Summary

  • The Killing almost didn't make it past season 2, but Netflix's revival saved the show for season 4.
  • The fate of The Killing was uncertain, but the fourth season allowed the creator to end the series on her own .
  • The cast and crew have moved on to other projects, with the possibility of a fifth season still up in the air.

The Killing season 4 marked the end of the moody police drama following a difficult time on the air. Debuting in 2011, the adaptation of the popular Danish TV series follows veteran detective Sarah Linden (Mireille Enos) as she solves a series of murders with a troubled young detective named Stephen Holden (Joel Kinnaman), who had his own checkered past. Noted for its atmospheric locations and long-form storytelling, The Killing broke the procedural mold by telling a story that branched across a season instead of just one episode.

First airing on AMC, season 1 of The Killing was met with overwhelming praise from critics (via the murder mystery show fell into trouble and nearly didn't return to the air for season 3. Though seasons 3 and 4 of The Killing did eventually happen, their path to the screen was not smooth, and The Killing's fate after season 4 was left in a dubious place thanks to its troubled history of being canceled and renewed.

The Killing is available to stream on Hulu.

Why The Killing Finished With Season 4

The Show Faced Uncertainty Throughout Its Run

Though The Killing escaped cancelation before, the show didn't survive beyond season 4. AMC was ready to pull the plug on the series after the second season, and the third came about thanks to a complicated renegotiation involving the network and Netflix. The third season was as well-received as season 2, but The Killing once again found itself at risk of being canceled. Netflix saved the twice-canceled series and brought it back for a fourth season that would stream exclusively on their platform.

Fortunately for fans of the series, Netflix's revival offered showrunner and creator Veena Sud the opportunity to conclude her show on her own . In a piece from The Week, Sud explained how getting a third chance felt like a "victory lap" of sorts after AMC had had such a turbulent relationship with the property. Though the mere presence of season 4 was good news, it also meant that the show would officially end, as Sud declared that it was the "final season" and that it was "how I wanted to end the story of Sarah Linden from the very beginning".

The Killing Joel Kinnaman Mireille Enos
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The Mireille Enos led murder mystery The Killing ran for four seasons and was set in Seattle but here’s where the show was really filmed.

What The Killing Cast & Crew Are Up To Now

Would The Team Be Interested In A Revival?

Sarah and Holder in an interrogation room in The Killing

After struggling to bring the show to the air for four seasons, most of the cast and crew of The Killing have moved on to other projects. Showrunner Veena Sud wrote the 2018 drama film The Lie and also served as executive producer on the shows Seven Seconds and The Stranger. Series star Mireille Enos has appeared in various film and TV projects including If I Stay, Electric Dreams, and she even reunited with Sud for The Lie.

Enos also reteamed with The Killing costar Joel Kinnaman in the series Hanna. Kinnaman also starred in shows like Altered Carbon and For All Mankind along with playing DC hero Rick Flag in Suicide Squad and The Suicide Squad. As for a revival of The Killing, no official word has been given, but in the same piece from The Week, Sud left the door open by saying "Of course I'd be interested", if Netflix asked for the show's fifth season.