The Killing Episode 5 Recap

The most recent episode of the Killing might have been the slowest and clue free yet, but it was still none the less compelling to watch. The deeper the rabbit hole goes and the more invested I become, I’m will with such an unease – anyone could have been capable of killing Rosie it seems, and with the connection between Rosie and the campaign firmly established, it seems that the motive for murder may be incredibly complex and the fact that we don’t know if were hunting for a murderer or murderers. Let’s take a look at where “Super 8” left us.

The Larsens While it’s probably the most grim plotline, there are little joys in watching the Larsens and their stunning performances. The episode began with the two surviving children taking breakfast matters into their own hands. The younger Larsen took some money, went to the store (in his ‘jammies no less) and bought milk so he could have cereal. The older one awoke to a wet bed and threw out his sheets and pants, he was sneaking back in when he caught lil eating Rosie’s cereal and what mom’ll do, the little one casually says without looking up “Mom doesn’t care about us anymore.” The matter of factness of his delivery shook me – it just compounds the tragedy, and it’s really gratifying to have the children’s perspective. Mitch went shopping this week, an event she wasn’t prepared for for a few reasons; 1, seeing something Rosie liked triggered her sobs and 2, the fact that people avoided her. Maybe they didn’t know what to say, but for whatever the reason Mitch had become isolated (she also had a chance? encounter with Richmond, more on that below). I fear for her, almost half way through the series and she’s barely come up for air. Stanley on the other hand is doing his best at being the parent and husband he needs to be, that means stopping at a gas station to cry like a madman in the bathroom so that his wife doesn’t have to see it. Brent Sexton is impressing me more and more week after week as the devastated but fiercely strong Stanley. Belko (after finding Tommy’s? urine soaked pants, washed and changed his sheets, it was really sweet) offered up a to find out who the police were looking at to Stanley who at first said no but later changed his mind and decided he wanted Belko to tell him. I hope for the Larsen’s sake Stanley doesn’t do something too terrible to the wrong person (like Mystic River, which this definetly emulates).

Richmonds Mayoral Campaign Jamie continued to worm his way into Leslie Adams’ party trying to suss out who the mole it, only to find that it was Yitanis herself. Yitanis had planted someone in Richmond’s campaign and leaked the information that mole gathered to Adams. In order to get that information Jamie had to go through Adams’ vetting process which includes getting drunk and talking about why he chose Adams over Richmond now. Adams waxed future-stalgic (new word!) about his waterfront legacy (which I have a feeling is somehow tied in to the motive for murder) and once lightweight Jamie vomited, he was in. When Richmond confronted Yitanis, rather than cower away, she revealed to Gwen that Richmond had been investigating her as the leak, planting the seeds of mistrust. If Darren continues not trusting Gwen that path will likely lead to his losing the election as Gwen, the ice-queen lady McBethian campaign manager doesn’t seem to lose well, or really at all for that matter.

There was a great scene with Richmond and Mitch Larsen at the grocery store where Richmond related to Mitch that he knows what she’s going through. We weren’t able to suss out too many details from their brief conversation but it seemed that Richmond lost his wife to crime some time ago. I’m sure we’ll learn more as the series progresses. Though Richmond was trying to handle Mitch, it was still a nice scene and these two vets should have a few more together.

The Murder Mystery The investigation focused on Bennett Ahmed, who we’d discovered had sent messages with Rosie, not necessarily sexual ones, but they were undoubtably predatory. Telling her to “follow her dreams” and “be free”, they were definetly creepy and line crossing. Infact they’d inspired her to start filmmaking, and Ahmed gave Linden a Super 8 film that Rosie had shot. Bennett’s story was good – he emerged from the episode still a suspect, there was just a lack of proof or evidence of any kind just the convenience of his situation and his lies. Mrs. Ahmed (Ashley Johnson, the youngest on Growing Pains) was away for the weekend while the floors were being done, Ahmed said the flooring company cancelled last minute so he did it himself. He was home alone all night. All it took was a phone call to the flooring company (did he think they wouldn’t check?) to find out HE was the one that cancelled, and the principal informed them that Mrs. Ahmed is a former student, Linden and Holder decided to talk to her, seems Bennett wooed her with the same inspirational letter he’d wooed Rosie with add that Rosie had on her body the substance that Linden found in his house, Bennett was looking like a solid suspect.The episode ended with Richmond and Bennett, their arms around eachother posing for pictures.

Who Killed Rosie Larsen? While I don’t peg Bennett for the murderer anymore, and for that matter as Rosie’s secret older boyfriend, I still say he had some hand, even possibly inadvertantly in her death. And the titular Super 8 Film? I think it’s just a red herring. As the story gets deeper it’s looking like the connection between Ahmed and the Campaign may have introduced Rosie to some more than duplicitous characters, politicians. My number one suspect right now is Jamie (Eric Ladin). He’d met Rosie at one of Richmond’s All Star events, picking her out from the crowd as not really belonging there, he was her older boyfriend. Somehow along the way she learned something that she should not have – possibly having to do with the waterfront – trusted the wrong person and died for it.

Who do you think killed Rosie Larsen?