The Killing season three could have been a disaster. Things didn't start well and the show struggled with some obvious missteps but by the thrilling finale on Sunday (August 4, 2013), audiences were convinced that the American remake of the classic Danish series can now be considered a triumph. Spoilers ahead, obviously.

This season took place one year after the eventual conclusion of the Rosie Larsen case, with Sarah Linden (Mireille Enos) brought back into her detective work when the investigation into a runaway girls leads Stephen Holder to discover a string of murders. 

The identity of the murderer, or 'The Pied Piper' was revealed in 'From Up Here, The Road to Hamelin' - a riveting two hours with tragedy, surprise and humor. 

Those who had guessed Skinner as the killer early on were high-fiving each other by the end of last night's episode. He was revealed not only as the murderer of the 21 girls that police had discovered, but many, many more. Skinner believed the girls he killed were just crack whores or "human garbage."

Reviews of the finale were almost unanimously positive, with Sean McKenna of TV Fanatic.com saying, "In a two hours that could have easily dragged and become bloated, the finale of The Killing Season 3 found a way to be compelling and exciting, focused on the characters as much as finishing the case, and providing one heck of an ending."

What did you think of The Killing season three finale?

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Joel Kinnaman
Joel Kinnaman Plays Detective Stephen Holder in 'The Killing'