'Van der Valk' Episode 1 Review: Loaded with cliched suspense, could Piet's quirky allure save the show?
Spoilers for 'Van der Valk' Episode 1 'Love in Amsterdam'
The introduction to a team of detectives is never slow-paced and always starts with an investigation, 'Van der Valk' was no different as we see Inspector Piet Van der Valk (Marc Warren) as the star of the team as he arrests an anti-muslim extremist at the start of the episode. We want to say the series is dark and alluring, but it's more of a facade reeking with remnants of many other investigative procedurals before it, but it does have a set of unique quirks with Piet at the center of attention. The first case follows Piet along with his right-hand woman and colleague Lucienne Hassell (Maimie McCoy), his teammate Brad de Vries (Luke Allen-Gale), and new assistant Job Cloovers (Elliot Barnes-Worrell) as they tackle the heights of shady politics in Amsterdam.
After the bodies of Milan Bakker (Alex Hendrickx) and Daniel Koolen (Hugo Haenen) are discovered, the police force has to step on eggshells as elections in the country seem to take precedence over the disappearance of a gay Indian man named Kalari Ramecker (Arian Nik), who happens to be Milan's boyfriend. It's interesting to say that although audiences were aware that Kalari was being held hostage, we never would have guessed the person that had orchestrated a crime that involved art, angry passion and the messiness of the right and left-wing battle.
Being an investigative show where the personal lives and characteristics of characters are revealed through the unraveling of the case, we can't say much so as to keep too many spoilers away. What we can say is that the suspense aspect is fulfilled but so are the cliches of shows that follow the same genre. You'll find yourself familiarized with the personalities of many characters but especially that of Piet - an emotionally distant, yet determined and rebellious investigator who lies about his occupation to his dates and lacks sensitivity. While the first episode doesn't reveal too much of Piet, who is the central character, we have to say that he is probably the most alluring part of the show. Warren's delivery of a character this harsh was impeccable, yet almost came off too scripted - either way, he plays a role that's hard to ignore. Although the case, we think should have been the center of the debut episode, the storyline somehow focused on Piet's personal rendezvous for the case to be cracked; we don't know how legalities work there, of course, not that it was mentioned. While it may be hard to pay attention to an investigation for 90 minutes, the introduction of many characters - in the police force and of the investigation - and themes such as racism, harsh politics, extremism in the eyes of both the left and right-wing, manages to hold your attention even though you might want to stray away. We still have to mention though, 90 minutes is a bit too much, no matter how great the investigation was.
All in all, the debut episode was able to set a foundation of who Piet is, his relationship and loyalty to his squad, his love for animals and simply his need to be a perfect degenerate was a pleasant one. The show gives us a bit of a 'Criminal Minds' vibe without the psychological aspect so deeply explored, while also giving audiences the alluring aspect of shows such as 'NCIS,' 'CSI,' and 'Law and Order.' We're not sure how exactly Van der Valk' stands out to its counterparts - we're hoping the remaining two episodes put that more into perspective - but it's smart in its execution for delivering a crime series that interests many who like the genre. The episode is enjoyable, and you'll probably find yourself wanting to know more about how Piet works as an individual instead of wanting the case to be solved. Regardless, this one was a shocking result and if we missed the predictable signs, it was still a good narrative. By the end of the episode, there were four dead bodies, a confused police-suspect night-in, politicians whose secrets were exposed publicly, shady relationships and a very unlikely boss who orchestrated the entire thing.
Episode 2 titled 'Only in Amsterdam' will air on September 20, 2020, at 9 pm EST.