'Van der Valk' Episode 1: Trojan the police dog steals the show in Amsterdam, fans call him 'a very good boy'

We thought that Piet's quirky attitude might be able to save a rather predictable storyline, turns out audiences are just going to be tuning in for PBS new favorite pet
PUBLISHED SEP 14, 2020
'Van der Valk' (PBS)
'Van der Valk' (PBS)


Spoilers for 'Van der Valk' Episode 1 'Love in Amsterdam'

The first episode of the PBS Masterpiece drama 'Van der Valk' seemed to have a subtle premiere, with fans enjoying the sinister crime story hailing from Amsterdam. While many took to Twitter to point out the witty and sarcastic dialogue of Inspector Piet Van der Valk (Marc Warren) and his loyalty to resist authority, many also decided that the police dog was the star of the show. Trojan is a retired police dog that belongs to Piet's Boss Julia Dahlman (Emma Fielding) and has a bond with Piet - we reckon it the number of treats he gets from the Inspector. "Trojan is the real MVP! #VanDerValkPBS," tweeted one fan. Another tweeted, "Trojan!! My new favorite British actor! :) #VanDerValkPBS."



 



 

At the end of the 90-minute episode, we see the gentle furry beast not only locate one of the guys Bartell Peters but also the Kalari Ramecker (Arian Nik), the kidnapped victim. While we believe that Piet's team Lucienne Hassell (Maimie McCoy) and Job Cloovers (Elliot Barnes-Worrell) had a huge role in the location of the victim, Trojan was the true hero with his scent detection. It was a wholesome scene in what seemed to be a dragging episode and Trojan seemed to be one of the few reasons for fans to stick around. 

While the sentiment on Piet was as one fan put it, "@masterpiecepbs #vandervalk Genius jerky white dudes are the worst protagonists. Let’s move on," another focused on our main man, Trojan. "Love to see Trojan, a very good boy, get feted like he deserves #VanDerValkPBS," tweeted one fan with another adding, "Good Dog is gonna take out those very bad dogs. In the end this is just a dog superhero story. #VanDerValkPBS." Apparently, the series was all about the pet, not the case that had multiple dead bodies nor the human team behind it. Also, we completely agree.



 



 



 

As we reported, we thought that Piet's quirky attitude might be able to save a rather predictable storyline, turns out audiences are just going to be tuning in for PBS new favorite pet.

Episode 2 titled 'Only in Amsterdam' will air on September 20, 2020, at 9 pm EST.

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

The six-episode thriller series starring Thompson and Bernthal releases on January 8, 2026
13 hours ago
Idris Elba reprises his role as the negotiator, this time in a different mode of transport
14 hours ago
Anson Mount shared an album on social media that put Spock and Pike in focus
15 hours ago
'Pushing Daisies' premiered on ABC in 2007 and ran for two seasons before being cancelled in 2008
17 hours ago
While you wait for Glen Powell’s ‘Chad Powers’, all six episodes of Season 1 are available for streaming on Hulu
18 hours ago
'Ripple' chronicles the lives of four strangers living in New York City who develop a newfound sense of fraternity
20 hours ago
Mickey Haller is on the defense of his life as Netflix confirms ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ Season 4 will return in early 2026
22 hours ago
The film unites Spielberg with several of his long-time collaborators, including David Koepp, the writer behind the screenplay for 'War of the Worlds'
23 hours ago
A fan-favorite star is returning to CBS, and his high-stakes cameo on 'Ghosts' may unravel more chaos than anyone living or dead is ready for
1 day ago
The new instalment introduces Miya Cech's Toph Beifong in live-action for the first time.
1 day ago