Episode Title: "Beau Soleil"
Writers: Jeremy Doner and Soo Hugh
Director: Keith Gordon
Previously on "The Killing":
Linden questioned the head of the Indian casino Rosie visited before her murder. However, the investigation was derailed when her son, Jack went missing. While searching for the boy, Linden and Holder learned more about each other's mysterious past. After finding Jack, Holder spotted a shot of Rosie on the casino ATM security camera.
Story:
A construction worker finds a human skull at the site Mayor Adams' waterfront project. Linden (Mireille Enos) confronts her ex-husband on the phone about taking Jack, while Holder (Joel Kinnaman) puts up an image of Rosie from the casino ATM camera. Holder tells Linden that Rosie had a bank account with $7000 in it.
Adams (Tom Butler) tells his advisor that he thinks his campaign is over while Jamie (Eric Ladin) and Richmond's team handle a resurgence in support. Drexler wants to throw a party and invites Darren but Gwen (Kristin Lehman) says he needs to go after the local paper's support. Darren (Billy Campbell) sends Jamie in his place.
At the shop, Mitch (Michelle Forbes) hears a voicemail from Yanic. She confronts Belko (Brendan Sexton III) but he won't talk so she fires him. Stan (Brent Sexton) calls and leaves a message for Mitch, updating her on his bond hearing.
Linden and Holder talk to Terry (Jamie Anne Allman) about the account Rosie opened with her ID. She claims not to know anything about it but then admits to lending her the ID so she could get into a club. Holder asks her about Rosie at the casino. Terry goes on the offensive and asks the detectives to leave.
Mayor Adams gives Gwen an envelope, saying she should see what's inside before it gets out. She refuses at first. He says he's giving it to her as a friend of her father and she takes it.
Linden and Holder meet with a former partner of his from vice. He asks her about her work at the casino and shows her a picture of Rosie. She says she looks like a girl from Beau Soliel, a high end escort service and tells them about a girl from the service who was beaten badly, the summer before.
Jamie goes to Drexler's where he invites him to stay and celebrate Adam's downfall with some girls from Beau Soliel. Jamie refuses but Drexler (Patrick Gilmore) pressures him to stay.
At the jail, Mitch confronts Stan about their depleted savings account and Yanic. He admits to borrowing money from the mobster and turns it around on Mitch, saying he's in jail because she pushed him to do what he did.
Holder tells Linden he can't track down the Beau Soliel girl but did find a description of the John, which matches Tom Drexler. Linden finds Jack's father waiting in her office. He says he wants to be in Jack's life. Linden says she'll have him arrested the next time he comes near her son.
The officer checking Rosie's computer shows Linden and Holder the Beau Soliel site, which she visited. They spot an expensive pair of shows Rosie wore on a different girl. They then question Terry at the bar where she works. She admits to moonlighting for the escort service. They ask her about any abusive Johns and she tells them about a client known as "Orpheus" and the girl who went on a date with him.
Richmond talks to the paper about his ability to serve as mayor. When asked about his late wife, he says if he's elected mayor it will be because of her. Gwen appears troubled by the statement.
Stan talks to the shrink assigned to his bail hearing. He tells him about a dream in which Rosie and the family are having dinner with another man. He says he felt nothing.
Linden and Holder stop by the Chinese restaurant where the Beau Soliel servers are housed. They get the man inside running a counterfeit shoe business to show them the site and the girl who dealt with "Orpheus." He gives the detectives the John's email address.
Mitch tells Terry she fired Belko and she is not bailing out Stan. They get into an argument over Stan and Terry tells Mitch she suffocated Rosie. Terry says maybe Rosie wanted different things in life and perhaps no one really knew her.
Linden sends "Orpheus" an email with the subject line, "I know what you did" Meanwhile, Holder waits for the Beau Soliel girl he booked to show up. He asks her about "Orpheus" and shows her pictures of Rosie. She tells him about her experience with him and Holder asks if it was Tom Drexler but she won't answer and storms out.
Terry posts bail for Stan. Linden asks the officer working on Rosie's computer to check for a response from "Orpheus." Meanwhile, Holder gets a call from the Beau Soliel girl. She tells him if he wants to know who "Orpheus" is, to get to a nearby corner.
Linden stops by Richmond's apartment to ask about Tom Drexler. He gets a call and steps away. Holder gets to the corner and can't find the girl but he quickly notices posters of Richmond posted up all over a wall. Linden gets an update on her email to "Orpheus" and she asks the officer to flood his inbox. When he does, she hears a ping on Richmond's computer. He keeps resending the email at her request and the computer keeps pinging. She looks at Richmond's computer and sees the emails coming in. Richmond walks in and asks what she's doing. Meanwhile, Gwen looks at the pictures Adams gave her. The photos show Richmond with another woman.
Breakdown:
The good news about "The Killing?" It's been renewed for a second season. The bad news? After last week's polarizing stand alone episode, it seems people either think this is the best new show AMC has produced in some time or it's a total mess. For what it's worth, I think "The Killing" is one of the breakout network's best in years.
That's not to say there aren't plot holes, missteps and fractured storytelling in the mix. But the strong ensemble cast, anchored by Joel Kinnaman, Mirielle Enos and Michelle Forbes is what makes those flaws forgivable. Both Kinnaman and Forbes were particularly strong in this episode. As a procedural, "The Killing" functions as well as any "CSI" spin-off but the characters are what puts it over the top for me.
As for the revelation that wannabe choir boy politician, Darren Richmond might just have a drowning fetish involving teenage girls, I'm finding it hard to believe. I smell a set-up here as Richmond's refusal to let Bennet Ahmed take the fall for Rosie Larsen's murder just doesn't fit the profile of a guy who just murdered a teenage call girl. Add to that the fact that her body was found in Richmond's car and you have to start looking elsewhere. Drexler looks good to me but perhaps this is Adams' orchestration?
Finally, we got some answers about Aunt Terry's involvement in Rosie's life. Looks like the rich kid's dad she had a moment with way back at Rosie's wake was a former client. With that issue put to rest, I hope we check in on poor Bennett Ahmed in next week's season finale. If he doesn't make it, things could get much worse for Stan Larsen.
Speaking of which, this episode laid some groundwork for a second season but exactly how or what it will focus on is a bigger mystery than Rosie Larsen's murder. Will the show go with a case of the season structure or will we pick up with the aftermath of the Larsen investigation? Even after the reveal of who killed Rosie, there's still going to be a ton of loose ends to tie up. What will become of the Larsens? After spending so much time with the grieving family, there's definitely some investment on my end in the future of Stan, Mitch, their kids and even shady Aunt Terry.
And what about Richmond? Though that story line hasn't been the strongest, I've enjoyed Billy Campbell's portrayal of this character and I'm also a sucker for political drama.
Alright, so eleventh hour bet on "whodunit?" Drexler. His statement about "guys like Richmond cleaning up my mess" was all but a confession. What do you think?
Crave Online Rating: 9 out of 10.
