Longtime readers of Crime Fiction Lover and Nordic noir aficionados may recognise the title Those Who Kill. Back in 2011, we reported on this promising Danish crime show about a specialist Copenhagen-based team devoted to investigating serial killers. With Darkness: Those Who Kill, the show makes its return with a new look, a new cast and a new killer on the loose. It begins airing in BBC Four’s customary foreign crime drama slot at 9pm on Saturday 31 August. Episode two follows at 9:45.
The series will be available to watch on iPlayer here, if you live in the UK.
UPDATE: Click here to read about the next series, Blinded: Those Who Kill.
That’s probably enough to get most Scandinavian crime buffs excited, but we can also tell you a little bit about the cast and the storyline. On the fringes of Copenhagen, a woman called Julie Vinding has gone missing and as six months go by, hopes are fading that she’ll ever be found. However, police detective Jan Michelsen (Kenneth M Christensen) won’t give up – he thinks she’s alive and that they can save her.
Running out of leads, he starts rifling through cold case files going back to the 1980s and discovers another missing persons case from the same suburb. A 17-year-old called Natasha disappeared there 10 years earlier and Jan starts looking for her. He finds her… well, her decaying remains… at the bottom of a peaceful lake. Could the cases be linked? This is crime fiction, so you bet they could.
Though he now has substantially more to go on Jan needs expert help, so profiler Louise Bergstein (Natalie Madueño) is called in to look for patterns and meanings in the killer’s behaviour. Soon, they have a suspect: Anders Kjeldsen (Mads Riisom) has been arrested for rape and other violent crimes in the past and lives in the area. As the police investigate, you’ll also witness scenes from the criminal’s perspective. Their behaviour is becoming increasingly erratic, there’s something he wants from his victims and, it seems, more of them will go missing…
You may recognise Natalie Madueño, who gave strong performances as ambitious businesswoman Claudia Moreno in seasons one and two of Follow the Money. With a creepy snow globe, nighttime scenes by a Danish lake, frantic dead ends for the cops, people locked in a cellar and the ominous suggestion that these girls will never be found alive, Darkness: Those Who Kill looks like it has the right ingredients to keep us entertained through its month-long run of double-episode Saturdays.
Darkness: Those Who Kill has similarities with the Welsh crime show Hidden, and for more Danish crime fiction don’t miss Jussi Adler-Olsen’s Department Q series.
I came across darkness those who kill and watched season one 6 episodes, is there a season two to follow on from season one
Not at the moment, no. However, season one of Darkness: Those Who Kill is eight episodes so you have two more to watch. There was a previous Danish crime show called Those Who Kill, although the links between the two are scant.
We started to watch The Darkness, a absolute brilliant watch.it had us glued to every episode. The actor who plays Andres fits the part very well. Jan and the girl who plays the profiler very good. Very dark and fascinating criminal storyline. Can,t wait for the next series.
Hi how or when did you watch episode 7/8
So what’s happened to episode 7/8 surely it can’t end on six.
When is 7/8 on !!!!was expecting it tonight 21/ September
Episodes 7&8 were aired today, and you can watch on BBC iplayer. Hoping there’s a second series…?
We watched ours on series link and we watched the last two episodes tonight 21 sept. Want to know if there is going to be any more to come. Surely it can’t be left like this with Stine being analised in prison
Hi was episode 8 aired as it’s not coming up on my series link.
Yes, it was. Try watching it on iPlayer perhaps.
Please do another series of Darkness those who kill!! Loved the first series, will the bbc air series 2?? We need more shows like this
Can i watch episodes in the U.S.? or is there a book series the show is based off of?
Hi – We’re not sure about US distribution at the moment. It isn’t on Amazon or Netflix. It’s not based on a book, no.
I gave up at Episode 2 as I couldn’t watch the rape scene that was so graphic. I do not know how it got past the censors here in NZ. Sickening.
Does season 1 end at episode 8?? When is season 2 on?
Yes. We don’t have any news on Season 2 yet but judging by the popularity of season 1 it seems likely.
Just watched all 8 episodes using CatchUp on Sky Box. It says the episodes are available until 21at October (a few more days only). Loved this series. The consequences of your (in)actions…….episode 8 expires Monday 10:25pm on iPlayer.
Having watched up to episode 4 BBC on iplayer why is it now showing not available?
My guess would be that it was only licensed by the BBC for a set period of time and that it’s now available via a paid-for service and/or on DVD. I can’t see it on Amazon, yet. The series may, however, reappear on iPlayer, for instance in the run-up to the broadcast of a new season. Hope that helps.
Warning. Spoiler alert:I watched the fist episode. Wanting to really enjoy it(and see the heinous perpetrator eventually hunted down and manacled-preferably for a few lifetime. The excellent lead looked like a true, competent, clever detective. God knows what the previous team were investigating.) because it was absolutely engaging,For the fist 24 minutes. A new character, a female psychologist was introduced. Had to be begged to be involved. Didn’t want to, i assume she has had a similar experience to the young women she is supporting in her new employment. Good for her, Good for them. She relents as the commander who’s asking says ‘it’s only for two hours”, and she goes along to the briefing room.Then proceeds to stand at the detectives excellent work on the blackboard(The detective who has had nay-sayers doubting him, questioning hime, ‘dissing’ him the whole 24 minutes!)and asks ratatat questions, mono-sylabic, of him. While the whole team, about ten or so? sits and stands behind her. Not once did she turn around. End of the run for me.Darn it. Was really looking forward to another excellent Nordic noir thriller.
Hi my husband and I loved Darkness. Hoping they will make season 2!
Can you purchase Darkness Those Who Kill on DVD please.
Not with English subtitles, as far as I know. You can stream it on Amazon, though, depending on where you’re based.
Can anyone help me find a DVD of this series with English sub-titles
I watched it on AcornTV in the US. They dropped all 8 episodes. Love it. I didn’t want it to end.
I just found this great series on Acorn tv,and im loving it.