Hope Kills
Detectives uncover a pastor's false identity as execution looms.
"Hope Kills" is the thirty-third episode of the American television drama *The Killing*, first broadcast on July 7, 2013. Brett Conrad wrote the episode, and Tricia Brock directed it.
In the episode, Detectives Holder and Linden discover that Pastor Mike is not the person he appears to be. Bullet and Lyric grow closer. On death row, Seward becomes increasingly agitated as preparations for his execution advance.
At Beacon Home, Pastor Mike tells the detectives that Angie Gower never entered the shelter on the night she was attacked. He gives them photos of girls who stayed there three years earlier. Rayna listens from the hallway. Twitch finds Lyric and Bullet together in bed at an abandoned hotel. Lyric tries to explain, but Twitch boasts about spending the day with an older woman. Lyric leaves angrily with Bullet.
At the station, Linden finds no criminal record for Pastor Mike. Holder notes that nearly all of the seventeen victims found in the pond had passed through Beacon Home. Linden returns home to find Cody waiting; she tells him she was trying to be something she wasn't with him and asks him to leave. In the Jungle, Holder asks Bullet about Pastor Mike. She defends him, calling him the only man in Seattle who is not a pedophile.
On death row, Seward speculates that Becker left work early the night of Alton's suicide because of marital problems. Becker taunts Seward by pointing out the gallows under construction. In the locker room, Becker tells Henderson he left early to look for his wife, whom he found at a bar with another man. He adds that even the convicts know about his wife's adultery.
Danette visits Beacon Home. Pastor Mike tells her Kallie is not there but reassures her that Kallie is a survivor. Outside, Danette finds a pizzeria menu on her windshield with the words "He's lying" written on it. She shows it to Linden at the station. Linden and Holder visit the pizzeria. Rayna tells them she saw Angie bleeding in the alley next to Beacon Home the night of the attack. She called Pastor Mike, who arrived and chased Angie. He returned without her, his shirt covered in blood.
Lyric tells Bullet about government-sponsored apartments Pastor Mike mentioned. Bullet tells Lyric she loves her and promises to find them a place to sleep. At Beacon Home, Bullet begs Pastor Mike to let them stay. He says all beds are taken but agrees to help them find
- series
- The Killing
- episode_number
- 33
- air_date
- July 7, 2013
- writer
- Brett Conrad
- director
- Tricia Brock
- viewers_millions
- 1.62
- demographic_rating_18_49
- 0.5
Lore & Background
In the episode, Detectives Holder and Linden learn that Pastor Mike is not who he claims to be. They discover he has been using a fake ID and that his real name is Mark Elwood, who was charged with kidnapping a 16-year-old girl in Tempe, Arizona six years earlier, though charges were dropped after the girl overdosed. Meanwhile, death row inmate Seward becomes increasingly disturbed as the gallows are prepared for his execution. Actor Aaron Douglas, who plays Gabe Henderson, commented on the capital punishment storyline, noting that the lead-up to execution is "the most intimate and horrifying thing you're going to do to somebody."
Reader's Guide
"Hope Kills" is significant for advancing the central mystery of The Killing's third season, revealing that a trusted shelter pastor has a criminal past involving a kidnapped teenager. The episode also deepens the exploration of capital punishment through Seward's psychological deterioration and the procedural details of hanging. The episode drew 1.62 million viewers, making it the season's fourth most-watched outing. Its legacy lies in its tense cliffhanger—Pastor Mike holding a knife to Linden's throat—and its unflinching look at the emotional weight of execution, as reflected in Douglas's remarks about the moral challenge the storyline poses to viewers.
Did You Know?
- The episode was watched by 1.62 million viewers, the season's fourth best outing.
- Pastor Mike's real name is Mark Elwood, and he was charged with kidnapping a 16-year-old girl in Tempe, Arizona six years earlier.
- Actor Aaron Douglas, who plays Gabe Henderson, stated that the capital punishment storyline challenges viewers about whether the death penalty is a good thing or a bad thing.
- The episode ends with Pastor Mike holding a knife to Detective Linden's throat and ordering her to drive.
More in The Killing episodes 1-24
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