For those of you who thought the murder investigation surrounding AMC’s THE KILLING had been officially closed, we’ve got some bad news for you: Think again.

Turns out, the real culprit wasn’t so much [Spoiler Alert!] Mayor Darren Richmond’s campaign manager Jamie Wright (Eric Ladin), but rather a sinister suit in the form of AMC President Charlie Collier who opted not to pick up the much-maligned murder mystery for a third season.

Said the Network in a statement released to the press on Friday, “After much deliberation, we’ve come to the difficult decision not to renew THE KILLING for a third season. AMC is incredibly proud of the show and is fortunate to have worked with such a talented team on this project, from showrunner Veena Sud and our terrific partners at Fox Television Studios to the talented, dedicated crew and exceptional cast.”

Not surprisingly, Fox Television Studio has already countered with a statement of their very own announcing plans to recoup their investment by shopping the drama series to other interested networks. “Fox Television Studios is extremely proud of THE KILLING, the extraordinary writing staff and crew, and what we believe is one of the best casts on television. We will proceed to try to find another home for the show.”

In other words, commence Netflix rumors in 3… 2… 1…

Let’s face it: Since not telling us the identity of Rosie’s murderer in the season-one finale, THE KILLING has become one of those shows with which even people who defended the non-reveal (including me) developed a wary relationship. This season was uneven at best… or at least felt that was as it was unfolding. But after last night’s surprisingly effective episode, I’m willing to admit that the destination proved worthy of the somewhat bumpy journey. Here’s why:

The double-twist
After filling us in on the fact that squirly campaign aide Jamie attacked Rosie at the casino, there came a moment when Linden told Holder, “He didn’t say it.” Astute viewers — not to mention those who realized there were still a good 40 minutes left in the episode — began to suspect there was more to the story. And then came the stunning moment in which it was revealed that Terry, Rosie’s aunt, was actually responsible for her niece’s death… and that she hadn’t known the identity of the girl in the trunk at the moment when she caused the car to plunge into the lake.

The connecting threads
Once after it became clear that Jamie and Terry were each, in their own ways, responsible for Rosie’s death did it become clear just how wonderfully the political storyline and the one involving the girl’s grieving family had come together.

The visuals
The finale’s first scenes featured Rosie’s final moments in the Larson home. The family was happy, there was sunlight beaming through the windows. It was a jarring contrast with the home we’ve seen ever since that fateful night, which was encased in darkness, both literally and metaphorically. And the scene in which Terry, fresh from her confession, threw herself into her sister’s arms and Mitch instinctively hugged her sibling before allowing her hands to pull away, as if they’d realized their own betrayal, was gorgeously staged.

The acting
Jamie Anne Allman and Eric Laden — as co-killers Terry and Jamie — gave stunning performances during each character’s moment of denouement. (Although come on… who amongst us wasn’t disappointed that Jamie didn’t at long last declare “I did it all because I love you!” to the politico he’s clearly besotted with!)

The lack of a cliffhanger
While it’s unknown as of yet whether or not THE KILLING will get a third season, we have to thank everyone involved for not leaving major loose ends dangling. Could that leave a lot of viewers who were only sticking with the show long enough to get a resolution feeling they have no need to come back? Possibly. But it’s nice to see a network put the satisfaction of viewers ahead of the need to leave them with an ending that will have them begging for more… which they might never get.

The new Canadian sci-fi series CONTINUUM took a massive leap in its premiere episode by transporting its heroine and a handful of ruthless terrorists out of the future and into the present.  As these future travelers squared off, bullets began to fly and bodies began piling up.  But not everyone is yet aware of the time-travel fight brought to their doorstep and the war about to be unleashed around them.  In an exclusive interview, star Richard Harmon shared what is going on for his unsuspecting character in CONTINUUM.

So who is Julian and how does he fit into the CONTINUUM world?
RICHARD:  That’s an interesting story because there’s a lot to be said there but I don’t think I’m allowed to share too much at this time, ’cause he’s kind of got more going on with him at a later date.  Right now, Julian is the step-brother of the lead character, Alec Sadler.  We live on this farm together with my father and his mother who are now married, making Julian and Alec step-brothers.  From what we’ve seen, it kind of feels like Julian does not really trust Alec.  That kind of gets explained a little bit further in the next couple of episodes.  I think that’s all I’m allowed to share about Julian: that he just doesn’t trust Alec one hundred percent at the moment — and you’ll find out why.

