A Doctor attends a man who appears to be dying, unhappy with the situation and findings, he calls for Van der Valk to step in, believing the man has been poisoned, tests prove The Doctor was right to trust his instincts.
A good second episode, a definite change from the opening episode. It's very atmospheric, a cleverly plotted mystery, I love the flavour of the era, it looks fantastic, some amazing shots of a 1970's Amsterdam.
Fast forward some thirty years or so, and there's a Midsomer Murders episode with the same title, and a very similar outcome.
Barry Foster is without a shadow of a doubt the definitive Van der Valk, he was perfectly cast, The clever Detective is a bit abrasive here, a bit grumpy, but he's smart, and something of an old romantic.
Good performances from the supporting cast, Patricia Quinn and Richard Hurndall in particular were both very good. The book seller was a really interesting character.
Now there are a few sound issues, some of the earlier dialogue is a bit muffled, a little unclear.
I'm glad the scientist played by Jonathan Newth didn't mix up his tests, risky science, health and safety gets a bad wrap, but sometimes you can see the benefits.
7/10.
A good second episode, a definite change from the opening episode. It's very atmospheric, a cleverly plotted mystery, I love the flavour of the era, it looks fantastic, some amazing shots of a 1970's Amsterdam.
Fast forward some thirty years or so, and there's a Midsomer Murders episode with the same title, and a very similar outcome.
Barry Foster is without a shadow of a doubt the definitive Van der Valk, he was perfectly cast, The clever Detective is a bit abrasive here, a bit grumpy, but he's smart, and something of an old romantic.
Good performances from the supporting cast, Patricia Quinn and Richard Hurndall in particular were both very good. The book seller was a really interesting character.
Now there are a few sound issues, some of the earlier dialogue is a bit muffled, a little unclear.
I'm glad the scientist played by Jonathan Newth didn't mix up his tests, risky science, health and safety gets a bad wrap, but sometimes you can see the benefits.
7/10.
