Throughout Van Der Valk series 4, Piet Van der Valk repeatedly urged Hendrik to seek a professional medical opinion and get proper testing rather than giving up. And he refused – until the final moments of the final episode. 

Having realised how much his “family” cared for him, he was touched. And realised the right thing to do was to get himself checked out. Viewers saw Hendrik visit the hospital for tests…. But does he have cancer? We won’t know until a possible series 5. The closing scene saw Hendrik enter the hospital, before the credits rolled.

Talking about Hendrik’s possible cancer, Marc Warren said: “Hendrik’s health scare is one of the main themes running through the whole three episodes. Because we learn straightaway at the beginning that he’s got a problem. And I become aware of it, and then get very concerned by it, and then get very proactive with it. That’s a big thread throughout this season. And I do that because I look upon him as family.”

Azan Ahmed, who plays Sgt Eddie Suleman. added: “Hendrik’s health impacts the team in very different ways. You see a lot more vulnerability in Van Der Valk than we ever have, and you see how we care for each other. With Eddie, it makes him focus on his work – the quicker he can get the case solved, the more time he has for Hendrik. In this season, more than all the seasons, you see how a family copes under threat.”

What was Kalie’s secret?

Meanwhile, there was another intriguing cliffhanger revolving around Piet and his former flame Kalie. In series 4, one of Piet’s old flames turned up, Kalie Tenkers, played by Kim Riedle. And there was clearly a lot of animosity between their characters. Piet, we know, has struggled to trust anyone again after the death of his wife in tragic circumstances.

We also discovered that Piet’s beloved dog Mandy hated Kalie. So when Mandy died with only Kalie at home, Piet was left upset that his dog died with someone he didn’t like. None of which really explained why they split up.

But, at the end of series 4, Kalie gave Lucienne the smallest hint. She said cryprically: “There was something but I never got to tell him.”

Now, pardon us for jumping to conclusions, but… Both Lucienne and Piet talked about children during this series, and the decision not to have them. Could Kalie’s secret be something to do with a child?

Fans of the original 70s series will know that in the classic ITV series starring Barry Foster, Piet and his wife Arlette did have a son named Wim. He worked as a detective in the Amsterdam police force during the 1992 revival series. The character of Kalie was created for the reboot.

Will there be a series 5 of Van Der Valk?

ITV has not confirmed if there’ll be a series 5 of Van Der Valk. Perhaps they are waiting to see how series 4 is received. But lead actor Marc Warren is keen for the series to return.

He told the Radio Times: “It’s always had good viewing figures, it’s always been very well received… And I’d love to do more of it because it’s a treat. I can’t imagine another job like this coming along. So when it’s gone, it’s gone – and I’m not ready for it to go.”

He added: “But the will and the passion are certainly there, and why wouldn’t they be? It’s a joy to do, and I think it’s a joy to watch. People who are fans of the show just love it. There’s something about it, so it’d be a real shame not to do it again.

“And I think people, when they finish this series, will want to know what’s going on because there is something quite obviously going on. They’ll want a resolution to it, which is why we need to do season 5.”

Fans beg for a Van Der Valk series 5