If Season 1 set the bar high with its creepy chestnut figurines, this follow-up is matching it with its haunting rhymes the killer is texting the victims. To both signatures tap into “Folk Horror” that was prevalent in ’70s horror cinema.
The episode picks the escalating dread established with the eariler killings, with detectives Naia Thulin (Danica Curcic) and Mark Hess (Mikkel Boe Følsgaard) diving deeper into a web of stalking that blurs the lines between past traumas and present horrors. The central thread involves a relentless predator who communicates through twisted nursery rhymes, turning everyday routines into nightmares, personalising the terror. We see the stalker zero in on a new target, Andreas, who is having his personal and professional life destroyed. Andreas feels the police aren’t taking him seriously and suspects his ex-wife is behind it all. The sense of dread grows with each message as we know where this is all leading and are waiting for the killer to pounce.
The time jump between series has made the relationship between Thulin and Hess more interesting. There was chemistry there in the first seasons but the off screen romance and separation, of which we are only getting hints at through dialogue, now add a personal mystery that is running alongside the criminal investigation. Curcic’s portrayal of Thulin is a study in controlled intensity, every exchanged glance, every terse conversation, carries the weight of time passed and bridges burned. Følsgaard matches her beat for beat, bringing a world-weary charisma to Hess that makes his return to Copenhagen feel both inevitable and fraught with consequences.
Like in the first season, there is an exploration of grief, obsession, and the long shadows cast by unresolved violence. Marie Holst’s storyline, intertwined with the main investigation, adds emotional stakes. Her determination as a grieving mother isn’t portrayed as mere plot device but as a deeply human response to unimaginable loss. One act of violence has shattered her family and she has repeatedly been failed by the police. Hess’s arrival into the investigation and his revelation to her, going against police protocol and Thulin’s better judgement, that without a doubt the current killings are linked to her daughter’s murder two years ago finally give her hope of some closure.
Thulin and Hess’s investigation has them having all stalking crime records examined to find any cases that may have been missed that have the rhyme connection. This leads them to identifying Andreas as the next victim but he is already missing when they look for him. The spotlight is put on his ex-wife straight away but what starts as a routine follow-up on a potential witness quickly evolves into the of the episode’s most dramatic moment. Looking out a window, Hess realises that the set up is the same as the previous crime scene with the victim being held hostage in the house opposite. A mad dash ensues to save Andreas’ life but by the time they have got there the killer has already slit his throat and fled.
The episode builds to a devastating cliffhanger, that I think you’ll realise is coming but not this early in the season, as Thulin receives her own chilling text message from the killer. Delivered at the most vulnerable moment where she is still in shock about discovering Andreas and just had an unexpected kiss from Hess, the message is both intimate and menacing, demonstrating the perpetrator’s unsettling knowledge of Thulin’s personal life and the inner workings of the investigation.
In an era where many streaming thrillers prioritise twists to keep you watching over substance, this show stands tall as a reminder of what the genre can achieve when handled with care. It respects Nordic Noir traditions – moral ambiguity, institutional flaws, the banality of evil – while injecting fresh energy through modern stalking dynamics and digital-age paranoia. The episode doesn’t shy away from graphic elements when necessary, but it always serves the story rather than exploiting it. Gore here underscores vulnerability, not shock for its own sake.
From the meticulous plotting to the haunting cliffhanger, this is, once again, appointment television at its finest. It entertains, unsettles, and satisfies on every level – this is serialised crime drama at its peak. Absolutely unmissable.
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