The Killing - Recap: In Search Of...

It's a game of cat-and-mouse that gives the episode a very real intensity, particularly once the dread begins to set in, and it becomes apparent, to Holder, at least, that Kallie is very likely dead already. When Bullet (Bex Taylor-Klaus) also comes to that inevitable realization, it's among the most heartbreaking moments of the series, as Bullet's inexhaustible faith has finally reached its limits. And so Holder is left to help her pick up the pieces. It's a real human connection, one of several that the series has made that feels genuine. These more incisive stories, drawing on relatable emotions and motivations, brings the show into greater focus as the hunt for Kallie's abductor intensifies, in dramatic fashion. "Scared and Running" continues the unbroken streak of solid episodes for The Killing's third season.

Credit: AMC

So we learn that Mama Dips (Grace Zabriskie) is the mother of Joe Mills (Ryan Robbins), the prime suspect in Kallie's disappearance. This at least explains why she'd endure the police suspicion if she didn't do the crime. Of course, whether she believes her son is innocent or not doesn't particularly matter, as the police have made up their mind about ol' Joe. And with good reason: He's also the boyfriend of Kallie's mother, Danette (Amy Seimetz), which would have given him access to the victim. Oh yeah, and he was also the creepy voice on those even creepier tapes Linden showed Danette. Thus, the hunt is on for Joe Mills, with Linden filling in as Holder's temporary partner, in lieu of Reddick (whose conspicuous absence is noted). Suddenly, it's just like old times again; and not a minute too soon: at the start of the episode, a frightened, injured teen is spotted fleeing into the woods by a passing motorist. The passerby tries to help the girl, but she darts away at the sight of oncoming headlights. In essence, the victim is on the run, and the killer is giving chase. This kicks off a race against time to find the victim before it's too late, and this cat-and-mouse aspect is exhilarating to watch unfold, particularly because Bullet has been added to the Linden-Holder partnership, to make a weirdly-effective crime-fighting trio. With Bullet as Linden and Holder's unofficial eyes-on-the-street, the group is able to cover a lot more ground than they would have otherwise, as Bullet offers up several possible locations where an injured Kallie might go. Eventually, Linden and Holder track the victim's movements to a veterinary hospital where a vet has patched up the girl's wounds, and it's immediately evident that this girl, while likely a victim of the same killer/abductor, is not Kallie.

Credit: AMC

Worse still, Linden doesn't get to question the girl, as the victim can't manage any words beyond piercing, blood-curdling screams. Even as Linden is trying to shush the girl by assuring her she's a cop, the emotional scars of the victim's torture aren't going anywhere anytime soon. She's carted away in an ambulance while Bullet catches up with Holder, and it becomes immediately apparent how desperately Bullet needed this girl to be Kallie. With this last lead having fallen through, Bullet is all but resigned to her best friend's fate as just another victim of the serial killer. Bullet has a deep-seated fear that the few memories she has of Kallie will be the only memories she'll ever have of the girl, and there's tragedy in that realization, as the recognition of just how little time we often get with the ones we love becomes achingly apparent. "She's probably dead, isn't she?" Bullet asks, near tears. "Yeah," Holder responds, as the emotionally-damaged kid rests her head on his shoulder. Bullet took a while to grow on me, but it's to the point where I think I'd watch a show with just Bullet and Holder. Kinnaman and Taylor-Klaus have a tremendous, lived-in rapport that gives real emotional weight to a story that will only get darker from here on out.

