The creation of a pearl requires an irritant, and beneath the considerable luster of “Van der Valk” lies the gritty Van der Valk himself. As played by Marc Warren (“The Good Wife,” “Beecham House”), the Dutch detective is a strutting, sneering, subordinate-abusing sleuth with ice-blue eyes and a chilly soul. Fortunately for “Masterpiece Mystery!” viewers, the three-part PBS series also features a roster of supporting characters too engaging not to render the title character at least tolerable. Set in Amsterdam, “Van der...

Source: Wall Street Journal September 10, 2020 21:22 UTC