Everyone is Saying the Same Thing About Netflix's New Detective Drama

Netflix‘s latest detective drama has critics in near unanimous agreement.

"Detective Hole," adapted from author Jo Nesbø’s fifth Harry Hole novel, "The Devil’s Star," released March 2026.

It stars Tobias Santelmann as Harry Hole, (pronounced "Hoo-leh") a troubled Oslo police detective who is on the hunt for a serial killer, but needs eyes in his back for scheming colleague Tom Waaler (Joel Kinnaman).

A perfect example of Nordic noir, the nine-part series was revealed by Netflix as part of their “Next on Nordic presentation” in Stockholm in March 2024. It boasts the talents of Nesbø, who adapts his own novel, as well as an evocative score by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis.

All the pieces are there for another compelling Netflix must-watch crime drama. Indeed, on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, it currently holds a 92% approval rating.

However, there’s one element holding it back from greatness: the length.

Most critics agree nine episodes, each running to almost a full hour, is too many. Stuffed with crisscrossing narratives, misdirects, and characters, it’s a lot to keep up with. Here’s what they’re saying about "Detective Hole."

Roger Ebert: "Stretched over nine long chapters and stuffed with a dizzying array of subplots, the production stalls a bit in the middle and occasionally turns down some side roads that result in dead ends."

JoBlo: "Like the novel that inspired it, Detective Hole sometimes feels a little long and probably could have cut an episode or two to keep the pace a bit tighter, but there is a lot to keep you entertained through this intense series."

The Killing Times: "At nine episodes, there's noticeable drag. A tighter, leaner version might have elevated this from really decent to exceptional.”

The Times: "So much plot, so much incident, plus heatwaves, tropical thunder and sweat. As rides go, it's certainly rollicking.”

‘Detective Hole' Reviews

Despite the drawbacks from its overly long running time, reviews are mostly positive.

Collider calls it "a roundhouse-kick of a thrill ride that lives up to the promises baked into the thriller subgenre’s name," while The Telegraph says "The characterisation from Kinnaman and Santelmann is top notch, and the scenes between them are the best thing here,"

‘Detective Hole' Episodes List

There are nine episodes in "Detective Hole," which all released in March 2026.

1. “36 Seconds”

2. “Ghosts”

3. “To Silence the Voices”

4. “After They Are Dead, Before They Are Cold”

5. “The Devil’s Star”

6. “Five”

7. “Joseph’s Blessing”

8. “The Woman in the Water”

9. “Duke Ellington’s Piano”

‘Detective Hole' Cast

Tobias Santelmann stars as Harry Hole, with Joel Kinnaman as Tom Waaler. Here’s the full cast of "Detective Hole."

• Tobias Santelmann as Harry Hole
• Joel Kinnaman as Tom Waaler
• Pia Tjelta as Rakel Fauke
• Peter Stormare
• Anders Baasmo Christiansen
• Ellen Helinder
• Simon J. Berger
• Ingrid Bolsø Berdal
• Kelly Gale
• Kåre Conradi
• Fridtjov Såheim
• Eili Harboe
• Atle Antonsen
• Manish Sharma
• Henriette Steenstrup
• Jesper Christensen
• Kristoffer Joner
• Linn Skåber
• Jonas Strand Gravli
• Sonny Lindberg
• Agnes Kittelsen
• Sondre Larsen

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This story was originally published April 4, 2026 at 7:39 PM.