Less than two months after the case of the Rosie Larson murder was closed, so was a significant chapter in AMC’s programming history as The Killing has been officially cancelled after two seasons on the air. Such a scenario just one year ago might have been absurd as the series was winning critical accolades despite disappointing viewers at the end of its freshman run. On top of that, millions were consistently tuning into The Killing on a weekly basis to find out more clues to the show’s overarching mystery: Who killed Rosie Larson?
The drama is responsible for launching the film careers of the series’ leads Joel Kinnaman (RoboCop) and Mireille Enos (World War Z.) Both actors currently have numerous projects lined up prompting some to wonder if the high-profile status of the series’ stars had anything to do with the concerns going forward. Ratings were down, but they certainly were not horrifying by cable television standards (especially AMC.) Theoretically, the show could have lived on, but certainly a salary worth their stars efforts was not in the cards.
AMC weighed in on their decision late this afternoon:
“After much deliberation, we’ve come to the difficult decision not to renew ‘The Killing’ for a third season. AMC is incredibly proud of the show and is fortunate to have worked with such a talented team on this project, from showrunner Veena Sud and our terrific partners at Fox Television Studios to the talented, dedicated crew and exceptional cast.”
Of course, this does not mean that the series is done because The Killing looks to be like the perfect fit for Netflix who seems to relish these types of episode-to-episode engagements. Furthermore, Fox TV Studios has not given up just yet by issuing the following statement expressing the desire to look for a new home:
“Fox Television Studios is extremely proud of ‘The Killing,’ the extraordinary writing staff and crew, and what we believe is one of the best casts on television. We will proceed to try to find another home for the show.”