Well have you ? and what did you think about it ?
If you haven´t and want to all episodes are on iplayer untill the beginning of april.
BBC4's Danish crime drama is set under darkened winter skies, but the quality of the writing and acting shines
It's not exactly a cheery tale: a 19-year-old is raped then brutally murdered. The police struggle to find her killer, while her parents grieve and weep, and the Danish sky grows ever darker. But BBC4's Saturday night double-bills of The Killing, or Forbrydelsen, are quite the thing to see you through a long winter weekend evening. Despite all the pomp and bombast surrounding the launch of Sky Atlantic, this Danish import has quietly established itself as TV of the absolute finest quality.
Eight episodes in and most UK dramas would be tying up the loose ends – that is, if the whole thing wasn't done and dusted and possibly already repeated. Here the drama is allowed to breathe. Events don't unfold at breakneck speed: so far we've ventured down a number of apparent dead ends with detectives Sarah Lund and Jan Meyer; Lund has reneged on promises to leave for Sweden more times than Meyer has sparked up cigarettes in the office; and mayoral candidate Troels Hartmann has sported a number of ever-more perturbed looks. But most importantly, we've also spent a great deal of time around the Birk Larsen kitchen table; the one that Pernille and Nanna carefully crafted together one holiday.
This focus on the family is one of The Killing's greatest strengths. Its portrayal of a couple ripped apart, trying to come to terms with the violent death of their daughter while keeping the family, home and business on track is heartbreaking – I have yet to get through a single episode without at least a solitary tear escaping down my face. The acting is wonderful: Ann Eleonora Jørgensen brittle, contained, silently screaming as Nanna's mother; Bjarne Henriksen gentle, loving, and occasionally menacing as her father Theis. Parental guilt and grief perfectly played.
The writing helps, of course. It's odd to talk about the dialogue given the number of Danish words I speak. (That would be none.) But not only does the translation feel full of personality and verve, the spareness of the dialogue does not need translating. Silences hang. People stare. The light fades yet further. Not everything is about exposition and moving the story on.
There are even jokes – I particularly loved the way Meyer holstered his bananas like a pair of guns in his jacket pockets – not to mention the most likable detective since (whisper it) Wallander. Lund is a brilliant creation, and impatient Meyer a perfect foil for her quiet, firm line of questioning. He livens up her sometimes solemn stance; she stops him going entirely bonkers if he hasn't had time to wolf down a hot dog or three. I could watch the conversation between Meyer's girlfriend and Lund in the corridor over and over. Both Sofie Gråbøl and Søren Malling seem to be acting out of their skins – while, of course, appearing to do nothing of the sort.
It feels slightly as though the political storyline is a bit of a side issue at the moment that I can't get quite so charged up about – although I'm sure that will soon change. I'm yet to trust anyone beyond Hartmann and faithful Morten. Why am I suspicious about Rie? And very suspicious about Bremer? Clearly there is much more to come. I can't wait for things to progress further and the different elements of the story to be tied more closely together.
So, what have you been making of things. Do you have theories as to who is the murderer? Are we likely to see a whole chain of murders uncovered? Will Lund still be with her (very understanding) boyfriend by the end of the show? Your spoiler-free thoughts please. Remember, UK viewers have seen to the end of episode eight. Please don't reveal information from later in the series, and if you've got episodes stacked up to watch later – how can you wait? – be careful of spoilers below.
And one final thing. Good news for those keen to sport the Sarah Lund knitwear look (and frankly who isn't?). You can buy her trademark jumper (or something very similar) from Gudrun & Gudrun. Bad news: it costs €280. All that overtime obviously pays well …
http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2011/feb/16/the-killing-bbc4
Topic: Have you been watching … The Killing?