After a gripping cliffhanger of a season finale, AMC has gone ahead and axed The Killing for a second time. Originally snuffed out after season two and then revitalized thanks to a partnership with Netflix, The Killing had always struggled to find its footing in a market over-saturated with police drama. But those who watched it faithfully will tell you that there was something deeper and darker about this show that made it stand out from the crowd, not to mention pith perfect chemistry between leads Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman. 

AMC originally canceled the series last year after season two. Although the show started off a success, many viewers left after leaving betrayed by the conclusion to the first season which didn’t wrap things up like they expected. Personally, I thought it was a great, inventive move but ultimately, the series did itself in. Although season three was heralded by fans and critics, the numbers just weren’t there and consistent low ratings led to the decision to pull the plug to allow them to produce new material. In light of AMC’s recent decision to move ahead on Breaking Bad spinoff, Better Call Saul, it seems that the wake of Walter White can now add The Killing to his body count.

In a statement addressing their decision to not renew the much-loved show for a fourth season, AMC released the follow: “We have made the difficult decision not to move forward with a fourth season of The Killing. We want to thank our great partners at Fox Television Studios, creator Veena Sud, an extraordinary cast and the dedicated fans who watched.”

I will certainly be amongst those mourning the loss of The Killing. This fact is certainly not aided by the fact that season three ended with a major character turn that would have made for a fantastic next season. I guess this is the issue of getting too invested in tv shows. Like Deadwood and countless others before it, we will now never know the fate of Linden and Holder.