Meanwhile, another high profile case pops up in time to draw Linden and Holder's attention and keep them busy. A wealthy family is brutally murdered in their home and it appears that their teen-aged son, Kyle Stansbury (Tyler Ross) may be to blame, although he was injured, himself. Kyle is a troubled youth who lives at a military academy run by Colonel Margaret Rayne (Joan Allen) and he has always been at odds with his family, all except his baby sister, Nadine (Peighton Brown). Initially, it looks like a murder/attempted suicide, but as Holder and Linden begin to unravel the cloak of mystery surrounding the military school, Col. Rayne, and the odd practices that take place inside the hallowed halls, things start to muddy up. For starters, there are classmates Lincoln Knopf (Sterling Beaumon, Powers: Season 1) and A.J. Fielding (Levi Meaden), who, at different times, act as friend and foe. Then there's the strange connection between Col. Rayne and the Stansbury family. Will Linden and Holder be able to unravel the mystery before the walls close in on them and their own deceit is uncovered? To complicate things further, newly sober Holder not only has himself and girlfriend Caroline Swift (Jewel Staite, Firefly) to consider, but now they have a baby on the way and his once bright future could be in jeopardy.
This is the final season for The Killing, and while it is only six episodes, they pack a punch and do a nice job of wrapping up the mysteries and the series as a whole. I was sorry that there weren't any special features, but I did enjoy the series' jump a few years into the future and I like the way everything wrapped up. The Killing has been a dark and gritty crime drama since the start and this season doesn't disappoint. I still think last season was the strongest of the series, but I am glad Netflix picked up the reigns so the show could wrap things up. If you have been following The Killing, you'll definitely want to see how it all plays out. While I am still left with a question or two about the Stansbury mystery, as a whole, I enjoyed The Killing: The Complete Fourth Season and although I am sorry to see the show go, I am pleased to see the end do it justice.
