So much for “all publicity is good publicity.”
Following an intensely negative reaction to its season one finale, which came after several weeks of waning interest in the slow-moving series, AMC’s “The Killing” saw little excitement for its season premiere Sunday.
With just a 0.5 adults 18-49 rating and 1.8 million viewers, “Killing” returned below both the season one premiere and finale, bucking the trend of season-over-season growth the cable network had recently seen for dramas “The Walking Dead,” “Breaking Bad” and “Mad Men.”
Given that “The Killing” had greatly cooled off for the latter part of its first season, even prior to the critically-panned finale, it might excessive to suggest that frustration over that episode prompted the show’s core fans to abandon the series. Sunday’s ratings, after all, were in line with what the AMC series delivered for its penultimate episode last year.
But it is certainly fair to say that controversy over the show’s decision not to reveal Rosie’s killer at the end of last season did not increase interest in the show for its second season. And given the likelihood that ratings will decline for upcoming episodes, this is not great news for the AMC murder mystery.
