We were blind-sided by the shattering grief of Nanna's parents Pernille and Theis (I've never seen a TV drama that has dealt so unsparingly with family bereavement since the first episode of Twin Peaks, when Laura Palmer's body was found bagged and blue by the lake, and even that now seems stylised by comparison). We couldn't tear ourselves away from Sarah Lund, the appealingly dysfunctional detective who in episode one is preparing to move to Sweden with her boyfriend. Mostly, viewers were captivated by the compelling characters. Of course, these aren't the main reasons the show attracted such a hard-core cult following on BBC4. And spoken Danish sounds sometimes like a Scouse-Glaswegian mashup. This Copenhagen looks like Birmingham, Manchester or Newcastle at their bleakest. Maybe that's one reason The Killing has been a sensation in Britain – we feel at home in its rain-soaked north European heart. The directors ignored its royal palaces, lovely parks and elegant 17th-century terraces, instead favouring damp motorways glistening under street lights, a 21st-century cityscape brooding beneath leaden skies. Copenhagen's wonderfulness has been airbrushed from Forbrydelsen (The Killing's Danish title). One minor thing that the hit thriller does is to shatter any twee notions of the Danish capital. Welcome to wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen. Her tortured, sexually abused body is later found in the boot of a car pulled from a canal. Bloody and terrified, teenage student Nanna Birk Larsen running from her attacker as night-lights from howling incoming planes strafe the birch trees. Admittedly, it was the most hackneyed scene in the whole 20-hour series, but let's not spoil the story. Looking down, I realise that's where the opening of The Killing was filmed.
THE KILLING DANISH SHOW SERIES
The original Danish series was penned by Søren Sveistrup, who was an executive producer for the American series.J ust before our plane lands at Copenhagen airport, we fly over a wood.
Other cast members include Brendan Sexton III (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) as Stanley’s close friend Belko Royce, Annie Corley (The Bridges of Madison County) as social worker Regi Darnell, and Eric Ladin (Mad Men) as campaign manager Jamie Wright. Rosie’s parents Stanley and Mitch are played by Michelle Forbes (24) and Brent Sexton (Deadwood). Judging Amy’s Kristin Lehman plays Gwen Eaton, his campaign advisor. Swedish actor Joel Kinnaman (House of Cards, Suicide Squad) plays rookie Detective Stephen Holder.īilly Campbell (Dynasty) plays Darren Richmond, who is running for mayor. Previously, Enos guest starred on Sex and the City and played twins in HBO’s Big Love. Mireille Enos won a Golden Globe for playing detective Sarah Linden, whose plans to move to California are thwarted after she is assigned the Rosie Larson case. The case quickly becomes complex, with numerous possible suspects identified and broad implications for the whole community. The first series of the American crime drama follows an investigation into the murder of Seattle teen Rosie Larson from multiple perspectives, including the police and Rosie’s grieving family.Īfter Rosie’s body is found in the boot of a submerged car, veteran detective Sarah Linden is assigned to the case alongside rookie Stephen Holder. Seasons one and two are 13 episodes long, season three has 12 episodes, and season four has only six episodes. There are four seasons of the show, each with varying numbers of episodes.