The Killing is one of those rare, no-frills-attached dramas, which tell a searing story, just the way one would have imagined it to happen. The plot centers on the mysterious and gruesome murder of a young girl named Rosie Larsen. The murder is dealt with in a matter of fact manner on the series, without painting any rosy picture that’s appears far-fetched or unbelievable. But what’s even more intensely depicted is the aftermath of the murder, not just for those directly involved in it, but also on the community as a whole.

Developed by Veena Sud, the show is an adaptation of the Danish series by the same name, and follows a similar format, with each of the thirteen episodes of its first season dealing with one day of the investigation of the case. The role of the leading homicide detective on the show, Sarah Linden, is played by Mireille Enos, who’s been described as the first female American character of her kind by The Hollywood Reporter.

Having premiered on April 3, 2011, the show has garnered a fan base of millions, with the premiere having been viewed by a whopping 2.7 million viewers, which rapidly surged to nearly double that number over the next few episodes. While at first sight, this may seem to be a regular investigative tale of a girl’s murder, it doesn’t take one long to realize, that the show is much more than just that.

More than anything, it’s a story of the repercussions of the death of a loved one; the desperation of getting to the bottom of the crime, and fighting for justice on behalf of the one, who had to succumb in helplessness; and above all, the story of a close-knit community in which one’s loss is everyone’s loss. Who killed Rosie Larsen? This is the question that drives the series. There’s one face innocently hiding amidst this seemingly loving community that’s guilty, and The Killing is a chronicle of all that goes into pinpointing that one face.