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The Killing

The Killing

The past can't be washed away.

2011–2014Ended4 seasons44 episodes~45 min/epTV-14Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

The Killing is an American crime drama television series based upon the Danish television series Forbrydelsen. Set in Seattle, Washington, the series follows the various murder investigations by homicide detectives Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Killing?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Killing streaming on Acorn TV via Prime Video, AMC+, Hulu and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Rent / Buy

BuyBuy

Highlights

What stands out about The Killing?

The Killing earns 6 badges, led by Modern classic and Top 5% of shows.

  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Content

Reception

Is The Killing worth watching?

The Killing's Midcredits score is the 95th percentile of all shows, from 137K ratings across 2 sources. 92% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

95th percentile

Better received than 95% of shows

95th percentile among Crime95th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)91st
Approval (how many liked it)96th

Acclaim

Universally Loved: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

81 /100

91st percentile of all shows

94th percentile among Crime90th percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

Ratings pile up at 9–10 with almost no detractors — near-universal love.

Approval

How many liked it

92% liked it

96th percentile of all shows

94th percentile among Crime96th percentile among 2010s
92% rated it 7–108% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

98th percentile

136K ratings across platforms

96th percentile among Crime98th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26

What reviewers say

Common ground

A deliberately slow-paced, gloomy police procedural that centers on character misery and the prolonged investigation of a single murder case.

Fans praised

  • slow-burn storytelling builds immersive atmosphere
  • flawed, complex character portrayals of Linden and Holder
  • realistic depiction of grief's impact on victim's family

Detractors panned

  • story artificially stretched across excessive episodes
  • lazy writing with implausible plot contrivances

What stands out

AtmosphereDivisive85

relentless rain and gloom create a pervasive mood of dread

ActingDivisive82

compelling lead performances, especially Enos and Kinnaman, praised as authentic

CharactersDivisive78

Linden and Holder written as realistically flawed, deeply complex

TensionDivisive78

keeps viewers guessing despite uneven execution

Emotional impactDivisive75

grief of victim's family portrayed as raw and devastating

Dialogue70

natural, gritty conversations with occasional dark humor from Holder

Plot and storyDivisive55

single-case arc over seasons praised for depth but widely panned for padding

PacingDivisive40

deliberate slow burn for some, agonizing filler for others

Preferred by

Under-30s vs over-30s

Preferred by Over-30s

Over-30s scored it 13 points higher than under-30s.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 2 points apart
  • Critics vs users 6 points apart
  • US vs non-US 1 point apart

Episodes

4 seasons

Season 4 · 2014 · 6 episodes · 8.0 average across 6 rated episodes

  • S4E1

    Blood in the Water

    Aug 1, 201460 minTMDB rating 7.8
  • S4E2

    Unraveling

    Aug 1, 201455 minTMDB rating 8.0
  • S4E3

    The Good Soldier

    Aug 1, 201456 minTMDB rating 8.0
  • S4E4

    Dream Baby Dream

    Aug 1, 201458 minTMDB rating 8.2Season best
  • S4E5

    Truth Asunder

    Aug 1, 201460 minTMDB rating 8.0
  • S4E6

    Eden

    Aug 1, 201460 minTMDB rating 8.1Finale

Watch experience

What is The Killing like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, dark and intense — an even-paced watch that leaves you thinking.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
DreadMelancholicTense
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
Told as
Multiple perspectives · 2% of shows: The same events retold from different characters' points of view.Case of the week plus an arcNew arc each season
ToneThe show treats its grim subject matter with unflinching seriousness and emotional depth, avoiding irony.
The rideThe series sustains a pervasive sense of dread and melancholy from the opening episode through to the finale, with tense investigative moments.
StructureThe story unfolds through the perspectives of detectives, the victim's family, and suspects.
Episode formatEach season follows the overarching Rosie Larsen murder investigation (serialized arc) while episodes introduce new leads and procedural steps.
Season formatThe first two seasons form one continuous arc around Rosie Larsen; seasons 3 and 4 each present new self-contained cases with the same detective duo.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Thought-provokingHaunting · 9% of shows
Why it leaves you this wayThe show's moral complexity and unflinching portrayal of grief and investigation linger.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Mystery
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8% (this title): Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% (this title) · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Mystery: A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered. · Investigation: A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).

8% of shows fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe story is driven by the question of who killed Rosie Larsen, with a long, twist-filled investigation across multiple seasons.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfJusticeMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11% (this title): Justice 14% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6% (this title)
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% (this title) · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Morality

Justice · 14% of showsGrief · 4% of showsDeception · 6% of shows
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe show explores the pursuit of justice for a murdered teenager while examining how grief and lies complicate the search for truth.
StanceThe show questions how justice is served when grief, politics, and personal flaws interfere, without settling on a clear answer.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanSuburbanInstitutionalRealistic
AmbientOrchestral modernSupportive music · original score
SettingSeattle and its suburbs during a mayoral campaign and a murder investigation
MusicThe score uses low, droning tones and sparse piano to amplify the show's brooding atmosphere.

Content guide

Is The Killing okay for kids?

TV-14

The Killing is rated TV-14. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (69/100), sexual content at moderate (51/100), language at intense (67/100), drug and alcohol content at intense (70/100) and frightening material at intense (67/100). Overall it is heavier than 93% of TV-14 shows.

Ratings in 18 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada18+
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • France16
  • Ireland16
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil14
  • Austria16
  • IndiaU
  • Netherlands12
  • PhilippinesG
  • Poland16
  • PortugalNR
  • Russia18+
  • Spain16
  • Switzerland16
  • Türkiye18+
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 78% of all showsHeavier than 93% of TV-14 shows
Violence & Gore
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a TV-14 show
heavier than 79%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a TV-14 show
heavier than 79%
Profanity
Intense
heavy for a TV-14 show
heavier than 89%
Alcohol & Drugs
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a TV-14 show
heavier than 95%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
heavy for a TV-14 show
heavier than 81%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Heavy almost across the board: drug and alcohol content, violence, language, and frightening material.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does The Killing have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Killing?

Cast

Mireille Enos
as Sarah Linden
Emmy nominee: Primetime Emmy nomination — Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Joel Kinnaman
as Stephen Holder
Billy Campbell
as Darren Richmond
Liam James
as Jack Linden
Michelle Forbes
as Mitch Larsen
Brent Sexton
as Stan Larsen
Kristin Lehman
as Gwen Eaton
Eric Ladin
as Jamie Wright
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Jamie Anne Allman
as Terry Marek
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Evan Bird
as Tom Larsen
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.

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