'The Killing' -- it's not what you think

Once again, a marketing department does its best to chase away the right audience from a promising new show.

After seeing the commercials for AMC's The Killing on heavy rotation, I assumed it wasn't a show for me. It looked like it was some kind of Law & Order: SVU rip-off... cops tracking down the serial killer of the week.

It's not that at all.

The Killing isn't a typical police procedure, more like a mystery novel. It unfolds slowly, even though the two-hour pilot takes place over a single day. Think Mystic River, not SVU or CSI.

The pilot is re-airing Sunday at 8 p.m. (followed by the second episode at 10 o'clock). Ignore the commercials; if you like a good mystery, give it a try.

Um... really?

I was hoping this was an April Fool's Day prank. Alas, it's still with us on April 2.



So let me get this straight. An institute of higher education -- the university that runs around proclaiming itself THE State University of New Jersey, even though there are other state universities in New Jersey -- not only pays $32,000 to an idiot, but to an idiot who has become rich and famous for trashing our state's reputation to the world. And an idiot who isn't even from New Jersey, no less.

Rutgers University's defense is that the university didn't invite her to speak there -- some students did. And the students paid for her two-hour appearance themselves, not using university funds.

If this is truly the case, then all I can say is: It's time to up your admission standards. Set the bar somewhere above moron, please.