The moody police drama The Killing had an interesting and turbulent time on the air, but was the show actually canceled after season 4?

Summary

• The Killing had a troubled history with cancellations and renewals, but its fourth season on Netflix provided a satisfying conclusion for show creator Veena Sud.
• The cast and crew have moved on to other projects, with showrunner Veena Sud working on films and other shows, and Mireille Enos starring in a variety of films and TV projects.
• While there is no official word on a revival, Sud expressed interest in a potential fifth season if Netflix were to ask for it.

The moody police drama The Killing had a troubled time on the air, and its departure after season 4 left many wondering if the series had finally been canceled for good. Debuting in 2011, the adaptation of the popular Danish TV series follows veteran detective Sarah Linden (Mireille Enos) as she solves a series of murders with a troubled young detective named Stephen Holden (Joel Kinnaman) with his own checkered past. Noted for its atmospheric locations and longform storytelling, The Killing broke the procedural mold by telling a story that branched across a season instead of just one episode.

First airing on AMC, season 1 of The Killing was met with overwhelming praise from critics (via Rotten Tomatoes), and season 2 was also positively received. However, after two successful outings, the show fell into trouble and nearly didn't return to the air for season 3. Though seasons 3 and 4 of The Killing did eventually happen, their path to the screen was not smooth and the show's fate after season 4 was left in a dubious place thanks to its troubled history of being canceled and renewed. Shows like The Killingbroke new ground on American TV, but it wasn't an easy journey for the fans and creators.

The Killing Ended At Season 4

Though the cancelation of The Killing started to sound like a boy who cried wolf scenario, the show's shortened fourth season was the last one. AMC was ready to pull the plug on the series after the second season, and the third came about thanks to a complicated renegotiation involving the network and Netflix. The third season was as well-received as season 2, but The Killing once again found itself on the chopping block with AMC preparing to actually ax the show for good. Netflix swooped in and saved the twice-canceled series and brought it back for a fourth season that would stream exclusively on their platform.

Fortunately for fans of the series, Netflix's revival offered showrunner and creator Veena Sud the opportunity to conclude her show on her own terms. In a piece from The Week, Sud explained how getting a third chance felt like a "victory lap" of sorts after AMC had had such a turbulent relationship with the property. Though the mere presence of season 4 was good news, it also meant that the show would officially end, as Sud declared that it was the "final season" and that it was "how I wanted to end the story of Sarah Linden from the very beginning".

What The Killing Cast & Crew Are Up To Now

After struggling to bring the show to the air for four seasons, most of the cast and crew of The Killing have moved on to other projects. Showrunner Veena Sud wrote the 2018 drama film The Lie and also served as executive producer on the shows Seven Seconds and The Stranger. Series star Mireille Enos has appeared in various film and TV projects including If I Stay, Electric Dreams, and she even reunited with Sud for The Lie. As for a revival of The Killing, no official word has been given, but in the same piece from The Week, Sud left the door open by saying "Of course I'd be interested", if Netflix asked for the show's fifth season.