From the pilot episode, it appeared that Julian and his parents were involved in sort of organization.  Can you talk at all about that?
RICHARD:  Yes, I can.  Julian’s father actually holds weekly meetings with a bunch of his farmer kind of buddies and others who are not the biggest fans of what corporations are doing to families in Canada and America — like shutting down their farms, running monopoly.  All the food one can buy is being controlled by the big corporations.  So they don’t like how the corporations are kind of taking over everything.  So their meetings are to discuss what they feel is not right about that.

Do you feel like Julian and his family’s organization has the better intentions, or perhaps do they have a bit of a dark side themselves?
RICHARD:  I think they have good intentions.  So far, it’s just meeting about how they do not like what the corporations are doing.  There’s nothing too crazy about it. 

How far ahead have you filmed the series for CONTINUUM?
RICHARD:  We’ve already filmed the entire first season.  We’re done.

So you have a lot more knowledge about what’s to come than you can possibly share at this time.
RICHARD:  [Laughs] Exactly!  I know what’s going to happen throughout the season, but I think Simon Barry (our creator) would do terrible, terrible things to me if I told you more than I’m allowed to.

That’s okay.  We’re happy to be teased. So with Julian’s step-brother Alec, does Julian have a sense that Alec has something going on in the barn, or is it just a general distrust of him?
RICHARD:  It’s a little bit of both because I think none of them really know what Alec does his “workshop.”  They don’t really know because he doesn’t let them in there.  Julian doesn’t think Alec could be up to all that much.  It’s just Julian is kind of evaluating the situation with Alec and trying to figure out if he is on their side because Alec’s really never been involved and he really hasn’t tried to be a part of this new family.  He’s never around.  He’s always in his workshop.  And Julian is really family-oriented, so he wants to know with Alec, “Do you want to come and be a family, or just go off in your workshop and exclude yourself away from us?” 

As the season develops, will we be seeing Julian get off the farm?
RICHARD:  I think it’s safe for me to say that he gets off the farm once or twice.

Does he become aware that there has been some time-travel involved?
RICHARD:  I don’t know exactly where the story is going, if we get a season two, but Julian at this current moment does not know what has happened with the time-travel storyline.

Since the show has taken off and has been well-received in Canada, and we are clamoring for it in the United States, there is a good chance CONTINUUM will get a second season.  Would you like to see Julian do some time-jumping and playing around with the timeline a little bit?
RICHARD:  Yeah, absolutely!  I think the great thing about this show is that there is so many possibilities that you can do.  Being a sci-fi related show, that just immediately opens up your world and so many other worlds.  So I think it would be fun, definitely.  Maybe time-jumping.  Maybe getting a bit involved with that.

What about the gun-play?  The show seems like it takes a “no holds barred” approach in portraying shoot-outs.  They aren’t afraid to show gun-fights and a lot of action.
RICHARD:  That’s another great thing about the show.  They really don’t baby it down.  We do show the gun-play.  We do show people getting stabbed.  There’s death on the show.  Every time I got the script, I was so excited because I would think, “I hope I don’t die,” and I’d wonder, “I hope this character doesn’t die,” and that kind of thing.  ‘Cause in this show, people can die off at the drop of a hat. 

Fun teaser there!
RICHARD:  Yeah, you’ve got to keep on your toes.

So generally what was your favorite experience working on the first season of CONTINUUM?
RICHARD:  Just great people.  It was such a pleasure working with everyone, from Simon Barry (our creator who also wrote a lot of the episodes), Pat Williams (one of our producers), everybody at Reunion Pictures (who is our production company), everyone at Shaw Media, and the cast.  It is just a wonderful, wonderful cast.  I would like to single out — ’cause I had the most of my scenes with him — Erik Knudsen.  He is just such a delight to work with. He was such the consummate professional the whole time.  So I’d like to single him out as being such a pleasure to work with.

To get the fans and audience excited about what is upcoming on CONTINUUM, what would you like to tease?
RICHARD:  The thing that I’ve loved about watching it has been “eco terrorists.”  They get really, really interesting in the next couple of episodes and they just continue to develop what they stand for and what they are willing to do.  I think the audience is going to love where they are going with that storyline. 

