If you’re behind, maybe read these first:
–  AMC’s ‘The Killing’: Episodes 1 to 5 – Suspect List
– AMC’s ‘The Killing’: Episode 6 – “What You Have Left”

Sunday night’s episode of The Killing started off strong, so let’s get right to it… We start off with where we stopped last week. Detective Linden pounding on Bennett’s door while he is trapped in Stan Larsen’s car. After it appeared unlikely, Amber Ahmed finally comes to the door and lets in Linden. She does this about the same time Holder is questioning Mrs. Larsen about Stan’s whereabouts. Neither interview goes well. Bennett’s life is spared only by Stan’s self-control and a promise he made 18 years earlier. Bennett’s wife seems to have been eliminated from the suspect pool, and Holder got himself kicked out of the Larsen house.

Linden then, as expected, misses her flight. You know, the one she guaranteed she would be on. In the wake of Rosie’s funeral everyone is having a terrible day, including Councilman Richmond. His refusal to abandon and publicly condemn Bennett Amhed has giving the Mayor enough ammunition to publicly attack him for “supporting a murderer”.

The Mayor’s attacks hit home with the bigots and racists, that’s an important demographic – they vote. Richmond’s campaign seems to be forever doomed, though I seem to think that once Bennett’s innocence is proven it will only strengthen his cause. This however, at least to me, is the most interesting aspect of the show. After all, I don’t care about Linden leaving – cause she won’t. And Holder’s ‘is he/isn’t he’ a drug user aspect seems a little forced, and I believe he will yet prove himself an asset. So until Stan Larsen actually kills someone to avenge his daughter, I’ll turn my focus to the election and Richmond’s self-destructive actions. I mean, doesn’t he know politicians are supposed to be morally corrupt? We get to see a little more of Richmond’s background here as he visits the mother of his dead wife, killed by a drunk driver. He does so just before her daughter’s killer is released from prison.

So the episode closes with 2 events: The first is the Mayor using the City Council against Richmond to kill his basketball program, effectively removing Bennett from the payroll. The second, and significantly more substantial event has to do with our beloved pair of Detectives. After visiting a mosque to follow-up a lead, they are mysteriously slipped an address. Upon arriving at said address they break in only to be met by an FBI swat team. Maybe this has introduced a new motive for Rosie’s murder…

Overall the episode wasn’t great, just a lot of set up, but it looks to be headed in the right direction…I give it 3 Bears.