AMC has decided not to order a third season of “The Killing,” bringing the mystery series to an end.
In a statement released to the media, AMC said, “After much deliberation, we”ve come to the difficult decision not to renew ‘The Killing’ for a third season. AMC is incredibly proud of the show and is fortunate to have worked with such a talented team on this project, from showrunner Veena Sud and our terrific partners at Fox Television Studios to the talented, dedicated crew and exceptional cast.”
“The Killing,” based on a Danish drama, followed a single police investigation into the murder of teenager Rosie Larsen. It debuted to strong reviews and solid ratings for AMC. But many viewers and critics grew dissatisfied over the course of the first season, with their frustration reaching a boil when the season ended with Rosie’s murder still unsolved. (As I’ve said many times, it wasn’t that alone that made people angry, but rather that people were already annoyed and were only hanging around in the hopes of getting closure on the case.)
The ratings dipped for the second season, which concluded with the revelation that Rosie was killed for being in the wrong place in the wrong time, and was drowned in a lake by, of all people, her Aunt Terry (who had no idea Rosie was the girl in the car trunk when she put it in drive).
The show didn’t receive any Emmy nominations for season 2, and various reports suggested AMC’s only interest in keeping the show on the air would be to stay in business with actor Joel Kinnaman, who played recovering addict cop Stephen Holder.
Apparently, that wasn’t motivation enough to keep the series on the air, not that Fox TV Studios have given up entirely.
The studio states, “Fox Television Studios is extremely proud of ‘The Killing,’ the extraordinary writing staff and crew, and what we believe is one of the best casts on television. We will proceed to try to find another home for the show.”