Reflections (The Killing)

Lore & Background

In "Reflections," Detective Sarah Linden learns that the tollbooth photo placing Darren Richmond at the murder scene was faked, leading her to investigate the source of the tampered evidence. She discovers that her partner Stephen Holder was assigned to Homicide by Gil Sloane of the county sheriff's department, and that Sloane has since retired and is Holder's Narcotics Anonymous sponsor. Linden traces Sloane's address and begins staking out his home, while Holder attempts to contact her without success.

Meanwhile, Belko Royce, an employee of Rosie's father Stan Larsen, is arrested for shooting his mother and then shooting Richmond. In police custody, Belko tells Stan that he "did it," then later takes a cop hostage and kills himself. At the hospital, Richmond survives surgery but is paralyzed from the waist down. Gwen Eaton admits to Jamie Wright that she was not with Richmond on the night Rosie died, contradicting the alibi that had been used.

Gil Sloane receives a congratulatory call from a reporter about the evidence leading to Richmond's arrest, then erases his hard drive containing the toll booth photo. Linden follows Sloane to a closed construction site, where he meets with the mayor's campaign director. An unidentified photographer takes photos of Linden in her car.

Reader's Guide

"Reflections" is a pivotal episode in The Killing, as it resets the central mystery after the first season's controversial conclusion. By revealing that the evidence against Darren Richmond was fabricated, the episode reopens the investigation and introduces a new suspect in Gil Sloane. The episode's critical reception was mostly positive, with reviewers praising its handling of grief and its atmospheric direction, though some criticized the writing as the show's weakest link. The episode drew 1.80 million viewers, the fifth-lowest viewership for the series. Its legacy lies in its role as a corrective to the first season's narrative missteps, refocusing the story on the murder of Rosie Larsen and the consequences of police corruption.

Did You Know?

• The episode was the first of a two-part second-season premiere, airing on April 1, 2012.
• Belko Royce shoots his mother and Darren Richmond, then later kills himself in police custody.
• Gil Sloane, Holder's NA sponsor, erases his hard drive after being congratulated for the evidence against Richmond.
• Gwen Eaton admits she was not with Richmond on the night Rosie died, contradicting her earlier statement.