A psychiatrist is stabbed during a ritualistic ceremony, in which members of an occult group try to summon a powerful demon, Van Der Valk and team investigate.
When it comes to occult themed drama episodes, there have been several that have worked well over the years, Morse did 'Day of The Devil,' Midsomer had 'Things that go bump in The Night,' so a brave choice for Van Der Valk.
It's a good episode, the opening sequences were excellent, truly attention grabbing moments, they really did work. It also ended with a suitably dramatic conclusion, the bit in the middle now, some of it was enjoyable, some of it was a little hard to follow at times, maybe with a second viewing.
A couple of clichés, the locked room mystery and the old hidden panels, very Jonathan Creek.
One scene that did baffle me somewhat, the rummaging around in the door, was the killer stone deaf? I've heard quieter circus acts.
Very well acted, James Atherton was the standout for me, he nailed it, and the cast of regulars were very good.
I have to get this off my chest, the two newbies, why made Citra so clever, so tough, so smart, and have poor Eddie so wet, so naive, and generally stood around looking very pretty. A pity they couldn't have balanced them out a little better.
No news on a fourth series yet, but hopefully the series will continue, there are definitely glimpses of what it can be. With just three episodes a series, it's hard to fully warm to it, as soon as you get into it, it ends.
7/10.