"Death Is Now A Welcome Guest" in 'Vienna Blood's Season 3 Finale

As is true of nearly all successful murder mysteries based on books (unless you're adapting Agatha Christie), eventually, the source material runs out. It's a mark of the popularity of Vienna Blood that it hit this point and the production's dedication to the Frank Tallis novels that it took until now to reach it. It also brought to this point for the show to find its feet, perhaps a sign it might have been better served to make its own choices earlier. However, it has gotten there and opens with a pretty delightful moment of a poor pickpocket Hannes (Raul Inocescu), trying to grab the wallet of Oskar Rheinhardt, whom he mistook for a gentleman, much to the amusement of Therese.

Max: I think something deeply dangerous is happening here. A woman stands in front of a camera, and she becomes an empty vessel; people fill her with their dreams, their fantasies.

Before we hit tonight's mystery, I want to issue a mea culpa. Last week, I complained about Vienna Blood's timeline. However, my initial Season 1 recap, dated 1908, was in error. The production was kind enough to explain that Season 1 was set in 1906. So it has been three years/three seasons, following the same formula as Endeavour, Grantchester, Call The Midwife, and other period dramas. I still maintain PBS tends to treat Vienna Blood as second tier next to Miss Scarlet and All Creatures, despite the show's popularity (especially on PBS Passport). However, I was wrong to lay that at the feet of the show's creators. My apologies.