'Van der Valk’s Season 3 Finale Comes Down To Earth

Van der Valk’s big, messy, magical mystery tour’s second half moves its action to the nightclub owned by Hans Lansing, where Citra and Hendrik are doing shots, and quite honestly, it doesn’t seem the best way to solve a case. Lucienne, who discovered suspect Isaak Engelhart has escaped from the medical facility after attacking a nurse, guessed that he, too, fancied a night of clubbing, so she meets up with Van der Valk and Eddie. Angelique arrives and approaches Lucienne to ensure she’s okay after their encounter the day before, but Lucienne is having none of it. If Angelique wants to help, Lucienne suggests that she use her special powers to solve the murder of Nik Delacorte.

Van der Valk: “It’s magic.”

Angelique insists she and her spirits have already told Lucienne everything she needs to know; Lucienne is not pleased. Isaak’s granddaughter Katya is distressed to see him in the club, but the crowd and lights prevent her from making contact before Isaak collapses and dies. Hendrik gloomily announces that he’s not used to them warm, and the victim has been murdered with a long, thin blade like a stiletto (or a sharpened wand?). The club is locked down, with extra forces called in. The club’s security cameras show Isaak confronting Hans, who says Van der Valk Isaak was agitated and wanted to talk to him privately and then walked away after uttering some gibberish.

Van der Valk takes Isabelle Delacorte into the station for questioning — Yes, she’s there too! We all know that a night of clubbing is the best fix for sudden bereavement — while Lucienne talks to Valentijn Meyer, who, when confronted, admits they were having an affair. He claims it wasn’t serious, and he’d broken up with her. But Isabelle says they were in love and wanted him back, so she came to the club. As Van der Valk suspected, Isabelle trashed Nik’s office with supernatural items to get him back because he was so scared of magic.

As usual, the night’s investigation ends at Cliff’s bar, where Henrik naps, and Citra and Eddie fall asleep cuddled up together (Citra looks horrified when she wakes, but I suspect there is something going on with these two.) As the rest of the team joins them, work resumes. Citra discovers a medical facility in Arizona provided medical treatment to Mila Manderfeld (Esra Abdioglu) and, in answer to her inquiry, provided an Amsterdam contact address. Lucienne and Van der Valk gain access through the basement door and search the house, joined by Citra and Eddie.

It seems unoccupied, but a beeping sound alerts them to where Mila lies motionless on life support. Two people had previously entered the room that morning and left, an unknown man who turned off her music and her carer Rikki de Jaeger (Clara Onyemere). Lucienne wonders whether the scar on Mila’s forehead is from brain surgery. Rikki returns, terrified at meeting four police officers with guns drawn. She says Mila is suffering from locked-in syndrome, unable to move or speak, and reminds them to be careful what they say as she may be able to hear.

Rikki was recommended by the AZ clinic but knows little about her patient or who's paying her. She’s instructed to come in at specific hours to replace the flowers, always the same ones, a species of floribunda, but has never seen anyone else there. Hendrik, who has joined them, is saddened by Mila’s condition and grateful that Rikki has substituted soul for classical music, hits "play."

Van der Valk and Lucienne decide it’s time for another visit to Angelique since she suggested to Lucienne she has further information. The sorceress is conducting an invocation of Hecate that, until their interruption, was connecting thousands of followers online. She knows Van der Valk is angry with her for upsetting Lucienne but repeats, “It’s a sibling issue.”

Back at the office, the team discovers the person responsible for Mila’s care is her brother, and there’s a sister who’s out of the country. The brother was in the army, and upon accessing his records, it turns out to be Valentijn Meyer. Van der Valk double-checks the time of Valentijn’s call to the police on the night of Nik’s murder. Angelique has helpfully reminded Van der Valk that the optimum time for the appearance of a demon is 5:15 a.m. But Valentijn’s call came through at 5:37 a.m., 25 minutes after the time of death. All along, the team has considered him innocent because he was the one who called it in, but maybe not so much.

Meanwhile, as promised, Lena is at Van der Valk’s boat to return her keys, writing him a note while she’s there. The hatch opens, and she looks up to see an armed stranger. Van der Valk isn’t far behind, having gone home to change clothes. Lena shouts a warning, but he’s knocked over the head and wakes to find her tied to a pillar and an emotionally wrought Valentijn waving a gun around. He wants justice for Mila, the case to be closed, and to release her from suffering. He blames himself for having gone away, knowing Mila had a pattern of getting into trouble without him around.

Van der Valk tells him he’d guessed what had happened because the floribunda is named “my sister.” (This may be the most ludicrous part of this ridiculous scene: Van der Valk is a flower expert?) Valentijn threatens to shoot Lena when she suggests medical advances could help Mila. Van der Valk rambles about Lena having broken his heart, so if he wants to shoot her, that’s okay with him. Valentijn fires his gun, but Lena ducks, and then Van der Valk yells at Valentijn for damaging his boat. Valentijn goes up on deck and bangs around (he’s in the process of moving the boat).

Lena, who doesn’t seem nearly as angry as she should, sulks but follows his direction to open a drawer with her foot and retrieve his spare phone, about which he’s very defensive — it’s old but good, and the battery runs forever. (This is hardly the time for sexual banter!) She calls Cliff, but he’s busy and doesn’t answer. When he calls back, it rings as Valentijn comes below deck, and he destroys the phone. When Van der Valk doesn’t respond to Cliff’s call, the team finds the boat not at its usual mooring. Valentijn holds his gun on Van der Valk and Lena, and the police on guard admit them to the house. Rikki is there, and it takes a great deal of persuasion to make her leave, but eventually, she does.

She meets Henrik outside (who proceeds to flirt with her). By the time everyone gets in, there’s a standoff. Lena makes the case for letting life support continue, but Valentijn turns it off. Lena starts to turn the equipment back on, giving Van der Valk the chance to brain Valentijn with a handy gas cylinder. Mila’s heartbeat resumes as everyone watches, and a tear runs down her cheek. The team, joined by Cliff and Rikki, celebrate on Van der Valk’s boat. Lena joins them and, even though Van der Valk encouraged an unstable armed killer to shoot her, asks if she still has a second chance. Yes, she does. Now, that’s magic.