Van der Valk (TV Series) Magic in Amsterdam (2023) User Reviews

Great start, great ending, slightly muddled middle.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 7/10 · 2 July 2023]

A psychiatrist is stabbed during a ritualistic ceremony, in which members of an occult group try to summon a powerful demon, Van Der Valk and team investigate.

When it comes to occult themed drama episodes, there have been several that have worked well over the years, Morse did 'Day of The Devil,' Midsomer had 'Things that go bump in The Night,' so a brave choice for Van Der Valk.

It's a good episode, the opening sequences were excellent, truly attention grabbing moments, they really did work. It also ended with a suitably dramatic conclusion, the bit in the middle now, some of it was enjoyable, some of it was a little hard to follow at times, maybe with a second viewing.

A couple of clichés, the locked room mystery and the old hidden panels, very Jonathan Creek.

One scene that did baffle me somewhat, the rummaging around in the door, was the killer stone deaf? I've heard quieter circus acts.

Very well acted, James Atherton was the standout for me, he nailed it, and the cast of regulars were very good.

I have to get this off my chest, the two newbies, why made Citra so clever, so tough, so smart, and have poor Eddie so wet, so naive, and generally stood around looking very pretty. A pity they couldn't have balanced them out a little better.

No news on a fourth series yet, but hopefully the series will continue, there are definitely glimpses of what it can be. With just three episodes a series, it's hard to fully warm to it, as soon as you get into it, it ends.

7/10.

Magic in Amsterdam

[Prismark10 · 5/10 · 3 July 2023]

It's not magic in Amsterdam, it's the occult. A participant in a demonic ritual is so scared he tries to escape.

Only in this room of two people. One a psychiatrist is stabbed to death and his eyes gouged out. The other one, a brain surgeon is left traumatised screeching that Belphegor did it.

All evidence points to a malevolent entity that entered the room, there are hoof prints of a goat.

Van der Valk and pathologist Hendrik Davie look for an earthly explanation. Both men in the room had links to a woman that both men had an affair with. She is now lying comatose in a private treatment room.

Despite the devilish dressing up, this is essentially a locked room mystery. It does sag in the middle.

When Van der Valk's estranged girlfriend Lena said, she would pop by later to hand the keys to the boat. You just know how that was going to end.

It was all a bit silly and after three series. I'm still waiting for the show to step up a gear or two and soar.

Consistently disappointed by pretentious tv shows like this

[fiona_r_lamb · 5/10 · 30 October 2023]

I've watched all three series and I have to say I am still waiting for something really meaty and truly interesting. I find it all very pretentious and affected - the storylines, dialogues, the acting of the regular cast and the guest actors.

I don't get absorbed into any of the stories because I find them so far fetched. And there's always a bunch of young inexperienced actors PLAYING around with whatever story is that week. Not convincing.

I loved Marc Warren in Hustle. And I've seen him in a bunch of other things. But this is beneath his talent. He comes across so wooden. What's with him and his on off girlfriend - he keeps telling her to bog off yet she keeps coming back - even interrupting a meeting - it just would not happen. How would the "bad guy" know where he lived??? The whole thing is simply ridiculous.

I want to like the cast, I really do but I just don't. The two young newbies are - sorry I keep using this word but they are so unbelievable. And Mamie McCoy acts all tough and dare I say it arrogant - and her hair is always perfectly tousled. Just stop it! All style and no substance. She acted like this in the Musketeers too altho' there it didn't rub me up the wrong way.

Also what is with them using the cafe for their debriefs where the dodgy customers can look at what they're doing and throw in their quips at how to solve the crimes??? And there's barely anyone ever in this cafe so how does it stay open??? Again, PRETENTIOUS!

A terrible and shocking ending

[stnwal9 · 3/10 · 11 October 2023]

The 3rd series starts out with a bang then moves slowly. Piet hardly speaks during episode 1. I almost expected him to only grunt the rest of his dialogue in Episode 1. It takes a while for the action to build, but the ending picks up with the expected denouement; however, the narrative collapses with a seriously problematic scene at the end. I ask, if you were locked in a completely non-communicative state with no hope of recovery, just lying in a bed unable to move, would you want to be kept alive? If yes, then you'll be happy with the conclusion. If you find this condition horrifying, you will be disgusted by the writing team not only keeping this person alive but bringing her back and then having the characters being self-gratulatory about affirming life-albeit a life locked in a non- reactive body. To this viewer, they left her in a state of daily torture. It's like something out of a Poe story-and not in a good way.

I have loved this series, but this disregard for the quality of life really sours me. I'm still stunned that they would be so self-righteous about doing this to another human being.