I don't know how I missed this earlier in the summer when, judging from another discussion, it must've broadcast here in the US. Anyway, I enjoyed the premier episode which aired on my local PBS channel Sunday, especially seeing some old favorites: Beatie Edney (Prudie in Poldark) as the magenta-haired hipster attorney, and Joseph Millson (Banished) as yet another snooty bad guy - and swimming in the buff no less!
BTW nice boat, really nice boat, Piet Van der Valk lives on. I bet IRL something of the sort would be well beyond the means of a police detective. Just guessing though, I could be wrong.
Can't find a movie or TV show? Login to create it.
Want to rate or add this item to a list?
Not a member?
Reply by genplant29
on September 27, 2022 at 8:33 PM
Hi, merry!
I haven't watched the S2 premiere yet (which debuted in the US Sunday night), but expect to sometime in the coming days. I caught a couple moments of it while the episode was airing the other night, and what I saw looked good. Was surprised to see Emma Fielding in a mature-age role, as I recall her from so many years-past roles when she was a young or youngish beauty (Emma was born in 1964 [according to Wikipedia - though other sites differ], so is probably now nearing 60).
Reply by merryapril
on September 27, 2022 at 9:17 PM
Howdy genplant! I guess I misunderstood the June, 2022 discussion here. Since people were talking about the series I wrongly presumed it resumed in June and this past Sunday's episode was a rerun from then. Guess not!!!
Yes, I should've mentioned Emma Fielding (Cranford) as one of the favorites who appeared. At first glance I thought she was Sarah Paulsen, who bears a resemblance, and figured she was going to turn out to be another gay character like Maimie McCoy's. Being set in Amsterdam there will likely be several, and indeed we saw a lesbian hookup in this season premier episode. I enjoyed Maimie as Siegfried's (Samuel West) love interest in Season 1 of All Creatures Great And Small . But he or she has moved on since then.
Reply by bratface
on September 27, 2022 at 11:01 PM
I found 3 different birth years for her: 1964, 1966, & 1970. Also, 2 different birthdays: July 10 & October 7. If you google her you can see all three right at the top of the page.
Reply by merryapril
on September 28, 2022 at 12:19 AM
I'm shocked, SHOCKED that an actress' date of birth is ambiguous! On a related note, I've never quite understood why the expression is "a woman of a certain age" when the actual meaning connotes a woman of an UNcertain age. Ironically, one of the local PBS channels showed the first episode of Cranford this very evening and I always watch it when it's on (so many familiar faces in the show). That hilarious clique of biddies is TOO MUCH, but there was also Emma Fielding as the lovely, sympathetic town milliner.
Reply by wonder2wonder
on September 28, 2022 at 4:12 AM
Last month when I watched S2E1 "Plague on Amsterdam", I recognized one of the actors and I thought 'No way this is a coincidence. This person is the murderer.' Why? Because ... no spoilers, unless you remember S1E1 "Love in Amsterdam".
Reply by merryapril
on September 28, 2022 at 11:37 AM
I recall who the murderer was in S1E1 and just discovered the connection you're alluding to W2W!
Reply by wonder2wonder
on September 28, 2022 at 3:44 PM
Reply by merryapril
on October 3, 2022 at 10:56 PM
First of all, I have to get this off my chest: after paying more attention to Emma Fielding this time, the sadist who's given her that fugly, God-awful 1970s Dutch Boy hairdo deserves to be shot. Sheesh 😩
SPOILER ALERT FOR EP. 2
I continue to enjoy the show. The Amsterdam setting is lovely to look at. Some of the murder plots are implausible, kind of in the manner of Midsomer Murders, but with Euro-hipster casting. This appeals to me because I don't care for too much police procedural grittiness and realism. I mean, how realistic is it that a murder victim is neurotically sawn into 3 fairly-equal portions and delivered in the kinds of crates normally used to ship fragile art objects? It was a bit over-the-top even for edgy/anything-goes Amsterdam standards. That a love-struck (or gold-digging???) shrink turned out to be the murderer worked for me. He was one of the more normal-seeming characters in the episode, normal in a wily psychopathic way.
If anyone knows the backstory of the coffee house the cops use as a conference room, and its all-knowing barista, it would be of interest.
Reply by wonder2wonder
on October 4, 2022 at 8:37 AM
Restaurant - Café Scheltema (translation Dutch to English):
... Excerpt (translation Dutch to English):
Description :
Other sources (not translated)
... Wikipedia
... Facebook - Cafe Scheltema
... Instagram - Cafe Scheltema
... In Memoriam Willem de Lange sr.
... Instagram - Willem de Lange (1934-2017)
From IMDb: Anita Franklin
Here she is on the Dutch TV police drama "Flikken Maastricht (2007-)"
Reply by merryapril
on October 4, 2022 at 11:15 AM
Thank you W2W!!! So the cafe is real, and not a set. The history and photos of it are great - I appreciate the links. It looks to be a very warm and inviting place, deserving of its veneration. I'm wondering though about the fictitious barista in the series, a black man - correct? He seems to come up with some pithy and useful data now and then. And there's another elderly black man who perpetually hangs out at the cafe. Maybe I'm confused and he's the all-knowing one. If any explanations about them were offered in Season 1 I must've missed it or forgot.
Reply by wonder2wonder
on October 4, 2022 at 1:09 PM
The barista (Café owner) in all 6 episodes is Cliff Palache, played by Mike Libanon.
There is a homeless elderly man called Frank in 5 episodes. He is played by Peter van Heeringen .
Reply by merryapril
on October 4, 2022 at 1:45 PM
Ah, okay, thanks! I saw the black actor's name in the credits on IMDB and PBS but there wasn't any info or photos about his portrayal as the barista. His profile pic on this site looks more like the character he portrays in Van der Valk, unlike the IMDB pic, which confused me.
Reply by wonder2wonder
on October 4, 2022 at 3:03 PM
Yes, the IMDb photo was from the science-fiction movie "Kill Switch (2017)".
Here are some other pictures:
📷 Twitter - 1 - Mike Libanon (Cliff)
📷 S1E3 "Death in Amsterdam" - Peter van Heeringen (Frank), Elliot Barnes-Worrell (Job), Mike Libanon (Cliff)
Reply by merryapril
on October 4, 2022 at 3:58 PM
Thank you SO much W2W. I've been poring over the links you've provided. Apparently the storied Cafe Scheltema has played a role in other productions, and as a real-life hangout for journalists, perhaps its real-life owner is also "in the know", inspiring the fictional one. The food and beverages look great!!!
Reply by merryapril
on October 10, 2022 at 9:21 PM
I suppose the season finale could be considered a wishful, fantasy-like resolution to what is certainly its inspiration, the Jeffrey Epstein case, with a damaged soul of a victim getting sweet revenge, and various VIPs being apprehended and hauled off to finally face justice for their perverse predilections. Didn't you just KNOW the police chief was one of them?!?!?! Alas, in real life the Epstein client list is being safeguarded by the state. The only VIP to face retribution is Prince Andrew, and that was the money kind (plus a heap of public humiliation) but no jail time. Almost all others remain anonymous...
I wish Adrian Schiller, who portrayed the Epstein-like role of Bodecker, would've gotten a lot more screen time. That face and voice are so compelling!