Vengeance (The Killing)
Detectives pursue a mosque lead; Richmond's loyalty backfires.
"Vengeance" is the seventh episode of the AMC drama *The Killing*, first broadcast on May 8, 2011. Linda Burstyn wrote the installment, and Ed Bianchi directed. The episode follows Detectives Linden and Holder as they gather additional evidence pointing toward Bennet Ahmed, while Councilman Darren Richmond suffers political consequences for standing by Ahmed.
In the plot, Stan Larsen drives Bennet Ahmed to an empty dock, orders him out of the truck, and speaks about the bond between a father and daughter. Ahmed insists he did not harm Rosie. Stan leaves Ahmed behind and drives away. Back at the Larsen garage, Ahmed’s phone rings, but Belko Royce silences it. Meanwhile, Detective Holder questions Mitch Larsen about her husband, hinting at Stan’s mob history, and tries to pressure Royce into revealing Stan’s whereabouts, but Royce remains silent.
At the Ahmed apartment, Bennet’s pregnant wife Amber tells Detective Linden she was upset about young girls near her husband, so she drove to the dance on Friday night. She adds that Rosie returned a copy of the Quran that same evening and that Bennet let the girl inside. Linden counters that dance footage proves Bennet is lying. When asked who else has access to the apartment, Amber mentions a man named Muhammed, with whom her husband studies the Quran, and says Muhammed has a key. As she expresses uncertainty about Muhammed, Bennet returns and orders Linden to leave. Outside, Linden inspects the Quran and finds a mosque’s name stamped inside. She calls Holder to say they need to investigate the mosque.
The next morning, at the campaign office, Councilman Richmond argues with Jamie Wright about the campaign’s continued association with Bennet. Alone, Gwen Eaton notices an empty envelope from a women’s correctional facility on Richmond’s desk. Richmond later visits Maryanne Thompson, his deceased wife Lily’s mother, to discuss the parole hearing for the drunk driver who killed Lily. Maryanne suggests Richmond cannot forgive himself for Lily’s death.
Mitch confronts Belko Royce for not telling her about Bennet. Royce says his contact claimed Bennet took Rosie to a room in the high school basement. Richmond learns that Mayor Adams has called an emergency city council session to freeze funding for the Seattle All-Stars program. Wright advises Richmond to demand Bennet’s resignation to save the program. At the session
- series
- The Killing
- episode_number
- 7
- air_date
- May 8, 2011
- network
- AMC
- writer
- Linda Burstyn
- director
- Ed Bianchi
- viewers_millions
- 1.83
Lore & Background
In this episode, Stan Larsen drives Bennet Ahmed to a deserted dock and leaves him there after Ahmed insists he did not hurt Rosie. Back at the Larsen garage, Detective Holder questions Mitch Larsen about her husband's mob past and tries to intimidate Belko Royce. At the Ahmeds' apartment, Bennet's pregnant wife Amber tells Detective Linden that Rosie returned a copy of the Quran the night she died and that Bennet let her in. Linden finds a mosque's name stamped inside the Quran and tells Holder they need to check it out. Councilman Richmond argues with his campaign staff about remaining loyal to Bennet, and later loses a city council vote to freeze funding for the Seattle All-Stars program after refusing to demand Bennet's resignation. Linden and Holder go to the mosque and speak with Imam Gelabi; a woman slips a note with an address into Linden's shoe. They go to an abandoned meat market, break into a locked meat vault, and are immediately stormed by an FBI SWAT team.
Reader's Guide
"Vengeance" is a pivotal episode in The Killing's first season, advancing the central murder investigation while deepening the political subplot. The episode received generally positive reviews, with critics noting the slow-burning tension and strong performances. Meredith Blake of The A.V. Club rated it a B−, calling the series an unexceptional but drawn-out procedural serial drama. TV Fanatic's Teresa L. rated it 4 out of 5 stars, praising the beautifully acted scenes and the simmering feelings of anger and desperation. The episode was watched by 1.83 million viewers, a slight rise from the previous episode. Its significance lies in the introduction of the mosque and the mysterious Muhammed, as well as the cliffhanger ending with the FBI raid, which escalates the stakes for the detectives.
Did You Know?
- The episode was written by Linda Burstyn and directed by Ed Bianchi.
- A woman at the mosque slips a note with an address into Linden's shoe.
- Linden and Holder break into an abandoned meat market without a warrant.
- The episode was watched by 1.83 million viewers.
More in The Killing episodes 1-24
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