duff | Tuesday, 29 March 2011 at 08:38