Detectives Linden & Holder

[Abenet]

They have always been complete opposites but they are back together in Season 3 of AMC’s The Killing. Do you think complete opposites make a good team?

[Cory]

Did Paula Abdul and MC Scat Cat teach you nothing Abenet? Of course they can make a good team! (Obviously Holder is the jive talking cartoon cat of this metaphor.)

[Catie]

(Sorry to just jump in and hope it's okay)

Linden and Holder are two of my favorite TV characters.

Holder can seem silly, but Linden's input shows that he's intelligent and dedicated. On the other hand, Linden can be spookily dedicated. Holder takes the edge off her seriousness.

Holder and Linden are also an interesting team because of Linden's position as the mentor. Showing Holder with his department assigned partner, Carl Reddick, and comparing it to his interactions with Linden shows us Holder's struggle over what kind of detective he will ultimately become.

Will he be a detective like Linden whose dedication to finding justice for the victims consumes him? Or will Holder evolve into another Carl Reddick, who is merely clocking time? I think when Season 3 started, Holder was headed down a more political path, conforming to bureaucracy, and trying for promotion. This case will throw Holder's goals into flux.

Seasons 1 & 2 (to me) explored the idea of who the bad guys really were. I'll be curious to see what theme Season 3 explores (and if it continues on the same theme as the first seasons).

Anyway. Just my 2¢.

[Ayoka]

I think that Holder acts too silly sometimes and so it has an impact on her judgement. Linden is just share intelligence and he is very dedicated.

[R.]

I think Linden's approach to crime solving is to start from the big picture and work your way in based on clues, and Holder does the opposite. He gets a case, and separately examines each piece before stepping back to try and make the whole puzzle fit together. It seems to me, especially in giant, tangled, messy cases, both skills sets would come in handy at different times. So yeah, I think they do make a good team. A macro-thinker and a micro-thinker.

[Jackie]

Greetings-

I’m a graduate student at the University of Maryland studying social media and the “second screen” phenomenon. (Simply put, people using other devices while watching TV.)

Will you be watching the season 3 finale of “The Killing” in real time, without using a second device? If so, and you’d be willing to fill out a brief survey after the show airs, please contact me at zajac.jackie@gmail.com.

Thank you!
Jackie