It’s hard to know what went on behind the scenes of Those Who Kill. Basically, I find myself wondering, Why? Why was this made? It’s not like the original Danish series, Den som draeber, has a huge cult following, and it’s not like audiences were clamoring for any more procedural shows (although there’s about 200 shows about storage lockers on TV, so maybe I’m wrong). In case you’re wondering, no, these are not the kind of questions a pilot episode should evoke.
The show opens with Chloe Sevigny sitting in a kick-ass Mustang that we never see again, spying on the house of her stepfather, the ubiquitous Bruce Davison. When he retires for the night, she sneaks in to…watch him sleep and steal a family photo. Well, whatever floats your boat, I guess.
Sevigny plays Catherine Jensen, and it’s hard to know what to make of her. She calls in about thirty squad cars to a crime scene at a foundry, despite only having been a homicide detective for six months, which establishes her as strong-headed and meticulous, but she’s immediately steamrolled by her grumpy Lieutenant, so I guess she’s only strong as long as there’s no big bad men around to contradict her.
Jensen teams up with Thomas Schaeffer, played by James D’Arcy (Hitchcock, Cloud Atlas), a forensic psychologist. Naturally, she walks in on him beginning a lecture in the dark as he ominously imitates Jeffrey Dahmer. Schaeffer is problematic for me. We have enough near-autistic super-detectives on television right now, and we don’t need another one who blasts an iPod at a victim’s house before breaking down in tears because of the “residual fear” in the room. Jesus, are you sure your name isn’t Cole Sear?
I’m not pissed that Those Who Kill started off with a rather uninteresting case of the week; I’m pissed because they did so in lieu of pursing what is ostensibly the main story of the show. Do you know what it is? Would you, by watching promotional material? No. I barely know what it is, and I watched the damn episode (which was tough, with its plodding direction by Joe Carnahan, who I expected better from after falling in love with The Grey).
Jensen wants Schaeffer’s help to prove that her stepfather killed her brother. That’s interesting! I’d watch that show! This one, not so much. I haven’t decided if I’m going to continue covering Those Who Kill but if I do, I really hope A&E airs the good version.
About Author