There seems to be so much violence in the show.  Does it ever shy away from it or do they just go, “Let’s crank it up a notch!”?
RICHARD:  They don’t shy away at all.  I think they take the violence to even higher levels. [Laughs] But I think it’s okay because it’s not just violence for the sake of it.  The more violent they got, the more they were trying to prove their point — and people were just not listening.  One of the greatest things about this show is the massive amounts of gray areas.  ‘Cause you really don’t know who to root for.  You have the bad guys who are terrorists, but are they really bad?  ‘Cause they are fighting for freedom.  Since when is freedom really all that bad of a thing?  But the thing with them is that their morals are just a little bit questionable.  They will kill an innocent being at the drop of a hat.  Then you have the protagonist, Kiera, with her great morals.  She does all the right things.  Yet at the same time, she’s trying to safeguard things for the corporations and I don’t think we want them to win. So that’s the thing.  There are grey areas.  You don’t really know who to root for.

It is a fun, twisty show. It makes you think a little bit. 
RICHARD:  It really does.  It definitely makes you think.

Then talking about your other series THE KILLING, we are heading towards the final couple episodes of the 2nd season and they are finally going to tell us who killed Rosie Larsen.
RICHARD:  I think we’re all dying to find out who did it.

Have you figured it out or found out who the killer is yet?
RICHARD:  I haven’t figure it out.  I have no idea who the killer is.  They don’t tell me anything!

Will we be seeing another appearance of Jasper before the finale?
RICHARD:  I don’t think you’ll be seeing me again before the end of the second season.   Hopefully in the third season, I might come back.  I never know, every time I leave the set of THE KILLING. They are so secretive.  They keep everything so wonderfully close to the vest that I have no idea that every time I walk off set it might be the last time I play that character.

You play these characters with shades of gray and verge on the dark side and we are never quite sure.  Is that fun for you?
RICHARD:  It’s really fun for me.  I didn’t quite understand it at first.  I didn’t know why I was always cast as the bad guy who has a lot going on — the moral compass in all the characters I play tends to be a bit shaky.  It doesn’t bother me any more.  I just didn’t understand it and then one morning I woke up and looked in the mirror and then said, “Ah, that’s why! Yeah, okay. I look like I want to kill somebody all the time.”  [Laughs]

You actually bring a certain layered depth to your performances that makes us believe that there’s more going on with these characters than just being a villain.
RICHARD:  Thank you so much.  That means a lot to me. 

I’ve enjoyed your other work on other shows, like CAPRICA, where you played one of my favorite characters.
RICHARD:  Oh, great.  Then you know my girlfriend, Genevieve Buechner.  She was in CAPRICA.  She played Tamara Adama.  I don’t know if my character was trying to save her or use her for his own purposes.  We’ve been dating ever since.

We’d like to believe that there were very chivalrous intentions there. But I should say that the episode “There Is Another Sky” is my favorite episode and you two were great in it together.  Your chemistry together clearly shone through.
RICHARD:  It was good chemistry, obviously.  [Laughs]

That was again one of those characters where he could have a really dark character with real evil intentions, but the more we got to know him, we went, “Oh, there’s more going on with this kid.” 
RICHARD:  Yeah, definitely.  Thank you.

So when you go to your agent, what kind of roles are you kind of looking for?  Do you specifically ask for roles with more layers?
RICHARD:  The roles that I’m looking for are anything.  [Laughs] Anything that allows me to do what I love for a living, which is just an unbelievable opportunity. 

It certainly seems like you’ve been very busy and blessed with what you have been able to do.
RICHARD:  Incredibly blessed. You put it precisely how it feels.  I am very, very blessed and incredibly lucky in what I do.

Any final words for the CONTINUUM fans?
RICHARD:   CONTINUUM is getting better and better and better as it goes on.  And I promise Julian does more than just eat soup.  I think they’ve introduced Julian just enough to get people’s interest without telling too much about what he does later on.  Stay tuned.

With that last bit of foreshadowing, be sure to tune in for an all new episode of CONTINUUM on Sunday nights at 9PM on Showcase in Canada.  The future has come back to haunt us and hold us accountable for our sins.

Photo Credits: Kin Chan (First Two) and Karolina Turek (Third Photo)

Most Ironic Editing: Ticked at fellow SURVIVOR Jonas, Tarzan declared “I can’t look at that face anymore!”… as viewers were “treated” to a show of the older man’s blue-briefs-clad butt.
 
Best Mocking: THE DAILY SHOW’s Jon Stewart took THE LAST WORD’s Lawrence O’Donnell (whose broadcast is feeling more and more like NANCY GRACE’s… and that ain’t a good thing) to task for his overheated grilling of an empty chair in which Trayvon Martin’s attorney was supposed to be sitting.
 
The Hope-For-The-Future Award Goes To…: COMMUNITY, whose ratings since returning are stronger despite stiff competition. Please, NBC, don’t take Greendale away from us!
 
