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The Autopsy of The Killing: Part 4 – “A Soundless Echo”

The original main cast of The Killing

New Evidence:

Kris is being held at the police station, tweaking in frustration. He protests his innocence, as Linden and Holder show him a recording of Rosie at the Halloween dance. They decide to play Kris and Jasper against each other, hoping one will crack under pressure. Jasper goes to the station with his lawyer, and Linden shows him the video from The Cage. Jasper claims the video is not what it seems and explains himself to Linden (off-screen). Kris tries to blame Jasper while being interrogated by Holder, then laughs when he’s shown the footage from The Cage. It’s revealed it was Sterling, not Rosie, who was in the video. Sterling claims the video was consensual, and it happened because she was drunk and mad at Rosie. The blood found at the scene was also Sterling’s, apparently the result of her persistent nosebleeds. Sterling also says Rosie left the dance before the recording took place and that she often saw her get the 108 bus to possibly meet someone.

Linden questions if Rosie was having an affair because it might give an explanation for her expensive shoes. Holder says a key found belonging to Rosie doesn’t fit her school locker, so it might be for a secret lock box. Linden goes to meet the Larsen’s at the station, and Holder gets on the 108 bus route. Linden asks Mitch and Stan about the shoes and key, then later asks if Rosie had been seeing anyone older, something they firmly deny. Holder shows a picture of Rosie to the driver on route 108, and he says he’s never seen her before. Mitch goes to the high school and finds Sterling, who tells her that Rosie was happy, and she doesn’t know if Rosie was seeing anyone. Holder is about to get off the bus but instead asks the new driver if he had seen Rosie. He says he’s seen her a few times, and that she usually goes to the end of the line.

Linden finds a pack of cigarettes hidden in a pillow by Jack, which triggers her to go back to the Larsen home to search for anything that might have been missed. Mitch meets Rosie’s former teacher, Bennet, who praises her intellect and personality. Linden arrives at the Larsen house, while Stan is choosing a dress for Rosie’s funeral. She searches around the room, starting with the pillows. Holder gets off the bus and follows a Fort Washington high school student. Holder arrives at a facility used for the Seattle All Stars “Hoops after School” Program, which is supported by the Richmond campaign. A man confirms that Rosie used to attend the program and that she used to arrive with Bennet, her teacher and coach. Linden finds some letters in an illuminated globe, which are revealed to be a secret correspondence between Rosie and Bennet. The episode ends with Bennet giving Mitch a book he claims to have been Rosie’s favourite.

The Suspects:

Kris and Jasper are still very high on the list, but it is revealed that it was Sterling who was in the video from The Cage, not Rosie, as initially presumed. Didn’t I say there’d be many fake-outs and red herrings? Even so, in the recording, Jasper can be heard shouting, “Let me at that bitch. Give her to me.” Then later, Kris tells Holder that, “Jasper’s crazy, okay? He hated Rosie.” It may not have been Rosie in that video, but it doesn’t mean Kris and Jasper are off the hook just yet. A new suspect emerges in the form of Rosie’s teacher, Bennet Ahmed. Not only does he coach her during the after-school program, but he also secretly corresponds with her via letters, which Rosie hides away in a globe. When talking to Mitch, Bennet reveals he had taken a keen interest in Rosie, stating, “Kids like her are why I got into teaching in the first place.” I don’t know about you, but I think it’s beyond shady and inappropriate to have this kind of relationship with one of your students. Welcome to the list of suspects, Bennet!

Brandon Jay McLaren as Bennet Ahmed texting on his phone in The Killing

While I wouldn’t call them suspects, an exchange between Stan and Belko should be noted, as it hints towards a very dark past that they both once lived. Believing Richmond has something to do with Rosie’s death, Belko tells Stan, “You want me to do something about that guy, that Richmond?” adding, “Just say the word, we’ll take care of it…Like old times.” Stan sighs then replies, “I don’t do that anymore.” This appears to hint towards a past that Stan would rather forget and move on from. Belko, however, keeps cropping up as someone to keep your eye on. We’re also introduced to Janek Kovarsky (Don Thompson), a figure from Stan’s past. Stan is in serious financial trouble, due to the purchase of a house meant as a surprise before Rosie’s untimely death, in addition to the Larsen’s usual rent and now Rosie’s funeral. Janek offers Stan some money, and he reluctantly accepts, which signals a frosty relationship between the two former friends/allies.

And, lest we not forget, the Richmond campaign is at it again. Jamie is secretly still a part of the campaign and is spying on Mayor Adams, infiltrating within his camp. However, the Richmond campaign is crumbling, so Gwen asks her father, Senator Eaton (Alan Dale), to arrange a meeting between Richmond and Tom Drexler (Patrick Gilmore), a wealthy entrepreneur. Councilman Richmond is basically forced to accept money from Drexler, who has no interest in his campaign but wants to see Adams beaten. Again, this shows how the Richmond campaign will practically go to any length to secure his victory.

What Year Is This?

Like Laura Palmer, Rosie Larsen was clearly a clever girl who had a bright future ahead. In footage taken at the Halloween dance, she says, “I want to see everything. See the world. I am just so ready to start living, I guess.” Obviously, Rosie was an ambitious girl who saw her life outside of Seattle, but she got involved with the wrong crowd. Sterling states, “She [Rosie] changed so much…Tell her mom she was spending the night, and she wasn’t,” and that Rosie might have met someone, “Someone she couldn’t tell anyone about.” Linden suspects that Rosie was seeing someone older, which further enhances the parallels between Rosie and Laura. A more apparent connection can be made between The Killing and Twin Peaks after the mention of a potential secret lock box and Rosie’s hidden letters, which reminds me of The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer.

The similarities between Rosie and Laura are beginning to add up, though it’s fair to presume Killer BOB won’t be making an appearance anytime soon. But, if Bennet turns out to be the presumed older man in Rosie’s life, will he end up being someone like Leo Johnson or perhaps even worse? I guess you’ll have to continue watching along with me.


The next article in “The Autopsy of The Killing” will focus on the fifth episode of The Killing, written by Jeremy Doner and directed by Phil Abraham, respectively. And, if you’re enjoying this series, I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment below, and/or give me a follow on Twitter (@JonSheasby), and we’ll continue the conversation over there.

Written by Jon Sheasby

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