The 'Van der Valk' Trailer Shakes Up the Team for Season 4

Van der Valk continues to operate as one of Masterpiece’s under-the-radar series. The reboot of the Dutch mystery series that aired in the 1970s and was revived in the 1990s has been a solid player, holding down the September slots during the pandemic years. Since 2023, it’s morphed into a regular 10 p.m. series, the kind that PBS fans may not deliberately turn on as a go-to but are perfectly happy to watch when it airs directly after topline hits like Unforgotten and Magpie Murders. 

Since the switchover to splitting the series’ three feature-length episodes per season into airing as six two-parters, the series has attempted to shake up the cast, trying to find a winning ensemble; Season 4’s trailer confirms this set of episodes will continue that process. Peter van Heeringen, who played the barfly everyone called “Homeless Frank” for the show’s first three years on the air, is gone, as is Season 3 addition Django Chan-Reeves, who played one-season-wonder Sergeant Citra Li. 

In their place, the series adds a brand new Sergeant, Kalie Tenkers, who looks like she may stick around for a potential Season 5. The series also wisely gives more screentime to underused characters like Cliff the Barkeep and Van der Valk’s boss, Hoofdcommissaris Julia Dahlman. Dahlman’s increased presence also means Season 4 will bring back Dahlman’s new faithful pup, Sniffer, who replaced Goodest Boy Trojan at the end of Season 3.

Check out the trailer to meet the revised version of Van der Valk’s team.

Here’s the Season 4 synopsis

Van der Valk and his team return to investigate new crimes in Amsterdam. In addition to solving murder cases, Van der Valk has to deal with an unwelcome past romance resurfacing as well as find a way to make one of his beloved team members confront their own mortality.

And here are the synopses of Season 4’s three two-part mysteries:

• “Safe in Amsterdam”: After a whistleblower is murdered under police protection, the team is called in to make sure the second whistleblower makes it to court to testify and take down a criminal empire. Van der Valk is conflicted when he finds out the protection officer in charge of the murdered whistleblower is a former flame of his. But when they are offered the chance to work with the head of the criminal empire to find the killer, will Van der Valk take the opportunity or go it alone?
• “Hope in Amsterdam”: The team investigates an environmental campaigner who is murdered on the eve of a global conference. One of several potential suspects would appear to be Cobie Stegenga, a famous singer who went missing and is presumed dead. Van Der Valk connects with Cobie’s father to find out the truth, but after another shocking murder, could Stegenga be the prime suspect?
• “Secrets in Amsterdam”: Van der Valk and the team are assigned to find the killer of a scientist researching a potential breakthrough in the treatment of cancer. Van der Valk’s ex-flame Kalie Tenkers returns to help the team investigate why he was killed and if there is a link to pharmaceutical billionaire Freddie Klink. After more shocking murders, seemingly by a professional killer, the team moves in on Klink. But is he the mastermind trying to stop a medical breakthrough from becoming public?

The core cast of Van der Valk that’s been with the show since the first season includes Marc Warren as the titular Commissaris, Maimie McCoy as his second-in-command, Inspecteur Lucienne Hassell, Darrell D’Silva as pathologist Dr. Hendrik Davie, Emma Fielding as Hoofdcommissaris Julia Dahlman, and Mike Libanon as Cliff Palache, proprietor of the bar Van der Valk and company treat as their remote workspace. Loes Haverkort reprises her role from Seasons 2 and 3 as Van der Valk’s current love interest, Dr. Lena Linderman, and Season 3 newcomer Azan Ahmed returns as recruit Sergeant Eddie Suleman. Season 4 also adds Kim Riedle (SOKO Leipzig) as Van der Valk’s ex-girlfriend, Sergeant Kalie Tenkers. 

Guest stars for Season 4 include Sam Crane (Poldark), Andrew Gower (Miss Scarlet), Anastasia Hille (Baptiste), Raquel Cassidy (Downton Abbey), Ben Batt (The English Game), Dennis Rudge (Invasion), Sinem Kavus (Sleepers), and Maartje Van De Wetering (Flikken Rotterdam).

Season 4, based on Nicolas Freeling’s novels, was once again written by series creator Chris Murray and writer Maria Ward. Directors Michiel Van Jaarsveld, Eché Janga, and Paula Van Der Oest split helming duties across the three feature-length episodes, which will air as a trio of two-parters, with Peter Bullock producing. Executive producers include Michele Buck for Company Pictures; Sabine Brian and Dennis Cornelisse for NL Film and TVA; Sebastien Lückel and Christoph Pellander for ARD Degeto; Louise Pedersen and David Swetman for All3Media International; and Susanne Simpson for Masterpiece.

Van der Valk Season 4 will debut on Sunday, September 15, 2024, at 10 p.m. ET, directly following the premieres of Ridley Season 2 and Moonflower Murders (aka Magpie Murders Season 2), on most local PBS stations, the PBS app, and the PBS Masterpiece Prime Video Channel and air/stream weekly through mid-October. All episodes will be available as a binge for PBS Passport members on premiere day.