Grossest Reality Show Yet: Lifetime’s 7 DAYS OF SEX encourages couples who are on the brink of divorce to, as the title suggests, have sex every night for a week. Wonder if they stipulate that it has to be with one another?
 
Proof That There’s Life In The Old Girl Yet: Two years ago, not a single drama pilot was being shot in New York City. This year, Deadline.com reports that a record 11 pilots are being shot in the city that never sleeps.
 
Latest Reason America Need To Apologize To Canada: In five words or less, THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF VANCOUVER.

Reason $234 SMASH Needed a New Showrunner: You saw that Karaoke bowling scene, right?
 
Most Alarming Development: TMZ reported that Snooki and THE SITUATION would be phased out of JERSEY SHORE next season in favor of “newer, wilder castmates.” The mind boggles. 
 
How The Odd Get Odder: Former AMERICAN IDOL runner-up Clay Aiken told Bravo’s Andy Cohen about having gotten liposuction on his chin.
 
Worst Sweeps Stunt: CBS announced that Heidi Klum will close out May’s all-important ratings-measuring period with a special called CLASH OF THE COMMERCIALS. Because what viewers are clamoring for is more advertisements.
 
Best Product Placement… Evah: Google the words “Downton Arby’s.”

Best Product Placement… Runner-Up: No doubt hoping lightening strike twice, Thursday’s COMMUNITY took a page, or to be more specific, a sub, from CHUCK’s playbook.
 
Biggest Cockblock: CBS shut down a web site’s plan to film a lost script from the original STAR TREK.
 
Gayest Non-Gay Show Ever: JERSEY SHORE spin-off THE PAULY D PROJECT features more man-on-man (non-sexual, of course) action than QUEER AS FOLK. 

News We Totally Dug: Fox picked up BONES for an eighth season of crime-solving fun.
 
Coolest Description: In an article talking about HBO’s finances, June Thomas of slate.com noted that “the generally dragon-averse New York Times had written about GAME OF THRONES over a dozen times.
 
Saddest News: Bluegrass musician Earl Scruggs, who helped create the classic opening theme of THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES passed away. Let’s all sit by the cement swimmin’ hole and reflect on his loss.
 
Grossest Confession: Oprah, whose network has become one of the biggest failures in recent television history, wants to interview Trayvon Martin’s accused killer, George Zimmerman. Careful, O… your desperation is showing.
 
Smartest Spoiler: The producers of THE KILLING, still stinging from backlash over last season’s non-revealing cliffhanger, promised viewers Rosie’s murderer would be revealed in the season two cliffhanger.

With the first season of AMC’s THE KILLING hitting store shelves this week, theTVaddict.com thought now would be the appropriate time to alert those debating whether or not to pick up a copy of one very important thing: Despite what the cover suggests, purchasing this DVD does in no way guarantee that you will get an answer to who killed Rosie Larson. #themoreyouknow.

It is kind of the dirty little secret of television that it is okay to show images that would be normally repugnant and unacceptable otherwise — simply because it is not real.  Photos and images that would normally be banned as too graphic are allowed under the guise that it is okay because they are not showing something that actually occurred.
 
But as some of this year’s television shows have stretched the boundaries of what we will tolerate, a question has arisen as to: where do we draw the line? Television shows like THE KILLING, AMERICAN HORROR STORY and THE WALKING DEAD are challenging our sense of morality and ethics of what should be allowed to be shown in the television format. 
 
Last spring, when THE KILLING debuted, there was an outcry over the way Rosie Larsen’s body was show both in the trunk of the car and the photos of her final injuries — not to mention the videotape of her best friend being assaulted.
 
More recently, there was outcry over THE WALKING DEAD’s strategic use of children to further its dramatic story by showing the accidental shooting of Carl which opened this season, bookended by the intentional killing of Sophia – albeit, in her newly incarnated “walker” state.
 
And to a lesser extent, there was some adverse reaction to AMERICAN HORROR STORY’s blood-bath slaying of the red-headed twins in its opening sequence of its premiere.
 
It can be argued that each of these shows are accompanied by parental warnings that the scenes depicted may be too upsetting to some viewers.  But is that enough?  Should such acts of violence be shown in the first place?  Do we have to see a child (or even child-actors) in such situations?  Does it make it any less disturbing and haunting to see violence towards children portrayed?
 
