Created by Jo Nesbø and based on his ‘Harry Hole’ novel series, Netflix’s ‘Detective Hole‘ brings the eponymous police officer face to face with some of the darkest minds in Norway and beyond, all to cast an even darker shadow on his own mind. Riddled with trauma, Harry Hole struggles to carry forward with his investigative duties in the face of a crippling alcohol addiction, but that changes when he encounters a serial killer who revels in the theatrics. With nothing but a string of bodies and the recurring symbol of a pentagram to go off of, Harry successfully tracks down the murderer, while also dealing a fatal blow to Tom Waaler, his co-worker and a seasoned criminal himself.
However, in the final moments of this crime thriller show, we learn that Oslo’s organized crime network runs both deeper and broader than what we initially assumed. As of writing, neither Nesbø nor Netflix has announced a second season, but with enough viewership numbers and fan engagement, that is certainly a possibility. In the best-case scenario, one can expect the ‘Detective Hole’ sequel to be released sometime around 2028.
Detective Hole Season 2 Might Adapt a Different Novel From the Harry Hole Series
As ‘Detective Hole’ mainly adapts a single book from the larger ‘Harry Hole’ series, the creators have ample threads to pick up on for a potential second season. It should be noted that this season is based on ‘The Devil’s Star,’ which is the fifth novel in the collection and takes on a particularly dark period in Harry’s life. The first two books, on the other hand, expand on his legend by taking him to Sydney and Bangkok as a police consultant for difficult cases. As such, Nesbø has the option to take the Netflix series international, which allows for a more diverse visual and investigative palette, given how intensely personal the first season turns out to be. Additionally, the show can also take on the events of the book ‘Nemesis’, which are vaguely referenced in this season, and directly connect to some of Harry’s traumatic nodes.
While the first season’s ending wraps up all major mysteries, it doesn’t shy away from setting up a new one in its final scene. Agnes, the head of the Oslo police force, is revealed to also be the masked cult leader who secretly rules over Oslo’s organized crime network. In some ways, this is a magnified version of Tom Waaler’s arc, which means that the cult’s path is bound to clash with Harry’s sooner rather than later. The novel ‘Phantom’ is arguably where this plot thread reaches its climax, but given that adapting it would require a timeskip, it is possible that Nesbø might splice together numerous plot beats from some of his most iconic works, creating a new, comprehensive narrative for a possible sequel.
Detective Hole Season 2 Might Not Feature One of the Show’s Most Important Characters
Across the ‘Harry Hole’ novels, the core cast of characters hardly undergoes many changes, and that is likely to remain the case with the TV series if a sequel is greenlit. With actor Tobias Santelmann almost certainly reprising his role as the eponymous detective, fans can also expect Ellen Helinder to have a more prominent role as Detective Beate Lønn. Fans can also look forward to more screentime for Pia Tjelta as Rakel Fauke, as several plotlines in the book series feature her as a main character. Additionally, Anders Baasmo, Maxime Baune Bochud, Henrik Mestad, and Jakob Fort are likely to return as Bjarne Møller, Oleg Fauke, Ivan Anderson, and Leif, respectively.
The season finale prominently sets up Agnes as the next potential antagonist, which means that actor Agnes Kittelsen is very likely to reprise her role and expand on her larger-than-life nature. However, perhaps the biggest departure amid all this is actor Joel Kinnaman, whose character, Tom Waaler, dies in the final episode. However, such an exit isn’t entirely confirmed, as the show can very easily go back in time to adapt any of the first four novels, which feature Waaler, if not as villainously. Fans will also have to bid goodbye to actor Ingrid Borsø Berdal, as her character, Ellen, dies early on, despite being a formative influence on the narrative. Lastly, a hypothetical ‘Detective Hole 2’ is incomplete without yet another elusive killer as its antagonist, which allows for newer faces to join the cast and steal the spotlight.
Detective Hole Season 2 Might Challenge Harry and Rakel’s Relationship
While the first season of ‘Detective Hole’ ends with Harry entering a stable relationship with Rakel, that might not be the case forever. As it stands, their dynamic rests on how well Harry manages his alcohol addiction, which in turn means that any further chaos in their lives can easily take things out of control. Harry’s bond with Oleg makes for the emotional heart of the series, and with a hypothetical sequel, we might even see Oleg slowly develop into a person of his own. There is also Harry’s friendship with Øystein Eikeland, who almost died at the hands of Waaler in the penultimate episode. How these interconnected relationships come together and heal can make for a resonant plot point by itself, especially when contrasted with the murder mysteries that take up much of Harry’s time.
This season also introduces Beate Lønn, who in the books is a key character and one of Harry’s long-time cop partners. So far, we know that she had a history with Waaler and is famous in investigative circles for her photographic memory. Both aspects make for interesting plot beats that the story can expand on in case it is greenlit for a sequel. There is also Agnes, who has begun a transition into being an antagonist, with the masked cult in mind. Future storylines in the series might bring this cult’s activities to the forefront, and it will be up to Harry to curb their advances before it is too late. With at least 12 more books that can serve as reference points, the writers for the show aren’t running out of ideas anytime soon.
Read More: Is Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole a True Story? Is Harry Hole Based on a Real Detective?
