From the opening the opening of the episode you are grabbed by a creeping sense of dread as mundane life and ordinary people suddenly fell menacing and something horrible could happen at any moment. This penultimate shifts the plot into overdrive as all the pieces begin to fall into place. If the season has been building a slow-burn tension, this episode tightens the grip until breaking point.
The episode opens in a poignant and grounded with Sandra checking on Mark Hess in the wake of profound personal loss. Mikkel Boe Følsgaard delivers a masterfully understated performance here, portraying a man unraveling yet fueled by unyielding determination. In a particularly sad and moving way, Hess throws himself headlong into the investigation as a deliberate means of avoiding the impending funeral. This avoidance isn’t framed as cowardice but as a deeply human, almost visceral coping mechanism, channeling crushing grief into forensic files, surveillance footage, and obsessive interviews rather than confronting the finality of saying goodbye. The hollow exhaustion in his eyes, the way he snaps at well-meaning colleagues who urge him to step back, and the quiet moments where grief threatens to break through only to be shoved aside by another lead humanises Hess further, showing how the investigation becomes both shield and salvation, allowing him to keep moving when standing still would mean being consumed by sorrow.
The team visit Aksel, Thulin’s foster father, to ask questions about the case he worked in ’92 that has echos in the new killings. He doesn’t have much to say but they are interupted by Le, Thulin’s daughter, in a reminder to what’s at stake. Again, personal threads never feel tacked on; they weave seamlessly into the larger mystery, a reminder that in Nordic Noir everyone is broken.
Hess digs desperately for evidence and, following a phone call from Aksel, he requests from all the DNA evidence to be compare – a move that gets him removed from the case and suspended. With nothing left to lose he travels to the small town of Skibby to investigate Thøger Staal’s – the killer from ’92 – background. He talks to the school teacher who was there when the first victim was discover and finds out the Staal had a daughter.
Later, Hess finally summons the strength to attend the funeral, marking a pivotal and gut-wrenching moment in the episode. For a brief time, he stands at the back of the church, his face a mask of exhaustion and resolve, clearly fighting to honour Naia despite everything inside him screaming to retreat back into the case. Yet when young Le turns and looks at him with innocent eyes filled with confusion, sadness, and a silent plea, it all becomes too much and he flees into the rain. This sequence masterfully captures the limits of his obsessive coping mechanisms and adds profound emotional depth, turning a moment of potential closure into one of heartbreaking avoidance and self-awareness.
Forcing himself back to watch the coffin leave, Sandra gives him an update on the DNA request. The cold case becomes a devastating key to the present horrors. The DNA breakthrough which finds a the match to Thøger Staal’s genetic profile under Emma Holst’s nails is shocking enough, but the realisation that it points to a female relative points directly to who the killer is. The reveal that the killer is Thøger’s daughter, Thea – rechristened as Signe – is the final penny to drop.
Ida Cæcilie Rasmussen’s portrayal of Signe is the key here. In earlier episodes, she was a comforting presence in Marie’s life, a confidante in grief, even a bit meek. Here, the mask slips, and we see the meticulously constructed facade of a deeply damaged individual. Sofie Gråbøl continues to shine as Marie Holst. Her journey from grieving mother to determined investigator reaches a fever pitch in this episode, finding clues to her daughter’s mystery lover and visiting his house. The confrontation with Signe is haunting: the playful “cuckoo” taunt before the violent takedown is pure psychological horror. Marie’s dawning realization that her closest ally betrayed her in the most intimate way possible is heartbreaking to watch.
The chapter balances revelations with quieter moments of reflection, never allowing tension to dissipate. By the end, you’re left breathless, desperate for the finale, hoping that it will live up to everything that has come before.
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