I have never felt so insulted and betrayed by a television show as I was by the season finale of “The Killing” Sunday night on AMC. When the show was over I literally stared at the TV for a couple of minutes, not in awe of the dramatic “plot twist” but in disbelief that a show's writers and producers and a network really would screw their viewers over in this manner. After a bit, I recovered enough to post something deep and eloquent on my Twitter feed expressing my feelings about the finale. My post simply read “AMC and The Killing can lick my balls.”
Bill Safire would have been proud of such grandiloquence.
MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD … YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!
After a whole 13 episode season of asking us “Who killed Rosie Larsen?” AMC did the unthinkable. After a season full of red herrings in which a new suspect was introduced at the very end of an episode, only to be dismissed immediately the next week, cheap plot twists that went nowhere and had no real meaning to the show, slow or nonexistent character development, simplistic dialog, uneven flow and non-stop downpours, AMC and “The Killings” producers failed to do the one thing they promised to do. They didn't tell us who killed Rosie Larsen. Instead they threw up another overly-dramatic (complete with horror movie music) and ridiculous psych! moment at us and told us to tune in NEXT YEAR to find out who killed Rosie Larsen.
I don't think so. In fact, I don't really even care who killed her now. If, by some chance, they actually tell us who killed her next season, I'll find out via a Google search and then just move on with my life.
The Killing's showrunner Veena Sud defended the finale by saying that they never “expressly” said that they would reveal the killer this season and that the show “isn't a traditional procedural.”
Okay, 1) even if they didn't “expressly” say that they would reveal the killer, using the tag line “Who Killed Rosie Larsen” and saying things like “tune in to find out who killed Rosie Larsen” comes pretty damn close to “expressly” saying they would reveal the killer and certainly implied heavily, and wanted the viewers to believe that the killer would be revealed.
And, 2) while this certainly wasn't a traditional procedural crime drama (which was the show's main draw and the reason I was excited to watch it to begin with), they certainly hit all the cliches:
Underage murder victim who had a secret life as an escort? Check
The first main suspect was a black man who was her teacher? Check
He was also a Muslim so there was an FBI raid of the Mosque where he worshiped? Check
The father of the victim beats innocent black Muslim man into a coma? Check
Lead detective stares at photos, videos, pieces of paper and even a blade of fucking grass and suddenly has an epiphany and tells everyone to drop what they're doing and do something else? Check
A young, inexperienced, wise-cracking, corner-cutting partner who just happens to be a recovering drug addict who then turns out to be dirty? Check
Mother of the victim being so distraught that she walks out on her family, leaving her other kids with a father who is on his way to prison? Check
A young, good looking and idealistic politician who wants to change the world but it turns out he was a womanizing pig? Check
Yeah boy! Nothing traditional about this show at all!
But, you know what? None of that is what made me mad. What made me mad is the fact that Veena Sud and the PTB at AMC really think their viewers are stupid. They really think that when Richmond was arrested with eight minutes to go in the show, we didn't all look at the clock and then back at the TV and say “Oh bull-SHIT! You're not gonna do what I think you're gonna do, are you?” And then they went ahead and did it. They honestly believe we all said “Ohhhhhh … He's innocent? And that guy may or may not have assassinated him Jack Ruby Style? OH WOW! You got us with that one! What a brilliant plot twist and cliffhanger!”
Who killed Rosie Larsen? I just don't fucking care anymore. Not after suffering through 13 episodes of nonsensical plot lines, red herrings, lies and a cliffhanger ending that is nothing more than a TV network raising it's middle finger to it's viewers who hung with the show all season long.
Sometime next summer, after season two is over, someone call or email me and let me know who killed Rosie.
Jayman
2 comments:
I do not know of what you speak, but should I make the trip down there to talk you off the ledge?
Schmoopy! No, I'm fine now that I got it out of my system. I'm emotionally free to engage in other activities now.
So, what are you wearing? ;-)
-Jay
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