Random thought:

In reading about the original series and books (and like the reboot, the original series wasn't based on the novels' plots), Commissaris van der Valk is described as a cynical and intuitive detective solving crimes in the picturesque city of Amsterdam. In one of the episode synopses it was mentioned that Van der Valk and his wife had tickets to the opera. Is this starting to sound familiar to anyone else besides me??? Most of Nicolas Freeling's novels were published from 1962-1972. Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse novels were mainly published from 1975-1999. IN NO WAY am I suggesting plagiarism of any sort, but it would be interesting to know if anyone who's read both series feels that Dexter could've been inspired by Freeling.

I don't know if Colin Dexter was inspired by Freeling. He did incorporate some of his own personal interests and views - Oxford, literature, opera, crosswords, atheism - into the character of 'Morse'. So, I always assumed that - as being a teacher himself might not (always) be very exciting - Colin Dexter started writing about an alter ego, not a superhero, but a police detective.

Commissaris Van der Valk (novel, 1962-1972) has more in common with Commissaire Maigret (novel, 1931-1972). In Freeling's Van der Valk novels there has been an occasional reference to Maigret.

Excerpts from "Tsing-Boum! (paperback, 1969)":

"Airports always made him wish he were in Cuba. In consequence he walked about Orly with a heavy forbidding step like Commissaire Maigret, looked at all the restaurant menus with a pouched and glaucous eye, had a meal that was all he had feared, found a corner so gloomy that even Americans in plastic overshoes slunk away from it ..."

"It was comic that a supposedly reasonable, logical person like a policeman - and he was a Dutch policeman, feet firmly planted on the ground - should get superstitious. But like Commissaire Maigret, repeating the same drink throughout a whole book, van der Valk sometimes felt 'obligations'. Hostages to fortune."

Van der Valk (old television series) and Morse are different characters.

You already know Morse quite well, his love for opera and crosswords. He works with Lewis and has his disagreements with authority. His failed relationships with women are also known. After a case he'll be in the pub drinking a pint of ale or at home listening to opera music.

Van der Valk is a family man with a wife (Arletta) and children (Wim and Ruth). His son Wim is also with the police (S4-5). Piet doesn't really have one partner he works with and he usually gets along well with his colleagues. He will often talk with his wife about his work and they spent time together, shopping, going to the restaurant, cinema, theatre, or just staying at home for a quiet evening in front of the telly or going to bed early .

Thanks for your insights w2w. I'd read that Van der Valk novels contained allusions to Maigret, so maybe my idea of inspiration should've gone back in time to George Simenon rather than forward in time to Colin Dexter. And after reading more about Van der Valk and his family life, I've since wondered if the chipper theme music of the original series (that seems so incongruous) was taking his life as a family man into account - that in spite of his profession he remained buoyant (unlike the brooding loner Endeavour Morse). It's obvious the reboot varies greatly from the original in that sense at least: there seems to be some mystery about the current Van der Valk's romantic history. Because of his partner Lucienne's coaxing to get back in the dating arena, I get the impression there may have been some sort of unhappiness or even tragedy in regard to his love life.

@merryapril said:

It's obvious the reboot varies greatly from the original in that sense at least: there seems to be some mystery about the current Van der Valk's romantic history. Because of his partner Lucienne's coaxing to get back in the dating arena, I get the impression there may have been some sort of unhappiness or even tragedy in regard to his love life.

This will be revealed in episode three.

He seemed to have more than investigative interest in Vermeer's Woman in Blue in Ep. 1, poring over the image. The subject of the painting is a lovely, heavily pregnant woman. If I had to guess w2w, this is a clue. I'll find out tomorrow!

@merryapril said:

He seemed to have more than investigative interest in Vermeer's Woman in Blue in Ep. 1, poring over the image. The subject of the painting is a lovely, heavily pregnant woman. If I had to guess w2w, this is a clue. I'll find out tomorrow!

You might find this link interesting?

http://www.essentialvermeer.com/catalogue/woman_in_blue_reading_a_letter.html

Just click the various topics (on the lists) & it will bring up an outline/explanation.

Thanks bratface. What interesting analyses of the painting. It's evidently debatable whether or not the subject of Woman in Blue is pregnant. Some experts think not, that her contour simply reflects the fashion of the times. It was also interesting to read that Vermeer's brother-in-law was notoriously violent, threatening his mother and other family members including Vermeer's wife while she was pregnant. The factoid about the brother's violence suggests to some a reason for the serenity of the domestic life depicted in the artist's oeuvre.

