Theories in The Killing

Theories in The Killing:

Steve Neale:"Genre is instances of repetition and difference" The Killing is a noir show. It shows repetition through its lighting. The lighting is consistently dark, which is typical of a noir show. It shows difference by having a female lead, females usually have lesser roles in noir shows and films.

Todorov's theory of equilibrium being disrupted and is eventually replaced by a new equilibrium, which is evident in The Killing. Equilibrium has been disrupted by the murder of the teenage girl and equilibrium will be restored once the murderer has been caught.


Strauss' theory of binary opposition in The Killing is evident. The detective wants to find the killer of the teenage girl but the killer whose identity has not been revealed wants to get away with the crime.


Debra Knight's theory that the thrill comes from prolonging the inevitable is shown in The Killing. The finding of the girl's corpse is prolonged until the last part of the pilot, which gives the viewer the excitement of whether she is dead or not, even though the viewer knows she is probably dead.