Van der Valk made its return to ITV on Sunday, August 2, with the first episode of its fourth season. The detective drama, starring Marc Warren and Maimie McCoy, had last aired its third season in 2023.
The series premiered on ITV in 2020 and is based on Nicolas Freeling's crime thriller novels, following an original series that ran from 1972 to 1992. It sees Warren play Detective Piet Van der Valk as he solves a series of homicide cases in and around Amsterdam. The new season opens with the death of a whistleblower under police protection before a court hearing, with Van der Valk and his team called in to make sure the second witness arrives at court.
Former flame complicates case
His work becomes complicated when he discovers that the protection officer in charge of the first victim is his former flame. The synopsis teases: "Fair to say there is no love lost between the two, especially when he suggests she might have been involved in the killing…"
Some viewers were quick to praise the show's return, with one person calling it "excellent" and another saying it was "a good watch". Someone else wrote: "Very good. Welcome back Van der Valk." Another echoed: "Thoroughly enjoyed that."
Complaints over ad breaks
However, several viewers shared the same complaint about advertisement breaks. One person wrote: "I mean really it's only 115 really rest f****n adverts." Another blasted: "Jesus I thought the ad breaks on the world Cup were a p**s take."
Someone else fumed: "Watching'Van de Valk' - ITVX asks if I want to watch from the beginning? Yes. But when News At 10 comes on ITVX quits Van der Valk and I can not get it back. Unless, I go back to the beginning and watch all the commercials." Another slammed: "WTF really 10 blooming adverts at 21.05 during Van Der Valk, come on that's overkill surely!!!!!"
Writer promises best series yet
Ahead of the new series, writer Chris Murray promised it would be the best yet, saying: "We are 100% series that this is the best series of Van Der Valk we've done so far. Three strong, contrasting, resolving films flooded with our distinctive team dynamic but this time with the added spice of Piet's combative ex-girlfriend turning up at the same time as one of our team has to confront their own mortality."
Van der Valk is available to watch on ITVX.
