Van Der Valk Season 3 Episode 1 Review: Freedom in Amsterdam: Part One

This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist.

Welcome to reviews for Van Der Valk! On Season 3 Episode 1, “Freedom in Amsterdam: Part One,” we join the continuing series along with new members to the squad, Eddie and Citra.

It takes several minutes before we get to them, or even any of the characters we already know. Instead, we jump immediately into action scenes with a group of young people jumping across buildings. Soon after, they’re involved in a shooting, and one winds up dead.

This is a show that delves deep into the lives of its victims, their loved ones, and the world they lived in. A significant portion of the hour is dedicated to people who participate in parkour/free running, and at times they get more back story than the main characters do.

It’s a great way to get us connected to the story, but it does have its downsides. For one thing, while we do get some significant notes about Eddie and Citra, especially the latter, they seem to replace both Brad and Job with little explanation.

Piet is the title character of the show, and Lucienne is his right-hand woman, making them the only truly indispensable characters on the show. Still, it’s frustrating to see two key players seem to vanish into thin air after two seasons.

It is possible we’ll get more clarity later. In the first half of this story, the plot moves at a brisk pace that leaves little room to delve into details.  Questions are raised about both suspects and other apparent victims, but the answers will have to wait.

Again, both the excitement and level of detail given to guest characters make the plot engaging. We’re invested in figuring out just what’s going on here, in having any potential theories proven or disproven, and in seeking justice for Casper.   

Along with those answers—and certain other explanations—I’m hoping the second half of this story and the rest of the season both give us more interactions between the main cast, both new and old. Thus far, they’ve given us some of the series’ strongest moments.

We do at least get hints of this, especially through lines of witty banter. The writers do a good job of making this dialogue enjoyable without taking away from the tragedy of the case at hand. These detectives have become adept at using dark humor as a coping mechanism.

Speaking of tragedy, though, the deaths of Citra’s parents are yet another thing I’m waiting to see fleshed out over coming installments. Between that and the potential spark between her and Eddie, the recruits bring plenty of potential.

For now, we’re left with mixed feelings. We miss Job and Mark while still being excited for the newbies. We get some developments for the rest of our main characters, but not as many as we’d like. With so much up in the air, what’s on the horizon for any of them is anyone’s guess.

This episode was written by Chris Murry and Nicolas Freeling and directed by Jean van de Velde.

 

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Van Der Valk airs Sundays at 10/9c on PBS

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