A Weaker Mystique for Denmark’s The Killing / Forbrydelsen, Season 2

November 10, 2012 | By Mark R. Hasan | Add a Comment

Here’s something unique to Europe: the final season of The Killing / Forbrydelsen was shot this year, is airing now on the BBC, and on December 17 you’ll be able to buy it on DVD & Blu. Meanwhile, in North America, the original Danish series is unavailable in spite of AMC having cancelled their U.S. remake. Inevitably the Danish series will have to come our way, but here’s a case where the failure of an American variant has resulted in an interminable delay to deliver the real goods.

It’s one of the reasons why a Region-free player is almost de rigeur for any film and TV connoisseur; the sheer wealth of material available overseas (if not film culture) remains high, while studios on this side of the pond are still unsure what titles and series merit release on physical media. When The Killing’s Blu-ray 3-season pack drops down to a more reasonable level (or perhaps is deep discounted on Black Friday), I’ll snap it up, because it’s a series I wanna own and watch again and again – even the dud that is Season 2.

I’ve uploaded a nit-picky review [M] of Season 2’s failings, which make it meh rather than a disaster. Sort of like what happened with The Killing’s older American cousins – Murder OneB (1995-1996), and Twin Peaks (1990).

In other news, apparently the new James Bond film, Skyfall, is good, which is good, since The Quantum of Solace was not. The TIFF Bell Lightbox’ ongoing salute to things Bondian includes an exhibit, a few guest speakers, and a full retro of the films, although the Thunderball remake Never Say Never Again and the 1967 spoof Casino Royale are MIA. I regard their omissions as mistakes. NSNA is sure better than Octopussy and A View to a Kill, and the ’67 Casino Royale, while an abomination, is also a guilty pleasure, and deserves a special screening. One suspects the Broccolis nixed their inclusion in the 007 tour package to safeguard the purity of the franchise.