Even if I was wrong to speculate the painting is a clue, time is never wasted when spent contemplating beautiful art!!!

@merryapril said:

Thanks bratface. What interesting analyses of the painting. It's evidently debatable whether or not the subject of Woman in Blue is pregnant or not. Some experts think not, that her contour simply reflects the fashion of the times. It was also interesting to read that Vermeer's brother-in-law was notoriously violent, threatening his mother and other family members including Vermeer's wife while she was pregnant. The factoid about the brother's violence suggests to some a reason for the serenity of the domestic life depicted in the artist's oeuvre.

Even if I was wrong to speculate the painting is a clue, time is never wasted when spent contemplating beautiful art!!!

You are welcome.

Well... there were some absolutely preposterous aspects of the finale, especially during the nonsensical stand off near the end: Cloovers is WAY too wussie to be believable as a cop. That he employed a frying pan instead of grabbing some cutlery (surely there are knives in a restaurant) was absurd. And speaking of wussies, are we really to believe the Nervous-Nellie-of-a-designer Dani was capable of murdering 2 people? Fungal-based thread as a clue? It was all too hip. Over the top hip, e.g: the medical examiner, with his tattooed forearms and flowered camp shirt, smoking pot with strangers. SMH...

OF COURSE entertainments nearly always feature actors who are much better looking than their real-life counterparts would be. For instance, just the other day I was watching a local city council hearing during which an LGBTQ contingent of my local police department testified. Suffice it to say that the lesbian cops testifying couldn't have looked LESS like Maimie McCoy/Lucienne. Beauty is compelling and the opposite can be repellent so I get it why entertainments cast gorgeous actors. Even characters who are supposed to be plain or ugly tend to be striking in some way. SO, as someone who isn't normally a consumer of police procedurals but who enjoys a few of the "mysteries" broadcast on PBS, I'd rate Van der Valk fairly highly on visual appeal but fairly low on writing/plot development.

Some other points: I guess the show isn't going to spin off Arlette, the widow-as-detective, like Nicolas Freeling did with his books after he killed off Piet Van der Valk. And now we know that Dahlman suffered very serious and crushing injury to her leg in the same car wreck that killed Arlette, so chronic pain is obviously why she has to resort to using morphine on occasion. But is the fact that Cloovers claims to need to hurry home to his mother, who Lucienne discovered is actually deceased, supposed to be a cliffhanger? Shouldn't Dahlman and Cloovers' team members be at least somewhat alarmed at such behavior?

@merryapril said:

Well... there were some absolutely preposterous aspects of the finale, especially during the nonsensical stand off near the end: Cloovers is WAY too wussie to be believable as a cop. That he employed a frying pan instead of grabbing some cutlery (surely there are knives in a restaurant) was absurd. And speaking of wussies, are we really to believe the Nervous-Nellie-of-a-designer Dani was capable of murdering 2 people? Fungal-based thread as a clue? It was all too hip. Over the top hip, e.g: the medical examiner, with his tattooed forearms and flowered camp shirt, smoking pot with strangers. SMH...

Cloovers with a frying pan, that was funny. He did seem to know how to handle it as a weapon when he picked it up and gave it a twirl. Was he a fan of RPG or Jackie Chan?

The writer must have thought it through, as in the next scene with Cloovers the pan saved his life, when he held it in front of him and it was the first thing the criminal saw and shot at when the pan appeared around the corner of the building.

The delicately stitched eyelids done with care and precision pointed to the possible suspect: someone in the fashion business. The victim was an eco-fashion vlogger, who was critical about Danhei, the eco-fashion house. I thought at first that the stitchwork would be unusual and unique, like a fingerprint, leading them to an employee at Danhei. However it was the used green thread made from fungi that was the clue, followed by the other clues in the second murder.

"Reminds me of a case - or was it one of the alternative twists? - where pollen grains were found in the nostrils of the dead man in a trash bin and, after lab analysis, it was determined that it's from the rare century plant Agave americana. It seemed like the victim was murdered somewhere else and moved. Wasn't there a news article with a picture of a sweet old lady in her greenhouse with this once in its lifetime blooming plant?"

I disliked Dani from the beginning. Such an obnoxious, arrogant twat, and hoped that he would be the murderer.

Davie is quite a character. Drinking and playing solitaire in the examination room. Smoking some pot with a couple of 'ladies' on the bridge.

At least he doesn't disappear and wakes up naked in a river like the medical examiner of another show.