Credit: AMC

Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the other relationships in this series. Joel Kinnaman continues to be the MVP for this series by playing Holder as a guy who's equal-parts savvy and intelligent in career matters, but just plain dumb in social situations. He essentially forgets to plan a big night out for Valentine's Day with his girlfriend, Caroline (Jewel Staite), instead opting to stay at home and watch one of those hillbilly fishing shows where the men try to catch catfish with their hands and feet. Holder tries to apologize for the scheduling mishap by saying he celebrates Valentine's Day on the 15th, because it's less commercial. This is a hell of an ass-hatted excuse if I've ever heard one, but Kinnaman plays it off with such aplomb that it's hard to be mad at him for it, even if Caroline appears exasperated with him (particularly when he takes a call for the latest development in the investigation). However, relationships remain complicated all-around. When Danette admits to Linden that she received a missed call from Kallie, Linden remains unconvinced. She suspects that Danette knew it was Joe's voice on the tapes all along, and questions whether Danette ever cared about Kallie at all. This brings Linden's complicated feelings about her own parenting job into focus, as it's gradually become apparent that Linden just doesn't know how to deal with the distance between herself and Jack. Holder apparently still talks to the kid, who is acclimating well to his Chicago surroundings, but his report that "Little Man" is happier each week seems to cut through Linden. I'm not sure what to make of Linden's concerns about her son other than to imagine that she wishes Jack simply couldn't do without her. It's a selfish love that I don't think anyone would admit to, since no one wants to see their own kid miserable. But then, I'm not entirely sure Linden even knows what her feelings are anymore, whether about Jack or about Holder. On the latter point, she's unable to answer Bullet's question as to what Holder is to her, if he isn't her partner. This question underlines the cloudy, ambiguously-defined nature of partnerships on this show.

Naturally, one of the more compelling character-related developments of the series is in how Danette is slowly coming to the realization of just how much she genuinely does care for her daughter, despite having told Kallie that her birth ruined her life. She keeps asking Joe to reassure her that Kallie will be alright, and he insists that she'll return, safe and sound. This is mostly just Danette projecting her hopes, as the mounting terror that Kallie is dead is apparent on her face, particularly once Danette hits the streets to find her. She drives around town in her car, looking out the window while calling her daughter's cell phone and getting only the voicemail. Danette leaves a desperate, pleading message for Kallie to call her again, but those calls are unanswered. Exasperated, she returns to the motel where Joe is staying, and he once again assures her that everything will be all right. However, when he steps into the shower, and Danette decides to give Kallie's phone another try, she discovers that Kallie's phone is ringing -- from inside the room. Danette finds her daughter's phone among Joe's belongings. She's too caught up in the revelation to notice Joe standing behind her. Whether Danette makes it out of there alive or not, it pretty much looks like the jig is up for ol' Joe.

Credit: AMC

As for the continuing saga of Ray Seward (Peter Sarsgaard), we learn that some inmates have met with the families of their victims, in an effort to get their sentences commuted. According to Seward's pal, Alton, 8 out of 11 cases were commuted to life sentences, and each one featured the killer coming clean and making his peace with the victim's family. To this end, Alton sets up a meeting with his victim's family, while Seward is surprised with a visitor of his own: the legal guardian of his son, Adrian. The woman pleads with Seward to allow Adrian to visit, as the boy does little else but talk about wanting to see his father. The woman declares that Adrian has already forgiven Seward, and the word "forgive" sets Seward off. He bursts into a fit of uncontrollable laughter and calls for his guard, effectively ending the conversation with the pleading woman, who begs Seward to reconsider seeing his boy. But Seward won't hear of it. And just as well, since the woman announced her intentions to legally adopt Adrian. (As Seward tells her, all she has to do is wait two more weeks and she won't even need to do any paperwork.) Alton's family visit went a bit better, though in a bittersweet way. Turns out the victim's family is actually his own, as we learn that Alton robbed his father, then shot him when his father discovered him. Then, in a panic, Alton shot his own mother. It's one of my favorite scenes of the season so far, as Alton recounts how his brother and sister, despite his best expectations, actually forgave him for what he'd done to their parents. Though it seems as though a weight has been lifted off Alton's shoulders, he does seem somewhat resigned to his fate, as if he now believes he truly deserves to die. But at least he was able to obtain some measure of quietude.

"Scared and Running" is a strong episode that builds on the sturdy foundation of last week's character-building episode. This week, the series found a workable balance between developing character and moving the investigation forward. All in all, this was pretty much the best episode of the season so far, and I continue to be immensely impressed with how The Killing has managed to serialize a self-contained, procedural story and keep it compelling throughout.