AMC's The Killing has returned from purgatory and will air its third season on the network.  The crime drama was cancelled after two seasons and then had its hopes resurrected by a joint effort from AMC and Netflix, thanks to relentless pursuit from producer Fox TV Studios. Though none of the execs from the above-mentioned organizations would confirm the news, it looks like showrunner Veena Sud and executive producers Dawn Prestwich and Nicole Yorkin are back in the writers' room as of this week, in order to churn out another season. Whether the show will regain its first season highs or continue its second season lows remains to be seen. Stars Joel Kinnaman and Mireille Enos are contractually obligated to return. Hit the jump for more.Variety reports that production on season three of AMC's The Killing is likely to begin early next year with a debut date in late May. Kinnaman and Enos are likely to return, as is star Billy Campbell, but no one has been locked down as of yet. While it looked like Netflix was going to play the savior (much as the movie rental/streaming company has done with Arrested Development), no deals have been finalized. Expect the shows to air on AMC next spring as a hopefully replacement for soon-to-be-finished series Breaking Bad and Mad Men. Like many viewers, I was a fan of The Killing during its first season and felt disenfranchised when they reneged on their promise to reveal the killer at the end of season one. I'm not up to speed on what transpired in season two, but shows today have enough difficulty generating interest from the get-go without suffering marketing missteps and cancellations. The Killing had a good thing going for it from the outset and could have even turned it into a series anthology, much like FX's American Horror Story. Now that it looks like it's back, I'm wondering, what's the point? Maybe I'm wrong. If so, let me know in the comments below.