In the case of AMERICAN HORROR STORY and THE WALKING DEAD, those shows are known to have supernatural elements which we do not consider real, so the universe they inhabit is not as closely associated with our “real” world. The thought is that our tolerance is higher when the world depicted is supposed to be other-worldly — it helps us disassociate from the violence we are watching.
 
However, in THE KILLING, it is supposed to be a mirror-image of our world – it is supposed to represent something that can happen in the “real” world – and it frightens us.  We do not like to acknowledge, let alone watch such atrocities exist in our society or in the world around us. In its defense, THE KILLING is supposed to be a cautionary tale of what can happen when a teenager steps outside of their parents’ protective circle.
 
But, as a viewer, at what point do we declare it is too much?  Looking at it a bit more closely, I found that I am less offended when the violence is not directed towards a child per-se, but rather towards a child that is actually supposed to be a creature.  Like in THE WALKING DEAD, once Sophia was transformed into a “walker,” my brain understood that she was no longer a child – she was a zombie-like creature that had arisen from the dead.  She was already dead and now was a creature. Not unlike shows that show children infected with demons.  We no longer see a child; we see a monster.
 
But in the case of AMERICAN HORROR STORY, the children were simply unruly and delinquents, not monsters.  Their death was horrifying and disturbing to watch because they were simply children — just like Rosie Larsen. 
 
Violence towards a child is just different.  Our brains protest watching those kinds of scenes or seeing the trauma a child suffered because we feel helpless.  As a viewer, we do not simply want justice or vengeance – our desire is to protect and to be denied that basic urge to help is frustrating.  In fact, my inclination is to fast-forward such scenes as it invokes such a strong reaction.
 
There is a distinct difference to watching a childlike “creature” getting blown away opposed to watching a child suffer.  It makes me wonder: who exactly can sit through those scenes and remain unaffected – and what audience a show is trying to appeal to by showing such violence?
 
Television is a lens by which we watch fictionalized stories.  We are invited to participate as the viewer in their struggles, their joys, and their triumphs.   Depending on the craving of the day, we can tune in and watch a drama, a comedy, or even a slice-of-life portrayal.
 
The question shifts slightly from: what do we watch vs. what should we be watching?  Should we be made to see atrocities up-close-and-personal, or should there be a bit of creative ingenuity employed so that we are not made a voyeuristic party to the crime itself?  Once upon a time, television sensors would never have allowed the actual depiction of some acts of violence – blood spurts and other gore were left up to the viewer’s imagination.  But in an effort to make fictionalized television stories more real, in modern television, emphasis was placed on making each act look and sound more real.  It was the “show, don’t tell” philosophy. 
 
While I applaud the effort to get television to show us more interaction between the characters and de-emphasize the need for monologues describing a scene, there must be a line.  Some things are simply too disturbing to be depicted visually.  It assumes the audience or the viewer wants to participate in such horror. 
 
I posit that the line needs to be reestablished.  The television world needs to reconsider what is necessary to show in their story versus what they can allude to.  I have no desire to be made an unwitting accomplice in watching crimes against children (even in a fictional world).  It is one thing to have to hear about it, it is another to be forced to endure – making me an unwilling participant.
 
In the three examples I have cited above, only two of the shows fall within these acceptability criteria.  THE WALKING DEAD very carefully chose its ending note for its mid-season finale.  Sophia was no longer an innocent child to be protected, she was already dead – she had died long before when the “walker” infection overtook her.  Then in THE KILLING, they have been very careful to not make the audience a party to the crime which claimed Rosie Larsen’s life.  That leaves AMERICAN HORROR STORY clearly within the crosshairs of acceptability.  Did it go to far in its depiction of violence towards children?  Does it make it any more acceptable that it is set in a supernaturally-infused world?  My gut reaction is a steadfast “no.”  But perhaps to you, it has not yet crossed that line. 
 
But you should think about it: when does the depiction of violence towards children become unacceptable?  And at what point do you see yourself as being forced to be a passive participant? Are you truly a television viewer that can disassociate to such a degree that nothing you see affects you whatsoever?
 
Television is not supposed to recruit disinterested and disassociated viewers.  Television is about engaging our imaginations.  It is all a matter of what television is trying to engage us with — that is what we need to be pay closer attention to.  Are we being asked to laugh at a joke? To cry for the loss of a child? Or to be forced to watch children suffer? Even when it is not real, it looks real and we are being asked to believe that it could be real.  Perhaps there needs to be a line as to what we are willing to tolerate – even in fiction. 

