'Van der Valk's "Redemption in Amsterdam Part 1" Investigates Past Injustices

“Redemption in Amsterdam,” Van der Valk’s second case for Season 3, deals with the past and how it impacts the present. A horrific case from 20 years ago still haunts our titular detective, and even though the murderer confessed and has paid the price for her crime, questions remain. When the witness to that case is murdered in the present day, it seems to be connected with the controversy over returning valuable looted historical artifacts to their rightful owners.

It’s dawn in Amsterdam, but the party is still going strong until a murder spoils the mood. Museum curator Ric van der Molden (Bart van den Donker) celebrates the opening of his Indonesian artifacts exhibit, dating from The Netherlands’ colonial past, until a phone call summons and a black-clad figure takes him out. His girlfriend, Zoë Waterman (Tara Hetharia), who worked with him at the museum, is the one to discover his body. Citra and Eddie, on their way to the crime scene, make a detour to find the rest of the crew, who also spent the night partying. Van der Valk and Henrik are asleep on the deck of his boat; Lucienne is below deck with a woman whose name she can’t remember.

As usual, Henrik is the first on the scene, reporting that Ric was stabbed with a sharp, long, narrow blade “like a knife through butter.” A sword, Van der Valk suggests. Now sobering up, no one at the party has any idea of what happened, who called Ric, or why he was killed. However, Herman Zaal (Rasmus Hardiker) claims to have a professional interest as the director of the True Crime Museum and is disappointed that Citra won’t let him see the body.