Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Telly addicts

The Killing -v- Spiral (Season One)

7 replies

atswimtwolengths · 30/04/2011 14:37

I've just been watching the first season of Spiral and have recorded season 3. I still have season 2 to watch.

What do you all think of it? I was totally obsessed with The Killing and don't think I've seen anything as good on tv (sorry, Wallander!) But Spiral - I'm enjoying it, but I don't mind if I wait a few days to see another episode - that's not good, is it?

The main actress is very strange. Quite sort of stary-eyed when she's not giving inappropriate looks at the male characters. If she was a man, I'd think she was a bit of a perv, to be honest.

I think <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=a69.g.akamai.net/n/69/10688/v1/img5.allocine.fr/acmedia/medias/nmedia/18/36/01/31/18445281.jpg&imgrefurl=pennyforyourdreams.blogspot.com/2006_07_01_archive.html&usg=__uBxwgeE4cy1338mtL9UnocdxP0A=&h=300&w=450&sz=19&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=HKjQq-k5IVgFYM:&tbnh=131&tbnw=197&ei=vgq8TaPVB8qo8APk0dS4Bg&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dfred%2Bbianconi%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG%26biw%3D948%26bih%3D460%26gbv%3D2%26tbm%3Disch&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=127&vpy=90&dur=1576&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=131&ty=125&page=1&ndsp=8&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fred Bianconi is just absolutely gorgeous. Hmmm a battle between him and Troels....

The plot seems disjointed. There have been a number of times when I've wondered what the hell they're talking about.

<a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=www.serietele.com/illustrations/galeries/series/60498.jpg&imgrefurl=www.serietele.com/serie-photo-2077.html%3Fpge%3D3.html&usg=__wswAxx2R6ij03iwLlSbN1CKvLD4=&h=435&w=650&sz=47&hl=en&start=48&zoom=1&tbnid=fc1pjBhVUWBcdM:&tbnh=141&tbnw=180&ei=hAu8TeuGLs7i4wbvuqnTBQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3DGr%25C3%25A9gory%2BFitoussi%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D948%26bih%3D460%26gbv%3D2%26tbm%3Disch0%2C1603&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=268&vpy=204&dur=628&hovh=184&hovw=275&tx=200&ty=120&page=6&ndsp=10&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:48&biw=948&bih=460" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gregory Fitoussi is just ridiculously good looking, yet I don't find him attractive at all. What did you all think?

And then there's <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=a69.g.akamai.net/n/69/10688/v1/img5.allocine.fr/acmedia/rsz/434/x/x/x/medias/nmedia/18/66/38/52/18930746.jpg&imgrefurl=shiotsu-autotrade.jp/mitsubishi/philippe-duclos&usg=__ejhwyYV30r2gEoQGfVyl2SC0sLo=&h=290&w=433&sz=19&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=E6XcCKHzkHT_KM:&tbnh=142&tbnw=189&ei=jg-8TbrVL8qw8gOyg-nZBg&prev=/search%3Fq%3DPhilippe%2BDuclos%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG%26biw%3D948%26bih%3D460%26gbv%3D2%26tbm%3Disch&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=281&vpy=173&dur=116&hovh=184&hovw=274&tx=175&ty=139&page=1&ndsp=8&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Phillipe Duclos who is very, very strange indeed. In a good way, but a complex character.

There isn't any of the tension that we had with The Killing. We know who the baddies are immediately. I wasn't that interested in how or why they did what they did. I enjoyed watching it, but coming so soon after The Killing, it seems all I can see are its flaws.

If you've seen both, what do you think?

OP posts:
jammietart · 30/04/2011 14:45

Like you I loved The Killing and hadn't seen Spiral so have just finished watching Seasons 1 and 2. I found the content of Season 1 very hard going - i had to watch parts from behind my hands - but found Season 2 much better. The Characters are more developed I guess. Phillipe Duclos esp is still very strange but brilliant and the female lead has stopped with all the extremely obvious flirting.

But its not a patch on the Killing!

atswimtwolengths · 30/04/2011 14:58

Glad someone else has seen both!

I think the main problem is that there's no real tension, whereas I'd watch an episode of The Killing just holding my breath the whole time.

OP posts:
PedigreeChump · 02/05/2011 23:40

I've just this minute finished the Spiral series 1 and came online to see if someone could explain the difficult bits... Blush

Why did the redhead lawyer rip up the testimony and video of the girl who accused her boss of rape? Has she gone bad? why did she take him to meet his son but not clear his name?

and

Who is in the bag in the woods at the end? Laborde? Benoit? Someone else?

Preferred The Killing. I felt like the Killing could be happening this very second, and I couldn't WAIT to see the next one. The Spiral was quite interesting but there was a lot of suspending my belief and thinking "what the heck is happening?" also it was very gruesome and I spent a lot of it grimacing...

jammietart · 03/05/2011 14:06

Pedigree I was equally confused by the ending to Spiral season 1. But I think you are right and the lawyer destroys the tape because she has turned to the dark side (and agrees to represent that hideous MP). And the body in the woods is just a body and I think we are shown that to show the main characters continuing their work. But I could be wrong. I agree with it being very gruesome. Completely turned my stomach at points but The Killing was really much more subtle and intelligent I think.

muminlondon · 03/05/2011 19:32

I've seen both. I loved the Killing because Sarah Lund is such a brilliant character and if you compare her directly with Laure in Spiral she is mesmeric - so focused and intelligent, whereas Laure is more needy and shouty (although not always). And it was such a long series that it felt like a big emotional investment.

However, Spiral is in its third series and it's got a great ensemble cast - it's not just about Laure but also Roban, Josephine, Pierre, Gilou, Tintin, etc. I thought the second series was just as gripping as The Killing and I'm finding the third series got into its stride about halfway through in terms of tension, plot and dialogue. Also, it's so much more French than The Killing was Danish and has a great sense of place - all the street scenes, French interiors, etc. For Francophiles or fans of French film in general it's hugely enjoyable.

I'm slightly nervous about series 2 of The Killing being overhyped. I think I'll also miss Troels, Rie, Meyer, etc. Still can't wait to see it, though.

PedigreeChump · 04/05/2011 20:42

Thanks jammie I felt rather daft coming to the end of a series and thinking, what the..?

I am also concerned about The Killing series 2, muminlondon I had a serious crush on Troels... I'm not sure I'll love it as much without him

muminlondon · 04/05/2011 23:24

Hey everyone ! You can vote for The Killing online here - BAFTA audience award until 20 May. Saw the link on The Guardian.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread