Donnie or Marie

Last updated
"Donnie or Marie"
The Killing episode
Episode no.Season 2
Episode 12
Directed by Keith Gordon
Written by Wendy Riss
Aaron Zelman
Featured musicFrans Bak, composer
Production codeBDH212/S212
Original air dateJune 10, 2012 (2012-06-10)
Guest appearances
  • Tom Butler as Mayor Lesley Adams
  • Seth Isaac Johnson as Denny Larsen
  • Evan Bird as Tommy Larsen
  • Claudia Ferri as Nicole Jackson
  • Patti Kim as Roberta Drays
  • Lee Garlington as Ruth Yitanes
  • Grayson Gabriel as Yacht Club Valet
  • Marcel Maillard as Ted Wright
  • Katie Findlay as Rosie Larsen
  • Barclay Hope as Michael Ames
Episode chronology
 Previous
"Bulldog"
Next 
"What I Know"
The Killing (season 2)
List of episodes

"Donnie or Marie" is the twenty-fifth episode of the American television drama series The Killing , and the twelfth of its second season, which aired on the AMC channel in the United States on June 10, 2012. The episode is billed as the first of a two-part season finale. It is co-written by Wendy Riss and Aaron Zelman and directed by Keith Gordon. In the episode, the detectives look to Richmond's campaign staff for suspects, while he gets ready for the election; and Mitch and Stan Larsen try to get their family back to normal.

Contents

Plot

Picking up where the previous episode left off, Linden (Mireille Enos) and Holder (Joel Kinnaman) peg Gwen and Jamie as prime suspects—the only ones in Richmond's campaign with enough power to broker a deal between the Indians and Michael Ames. The detectives enter Mayor Adams' office and strike a deal: he (Tom Butler) will keep Lt. Carlson off their backs and they will not expose Adams' involvement in the doctored toll booth photo of Richmond. Linden insists they are fighting a common enemy, noting that Richmond's camp planted the Indian bones at Adams' waterfront construction site.

At the Larsen home, Terry (Jamie Anne Allman) and the boys return from trick-or-treating. Denny (Seth Isaac Johnson) embraces Mitch when he sees her, but Tommy (Evan Bird) walks away. Terry later surprises Mitch with the news that Stan bought a house and argues when Mitch defends her long absence. She tells Mitch that she has been trying to keep the family together while Mitch was on "some vision quest".

Linden and Holder review Jamie and Gwen's alibis on the night of Rosie's murder. Holder says Jamie was with his grandfather all night, then went to the city hall gym at 4:37 a.m. — without his keycard, according to a guard. The next morning, Holder calls Linden to report that Jamie's grandfather confirmed Jamie's alibi. At City Hall, Linden asks a Richmond campaign worker (Sachin Sahel) to identify the owner of the blood-stained keycard. He says the list of keycard IDs was mysteriously deleted from his hard drive soon after Rosie's murder, but adds that Gwen requested a new keycard after the murder.

At the casino, Holder and Linden see Chief Jackson (Claudia Ferri) and Roberta Drays (Patti Kim) arguing and deduce that they are romantically involved. Jackson gives them security camera footage from the night of Rosie's murder — minus footage from the elevator camera, which she claims is broken. Linden sees a photo from the casino's grand opening and points out Gwen (Kristin Lehman) and Senator Eaton (Alan Dale) standing alongside Chief Jackson.

Councilwoman Ruth Yitanes (Lee Garlington) tells the detectives that Gwen canceled their dinner plans on the night of Rosie's murder. When asked if the Richmond campaign has links to a Michael Ames' company, Yitanes says the company donates to Mayor Adams.

Richmond (Billy Campbell) emerges from the voting booth. The press takes pictures of him and Mayor Adams together. Adams quietly tells Richmond his career is over. Outside, Gwen and Richmond hold hands, she laments that she "tried so hard" for him.

At the city-planning department, the detectives learn that Ames has several companies. His newest had its authorization to bid on city contracts expedited by Jamie and that Michael's wife Sally's name is not on the new company, which has landed the contract for the mayor's waterfront construction site.

Linden and Holder question Jamie (Eric Ladin) about Ames' new company. He says he expedited the request in an attempt to woo Ames as a campaign donor. When asked about his keycard, he shows it to Holder. Linden later wonders if Gwen and Jamie are both involved in Rosie's murder. Holder speculates that Gwen canceled her dinner with Yitanes upon learning about the waterfront break-in.

In the Larsen garage, Stan (Brent Sexton) smiles upon hearing about Janek's death on the radio. Mitch (Michelle Forbes) says she knows about the second house and Stan suggests they move for a "fresh start." They argue about leaving the memories of Rosie behind and moving on with their lives.

The detectives visit the yacht club, where a valet (Grayson Gabriel) shares the guest sign-in log for October 5. Gwen's name is signed in at 8:37 p.m. with a license plate number that matches the campaign car in which Rosie's body was found. They question Gwen, who admits she recently lost her keycard but maintains she was at a Tacoma bed and breakfast on the night of Rosie's murder. Linden asks her about the campaign car, but she warns them to be careful with murder accusations. Later at Holder's apartment, Linden studies the grand opening photo and notices Jackson's former head of security had a broken arm. At the casino, the detectives tell Drays that Jackson framed her former head of security for murder and will eventually do the same to her. They demand to see all withheld casino security footage from the night of Rosie's murder.

Richmond's campaign team erupts in cheers when they learn Richmond and Adams are now close in the poll numbers. He receives a phone call, asking what the caller wants as he watches Gwen and Jamie talk. Richmond's driver drops him off at the house of Jamie's grandfather, Ted Wright (Marcel Maillard). Jamie later arrives and asks his grandfather what was so important that he needed to talk to him, then he sees Richmond, who asks Jamie why he lied to him.

The detectives watch the missing security footage, which reveals the campaign car pulling up at 12:58 a.m. Holder plays a second disc, labeled "10th floor elevator." They watch Rosie (Katie Findlay) enter the elevator at 1:02 a.m., Chief Jackson enters it at 1:04 a.m., and Michael Ames (Barclay Hope) enters it at 1:05. Finally, at 1:07, Jamie enters the elevator and looks directly into the camera.

Reception

Critical reception

"Donnie or Marie" received positive reviews. Sean McKenna of TV Fanatic rated the episode 4.6 out of 5 stars and "could barely move" after watching the episode. "There's still a sense of not really having any clue who killed Rosie, which may be extremely obnoxious to some and perfectly riveting to others. But that noir tone has never changed, The characters have remained true to themselves flaws and all, and the case, while at times long winded, in these last few episodes has felt like it's moved somewhere, giving us something to grasp onto and feel as if the answers are within our reach." [1] The A.V. Club's Brandon Nowalk rated this episode a B, calling it a "suspenseful cliffhanger" and comparing the cross-editing to the previous episode "Bulldog" by stating: "The difference is that last week cut between an absorbing dramatic scene and an energetic detective scene while "Donny Or Marie" [sic] cuts between two thrilling mysteries surfing each other's wakes. Instead of falling through the dramatic pauses, the momentum carries all the way through the finale." [2] William Bibbiani of CraveOnline was pleased to see an episode dedicated to the murder investigation. He stated: "I've been saying throughout this season that The Killing would have to really step up its game in the last few episodes to make the last 11 episodes seem like they were worth the trouble, and while 'Donnie or Marie' is certainly a strong one, it's not so revelatory or dramatic that it forgives the failings of the season that precedes it. If every episode of the season was this good, The Killing would have been a much better series. But even then, it would need to really end with a glorified bang to justify the buildup." [3]

Ratings

The episode was watched by 1.84 million viewers, making it the most viewed episode of the season, and scored a 0.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic, even with the previous episode. [4]

Related Research Articles

"Pilot" is the pilot and first episode of the American television drama series The Killing, which premiered on April 3, 2011 on AMC in the United States. The series is based on the Danish television series Forbrydelsen and developed for American audiences by Veena Sud. The episode's teleplay was written by Sud and was directed by Patty Jenkins. In the episode, police detective Sarah Linden plans to retire but is asked to investigate the disappearance of Rosie Larsen, a young girl.

"The Cage" is the second episode of the American television drama series The Killing, which aired on April 3, 2011 on AMC in the United States after the pilot episode. The episode was written by Veena Sud and was directed by Ed Bianchi. In the episode, police question Rosie Larsen's grieving parents. Rosie's best friend, Sterling, and ex-boyfriend, Jasper, enter the suspect list, which leads the detectives to new evidence found at the school.

"El Diablo" is the third episode of the American television drama series The Killing, which aired on April 10, 2011 on AMC in the United States. The episode was co-written by Dawn Prestwich and Nicole Yorkin and was directed by Gwyneth Horder-Payton. In the episode, councilman Richmond suspects a leak within his team. Sarah tracks down a witness, which leads to a suspect, while trying to work with her new awkward partner Holder.

<i>The Killing</i> season 1 Season of television series

The first season of the AMC American crime drama television series The Killing premiered on April 3, 2011 and concluded on June 19, 2011. The series was developed and produced by Veena Sud and based on the Danish series, Forbrydelsen. Set in Seattle, Washington, this season follows the investigation into the murder of local teenager Rosie Larsen, with each episode covering approximately 24 hours. The first season covers the first two weeks of the investigation and has three main storylines: the police investigation into Rosie's murder, the attempts of her family to deal with their grief, and the fluctuating electoral fortunes of a political campaign that becomes embroiled in the case. It stars Mireille Enos as homicide detective Sarah Linden and Joel Kinnaman as rookie detective Stephen Holder.

"A Soundless Echo" is the fourth episode of the American television drama series The Killing, which aired on April 17, 2011 on AMC in the United States. The episode was written by Soo Hugh and was directed by Jennifer Getzinger. In the episode, the Larsens plan their daughter's funeral. Detectives Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder are drawn to Bennet Ahmed, Rosie's literature teacher, who has a questionable past and pregnant young wife.

"Super 8" is the fifth episode of the American television drama series The Killing, which aired on April 24, 2011 on AMC in the United States. The episode was written by Jeremy Doner and was directed by Phil Abraham. In the episode, Darren Richmond and his team plan an anti-crime commercial; Stan Larsen turns to Belko Royce for help in finding Rosie's killer; and Sarah and Holder question Bennet Ahmed and his wife.

"Undertow" is the ninth episode of the American television drama series The Killing, which aired on May 22, 2011. The episode was written by Dan Nowak and was directed by Agnieszka Holland. In the episode, after their warrant for Bennet Ahmed gets quashed, the detectives question an acquaintance of his. Mayoral candidate Darren Richmond puts an end to any personal attacks on his opponent. The Larsens take justice into their own hands.

"I'll Let You Know When I Get There" is the tenth episode of the American television drama series The Killing, which aired on May 29, 2011. The episode is co-written by series producers Dawn Prestwich and Nicole Yorkin and is directed by Ed Bianchi. In the episode, the detectives are forced to restart their investigation into Rosie Larsen's murder, but are pointed to a new suspect. Mitch Larsen receives a strange phone call about the family business. The Richmond campaign staff is given an interesting piece of information about their boss.

"Beau Soleil" is the twelfth episode of the American television drama series The Killing, which aired on June 12, 2011. The episode is co-written by Jeremy Doner and Soo Hugh and is directed by Keith Gordon. In the episode, the detectives investigate the link between Rosie Larsen and casino camera footage. Mitch Larsen learns that her jailed husband, Stan, has drained their bank account. The Richmond campaign gets new life as the Mayor's takes a hit.

"Orpheus Descending" is the thirteenth episode of the American television drama series The Killing, which aired on June 19, 2011. The episode is co-written by series creator Veena Sud and Nic Pizzolatto and is directed by Brad Anderson. In the episode, the detectives investigate Darren Richmond’s involvement with Rosie Larsen. Mitch and Stan Larsen discuss their family's future. Belko Royce takes action to protect the Larsens.

<i>The Killing</i> season 2 American crime drama

The second season of the AMC American crime drama television series The Killing premiered on April 1, 2012, concluded on June 17, 2012, and consisted of 13 episodes. The series was developed and produced by Veena Sud and based on the Danish series, Forbrydelsen . Set in Seattle, Washington, this season follows the continued investigation into the murder of local teenager Rosie Larsen, with each episode covering approximately 24 hours. The season culminated in the closing of the Larsen murder, with the discovery of those involved with the murder.

"Ghosts of the Past" is the eighteenth episode of the American television drama series The Killing, and the fifth of its second season, which aired on April 22, 2012. The episode is written by Wendy Riss and is directed by Ed Bianchi. In the episode, Detectives Linden and Holder obtain a voicemail left by Rosie Larsen when she was alive; Mitch Larsen talks with a girl the same age as Rosie; and Darren Richmond learns who may have been behind his previous arrest.

"Openings" is the nineteenth episode of the American television drama series The Killing, and the sixth of its second season, which aired on April 29, 2012. The episode is written by Aaron Zelman and is directed by Kevin Bray. In the episode, Sarah Linden investigates the Larsen family; Stan Larsen's past still haunts him; Mitch Larsen continues to help a runaway girl ; and Darren Richmond gets a surprise visitor.

"Keylela" is the twentieth episode of the American television drama series The Killing, and the seventh of its second season, which aired on May 6, 2012. The episode is written by Dan Nowak and directed by Nicole Kassell. In the episode, the detectives focus their investigation on the casino. Darren Richmond's renewed campaign holds a press conference with Stan Larsen as a surprise supporter.

"Off the Reservation" is the twenty-first episode of the American television drama series The Killing, and the eighth of its second season, and aired on May 13, 2012. The episode is written by Nathaniel Halpern and directed by showrunner Veena Sud. In the episode, Sarah Linden frantically searches for a missing Stephen Holder, Stan Larsen meets with several people regarding his reward to find his daughter's killer. and Darren Richmond returns to work.

"Sayonara, Hiawatha" is the twenty-second episode of the American television drama series The Killing, and the ninth of its second season, which aired on May 20, 2012. The episode is co-written by executive producers Nicole Yorkin and Dawn Prestwich and directed by Phil Abraham. In the episode, Sarah Linden obtains Rosie Larsen's keys, which allow access to the casino's tenth floor; Stan Larsen learns of son Tommy's bad behavior at school; Mitch Larsen meets David Ranier ; and Darren Richmond asks Nicole Jackson to assist the police.

"72 Hours" is the twenty-third episode of the American television drama series The Killing, and the tenth of its second season, which aired on the AMC channel in the United States on May 27, 2012. It is written by Eliza Clark and directed by Nicole Kassell. In the episode, Sarah Linden finds herself in a psychiatric ward, while Stephen Holder continues the investigation. Stan Larsen attempts to repair the damage that his past actions have caused. Darren Richmond returns to the Seattle All Stars basketball program.

"Bulldog" is the twenty-fourth episode of the American television drama series The Killing, and the eleventh of its second season, which aired on the AMC channel in the United States on June 3, 2012. It is written by Jeremy Doner and directed by Ed Bianchi. In the episode, the detectives gain access to the casino's tenth floor, which only causes them to elude the police; and both Stan Larsen and Darren Richmond make decisions that affect their futures.

"What I Know" is the twenty-sixth episode of the American television drama series The Killing, and the thirteenth episode and season finale of its second season, which aired on the AMC channel in the United States on June 17, 2012. It is co-written by series developer Veena Sud and Dan Nowak, and is directed by Patty Jenkins. In the episode, the detectives close the Rosie Larsen case, arresting the person responsible; the Larsen family prepares to leave their former home, but not before learning a family member was involved in Rosie's death; and Darren Richmond becomes Seattle mayor only to learn that campaign manager Jamie Wright was involved in Rosie's death. The episode was originally the final episode to air due to show's cancellation, but the show was revived by AMC in early 2013.

References

  1. McKenna, Sean (June 10, 2012). "The Killing Review: Gwen, Jamie and the Usual Suspects". TVFanatic.com. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  2. Norwalk, Brandon (June 11, 2012). "Donnie or Marie". The A.V. Club . Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  3. Bibbiani, William (June 11, 2012). "THE KILLING 2.12 'Donnie or Marie'". CraveOnline. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  4. Bibel, Sara (June 12, 2012). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'True Blood' Wins Night, 'Mad Men', 'Longmire', 'The Client List', 'The Glades', 'Drop Dead Diva' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on June 15, 2012. Retrieved June 12, 2012.