This feature contains mild spoilers (though pains have been taken to avoid giving anything major away).
A few years ago, a whiff of something began to drift down on the winds from Scandinavia.
The BBC had produced its own version of Swedish crime thrillerWallanderand it had been a sizeable hit for them.
There was a real sense of Nordic grit.
The main protagonist of the programme was Detective Inspector and knitwear aficionado, Sarah Lund.
The shows primary storyline was that of the police investigation into the murder.
Running alongside this and intertwining on more than one occasion were two side plots.
The first of these concerned Copenhagen mayoral candidate, Troels Hartmann.
The car in which Nanna Birk Larsens body is found belongs to Hartmanns office.
The most emotional story strand revolved around the Birk Larsen family themselves.
Each of the three plot lines that made upThe Killingwas equally gripping in their own way.
They each threw up more than their fair share of the shows notable plot twists.
The twists in The Killing were plentiful.
Every episode was a near game changer when it came to this programme.
The compelling and surprising plot is only half of what liftedThe Killinghead and shoulders above its peers.
Although Lund wasnt the most identifiable character, she was perhaps the shows most interesting.
Sveistrup and Grabl worked together to create the character with the actress always lined up for the part.
Lund goes through quite a journey in the course of the series.
When we first meet her she seems settled on a new life in Sweden.
An idea of Lunds past can be gleaned from the characters relationship with her mother.
Sofie Grabls performance inThe Killingis truly incredible.
Its a notably different take on the police woman, one which is cold but yet some how likeable.
Lund is cuttingly ruthless when it comes to her investigation.
Ultimately though, what matters to Lund is the case, above all else.
Grabl plays this perfectly.
We dont ever see her glam-ing up, and her preferred uniform is dark jeans and a woolly jumper.
Shes one of the most powerful female characters on television in the last decade.
Assisting Sarah Lund in investigating the murder of Nanna Birk Larsen is Detective Inspector Jan Meyer.
Meyer is coming in to replace Lund when she leaves for Sweden.
Hes a family man and a more conventional detective than Lund.
At first he begins to feel exasperated with Lunds methods and yearns to be in charge of the case.
Played by actor Sren Malling, the chemistry between him and Grabl is excellent.
You sense the frustration he has with Lund but also the camaraderie he feels with her.
Fortunately there is no shortage of shady characters surrounding him.
The actions of both Theis and Pernille drive their family into ruin as the series progresses.
Its a heart-wrenching moment, making the brutality of what befell her seem all the more evil.
The Killings third season begins on BBC4 on Saturday the 17th of November.
Come back next week to read James weekly episode reviews, and his look-back at season two.