Tiffany Vogt is a contributing writer to The TV Addict. She has a great love for television and firmly believes that entertainment is a world of wondrous adventures that deserves to be shared and explored – she invites you to join her. Please feel free to contact Tiffany at Tiffany_Vogt_2000@yahoo.com or follow her at on Twitter (@TVWatchtower). Tiffany also writes as a columnist for NiceGirlsTV.

Most Beaten Horse: Did you miss COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN in it’s 8 p.m. timeslot on new home Current? Never fear… you can catch it again at Noon, 3 p.m., 6 p.m., 11 p.m., 2 a.m., 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. No, seriously.
 
Best Spin: In effort to stave off negative reviews from those expecting a show involving time travel and dinosaurs to be a great sci-fi adventure, FOX is warning viewers that TERRA NOVA is an “epic family drama”. In other words, 7th HEAVEN meets Jurassic Park.
 
Most Uncanny Timing: Airing live following President Obama’s address to the nation in which he announced troop withdrawls from Afghanistan, SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE coincidentally featured an intense number involving a soldier’s return from serving in that country.
 
Most Discussed Show Nobody Actually Watched: THE KILLING’s controversial season ender got so much ink everyday TV viewers might have mistaken it for a megahit as opposed to a show that drew a relatively small audience.
 
Best New Addition: Hulu began airing BBC’s sexy sci-fi series MISFITS. Expect “Monkey Slut” to become the next big catchphrase.
 
Proof That Death Is A Temporary Condition: FUTURAMA returned from its latest hiatus/cancellation. 

Most Poorly Disguised Movie-Length Advertisement: The 38th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards were so busy pimping Las Vegas that they practically forgot to hand out awards.
 
Most Obvious Failed Ploy: Having already given Oprah a Lifetime Achievement Emmy, the Emmy producers – in a desperate attempt to trick viewers into watching – made up a new award (the Crystal Pillar) to give the legend. Clearly onto their schtick, Oprah didn’t bother to show up, instead submitting a brief, pre-taped acceptance speech.
 
Some We’re Most Psyched To Groove To: Sure, most kids don’t even know what vinyl is but we’re stoked about Showtime’s series by that name which will explore the music industry of the 70’s.

Worst Date Ever: Pity the poor guy who winds up going out with octomom Nadya Suleman on CELEBRIDATE. “So, um… do you like kids?”
 
The “Glad You Asked” Award Goes To… : Row Lowe, who pondered whether or not he should return to CALIFORNICATION. Our answer? If it gets you off PARKS & REC, but all means… yes.
 
Most Ridiculous Statement Ever: As TRUE BLOOD prepares to premiere its fourth season, creator Alan Ball admitted he’s considering ending the show after the fifth year wraps. Why? He’s not sure he has “any left in him” beyond that. Dude, five seasons at, what, 12, 13 episodes each? Read more of the books upon which the show is based.
 
Reason So Many Folks At Fox Are Frowning: GLEE Creator Ryan Murphy says there will be fewer musical numbers next season. This is bad news for fans because it means more time for the show to fill with ridiculous storypoints and badly-plotted story arcs, but even worse for folks at Fox who’ve made a not-so-small fortune off sales of the show’s tunes.
 
Biggest Tease: And no, we don’t mean that in a good way. But it goes to ABC for purposely misleading viewers into thinking Bentley would show up on last week’s THE BACHELORETTE… and then ran promos indicating that “no, really, this week, he really will.”

If we’ve learned anything from television over the course of the past few seasons — well, aside from the unfortunate fact that shows we fall in love with have a 78.5% chance of being immediately canceled by a network (94.7% if they are on the CW) — it’s that there are no guarantees.

And while we of course respect the right of anyone to tweet, tumble or text their opinion with regards to what did — or in the case of last night’s surprising closure-free season finale of THE KILLING — did not happen, we simply do not get where this outright hate and vitriol for the methodically paced character drama is coming from. After-all, it has only been 13 episodes! A number which for those of you who are playing along at home is a far cry from the countless hours many of us put into the likes of THE EVENT, FLASHFORWARD, LIFE ON MARS, V, and the mother of all mysteries that was LOST.

What’s more, unlike other showrunners that may-or-may-not be guilty of stretching their show’s central mystery perilously close to its best before date, THE KILLING creator Veena Sud has already gone on record by stating that the second season will in fact solve the mystery of who killed Rosie Larsen. Which for someone who is no closer to discovering the identity of the titular mother on HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER after six (going on seven!) seasons of patiently waiting sure sounds good to us. We’re just sayin’