TV Review: The Killing 2.9, “Sayonara, Hiawatha”
I think it’s safe to say that the massive improvements made to The Killing this season should no longer be seen as temporary victories
rating: 4
After the one-two punch of Off the Reservation and this weeks Sayonara, Hiawatha, I think its safe to say that the massive improvements made to The Killing this season should no longer be seen as temporary victories. Early on, the only thing one could realistically hope for was that the show had some consistency with regard to its character and plot construction. But as the weeks went by, it became more and more apparent that the show was operating at a level it previously seemed utterly incapable of. For one, the show finally began to deliver on the promise and potential of many of its characters. The wealth of backstories and personality flaws that were treated with such shallow, cursory exploration last year were drastically expanded upon, and in recent weeks, that expansion has yielded some powerful payoffs. There are very real consequences to the situations our characters have dealt with, and the overarching theme hanging above all of it is survival. Whether in a physical or an emotional sense, these characters are becoming increasingly damaged, and all of them, despite the significant losses and suffering theyve already gone through, continue to teeter on the edge of losing the very little they have left. In turn, a sense of urgency that was utterly lacking in season one is suddenly one of the largest contributors to why this season has often been so compelling. The show has completely abandoned its previous formula, trading in its emphasis on uncovering the mystery in favor of something much more effective. Instead of a whodunit, The Killing is now an exploration of survival, with death as its ultimate destructive force. And given the collapse of so many varying elements of these characters lives whether familial, professional, mental, or physical its apparent that it is deaths cataclysmic reach, not its literal occurrence, that is its most destructive trait of all. This change in focus and newfound thematic precision has finally given The Killing a substance to accompany its strong sense of atmosphere. The look of the show, with its thick fog and constant downpour, has always coated the proceedings with an unshakable feeling of dread. But until now, that same dread failed to exist within the narrative itself. By downplaying the investigation in favor of delving deeper into character, we finally have tangible reasons to care about whether or not these characters overcome the constant threat of spiraling further downward. The stakes are high, and the ground looks as if its about to give way at any moment. Last weeks opening search for Holder was one of the strongest examples of these two elements working together seamlessly. On the visual side of things, we had the forest surrounding the Wapi Eagle Casino dense, fog-laden, and threatening in its vastness. And from a plot perspective, the show gave us multiple threads to ratchet up the tension. The Seattle police were racing against the sunrise, when Nicole Jacksons brigade of lawyers would arrive to halt the search the police never had the jurisdiction to conduct in the first place. Add to this the chance that Holder would turn up dead, or fail to turn up at all, and what we were left with was a sequence filled with unease, tension, and purpose. Sayonara, Hiawatha closes with a discovery of the truth, and much like last weeks search for Holder, its one of the strongest sequences the shows ever done. After recovering Rosies hotel staff key, Linden gains access to the 10th floor construction site in the casino. As she finally fills the longstanding gaps in the Larsen murder timeline, the threat of capture from Jacksons security force looms large, punctuated by Holders ability to track both parties locations from his parked car. This scene is brilliant because it works on two levels. On one, Lindens narration of Rosies final moments paints a vivid picture of the murder. On the other, the cuts between Linden relaying this timeline to Holder while Chief Jacksons officers close in mirrors the precise situation Rosie found herself in. We know Linden is trapped, we know shes helpless, and in this, we now know what Rosie went through on the night that she was killed. It doesnt get much better than this when youre telling a long-form story, and if The Killing continues to operate at this level, then were in for quite a treat as the season comes to an end.