AMC has done it again. The basic cable network known for the hit dramas Mad Men, Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead has again worked its magic with the new murder mystery series The Killing.

It’s almost as if everything AMC touches turns to gold. Mad Men and Breaking Bad dominate the dramatic Emmy awards and The Walking Dead turned into a ratings goldmine by pulling in a younger demographic of viewers — something most television series can’t do in the age of online streaming. While conspiracy thriller Rubicon didn’t connect with viewers and The Prisoner was something of a critical dud, with strong ratings and universal critical acclaim, The Killing will likely live beyond its first season and become one of the network’s mainstays.

Developed by Veena Sud, previously a writer and producer for Cold Case, and based on the Danish crimes series Forbrydelsen, The Killing revolves around the murder of Rosie Larsen, a high school student in Seattle, Wash. The plot focuses on the three spheres most affected by the murder: family, police and politics. While ostensibly separate, these three worlds are intricately joined to the death of Rosie Larsen, the event that drives the show and hangs like a shadow over everything that happens within it.

The Larsen family is a typical American nuclear family struggling to make ends meet. Rosie’s parents, Stan (Brent Sexton) and Mitch (Michelle Forbes), struggle with the anger and grief that results from her death while still managing to care for their two remaining children, Denny and Tom.

The police detectives investigating the murder are Sarah Linden (Mireille Enos) and Stephen Holder (Joel Kinnaman). Linden is a single mother who was supposed to retire and move to Sonoma, California to marry her fiance the day Rosie’s body was found, and Holder is a former narcotics cop promoted to detective who was meant to take over the case once Linden left. Linden puts her move on hold while she investigates Rosie’s murder with the help of her new unconventional partner.

While the murder investigation is undertaken, Seattle is in the midst of a mayoral election. Darren Richmond (Billy Campbell) is the head of city council challenging the incumbent mayor Lesley Adams. Although ahead in the polls, Richmond’s campaign catches a hitch when Rosie’s body is found in the trunk of one of his campaign cars.

Perhaps the most dominant aspect of The Killing is its pervasively bleak atmosphere. The streets of Seattle seem perpetually drenched with rain (the show is filmed in Vancouver), creating an atmosphere straight out of Se7en or The Silence of the Lambs. At times, it almost seems overwhelmingly bleak — its dark tone is a deliberate holdover from its Scandinavian roots, drawing comparisons to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Wallander.

The Killing is also influenced by David Lynch’s classic television series Twin Peaks, also set in Washington and revolving around the murder of a teen girl. However, while Twin Peaks was beloved for its bizarre humour, supernatural elements and soap opera tone, The Killing is straight-faced and humourless.

However, such overwhelming dread can’t be held against The Killing. While its bleak tone may be a little unsettling for some viewers, it is appropriate. The show tries to get across just how devastating a murder is: something that the modern desensitized viewer needs to be reminded of when murder is so commonplace in the news cycle. As well, the acting is simply great. The characters are so well written and the performances so honest that you find yourself instantly wrapped up in their grief and anger and frustration. You desperately want to find out the identity of the killer just like the characters do: their goals become your goals. It’s character identification at its finest.

While those viewers who want a television program to be an idiotic escape from reality for an hour likely won’t be tuning in to The Killing, there’s something extremely rewarding about the series for people who want strong drama and compelling mystery. The series is only eight episodes in, but already The Killing has proved itself as one of the best things summer TV has to offer. In the midst of all the popcorn movies flooding the multiplexes, it’s refreshing to have a sober television drama to remind viewers of what smart storytelling really looks like.

The Killing plays at 8 p.m. on Sunday nights on AMC.

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image: AMC