The fight between Lucienne and one of the criminals was good and realistic. Instead of easily defeating him, as what happens in so many shows and movies where beautiful 5ft4, 100lbs women beat the hell out of 6ft2, 220lbs men, she was losing and it was Brad who hit him from behind, thereby giving her the chance to break free and kick the criminal to the ground.

I'm glad you enjoyed it w2w! I didn't hate it, but I'd rate the other 2 episodes higher. Yes, Davie IS a character! I think he was puking when we were first introduced to him in Ep. 1. Cannabis can curb nausea so maybe he was hung over again when he shared the joint with the girls. 😁

The standoff at the end just didn't make sense to me: that the revenge seeker would go to such murderous lengths AND WORSE - choose a public venue (at lunchtime no less) where there were so many witnesses and potential innocent victims seemed absurd. And just like he did at the end of Ep. 1, it was the second time in a mere 3-episode season that Van der Valk threw down his pistol and spread his arms out Christ-like when confronted by an armed assailant. Odd technique for a cop. Only in Amsterdam I suppose.

What's the pollen quote from?

Who woke up naked in a river?

@merryapril said:

The standoff at the end just didn't make sense to me: that the revenge seeker would go to such murderous lengths AND WORSE - choose a public venue (at lunchtime no less) where there were so many witnesses and potential innocent victims seemed absurd.

The 'revenge seeker' was Willem, the son of the corrupt senior police officer Theunis Visser, who was taken down by Dahlman and Van der Valk. Theunis has many firends within the police force and was playing the long game. He knew that with his influence and contacts, he could have been released early, if Dahlman and Van der Valk were discredited or evidence disappeared. Willem was impatient and after his father went to prison, his whole social life went downhill. He believed that as long as Dahlman and especially Van der Valk were alive, they would do anything in their power to keep his father locked up, and his life would remain miserable with people laughing behind his back. Dahlman's visit was the last straw and he was convinced that it was Van der Valk's idea to talk to the judge and keep his father in prison. So off he went and if he had succeeded and his father was released, who knows. Would the father have enough influence to cover up everything and turn the tables by framing Van der Valk and Dahlman for crimes they didn't commit? They and the rest of the team would be dead and no one would be around to defend them.

This sounds irrational, but in the confused mind of Willem it looked like a very good plan and a quick way to solve all his problems. As you know, in the real world there are mass shootings and innocent victims.

By the way, it seems like Theunis Visser was the mentor of Van der Valk, who had taught Piet everything he knows. Sounds familiar.

I knew the revenge seeker was corrupt cop Visser's son and that VdV and Dahlman put Visser away, but like you said, the younger Visser's rationale for revenge was... irrational. So thoughtless and reckless, especially for a cop's son. Even a crazy one.

Have you read the Van der Valk books w2w? If not, I obviously missed the part of the finale that revealed Willem's wrecked social life, etc.

Is your mentor allusion in regard to Thursday and Endeavour or some other characters? Watching this finale's close, I was thinking about the standoff in Endeavour (I think it was at the end of Season 6 - too lazy to look it up), and how much more plausible it was compared to the VdV standoff. Jago had a good plan, thwarted only at the last minute.

Again, who was the naked pathologist in the river and what about the pollen in nostrils reference?!?!?

@merryapril said:

But is the fact that Cloovers claims to need to hurry home to his mother, who Lucienne discovered is actually deceased, supposed to be a cliffhanger?

Van der Valk was the one who found out that Cloovers' mother died nine years ago. He didn't trust Cloovers and had him checked out.

The medical examiner who disappears when he is killed and reappears naked in a river is Dr. Henry Morgan on "Forever (2014-2015)".

The reference to the pollen is just an example of a clue mentioned in a case that could lead to the culprit. So, fungi as a clue wasn't extraordinary compared to so many other cases in the shows I've watched.

While writer/producer of the show Chris Murray seemed to mock (somewhat anyway) the fashion industry, in part by making the top-secret development of fungal-based thread a contributing motive for murder, such a product actually exists:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2020/08/31/fashion-musrhooms-mycelium-climate/?arc404=true

And in spite of my criticisms of the episode, I did truly enjoy sustainability designer Gustav Schneider's soliloquy in which he said "we want people to feel bad about themselves". LOL!!! Then he ended up by telling his employees "do NOT design perfectional permanence, design dazzling entrancitry", coining 2 new terms in one brief sentence. What a guy. Loved him!!!