Netflix Just Dropped Season 2 of Its Best Danish Crime TV Series – It Already Has 100% on RT

Five years ago, the first season of the Danish series The Chestnut Man premiered and became a hit. Now, Netflix has released a new season subtitled Hide and Seek.

You don't need to remember – or even know – what came before to enjoy the second season. While the show brings back the same main characters, it tells the story of a new, even more dangerous and brutal investigation.

What Is 'The Chestnut Man' Season 2 About?

In 1992, a group of children found a body in the forest that had been placed in what appeared to be a bird's nest. In present-day Copenhagen, a stalker sends a woman messages in the form of a nursery rhyme before kidnapping and murdering her.

Detective Naia Thulin connects this crime to the death of a young girl named Emma Holst. Two years have passed since the high school student's death, but her mother, Marie, has yet to come to terms with it.

Investigator Mark Hess is assigned to the investigation. Complicating matters, he and Naia began a romance after the previous case, which then suddenly ended.

The Creators of 'The Chestnut Man' Season 2 Took Their Time – and It Was the Right Decision

The Chestnut Man debuted on Netflix five years ago, the new book came out in 2024, and the second season is finally here. In a world where streaming services release content at breakneck speed to prevent fans from forgetting a project, this Scandinavian approach seems almost deliberate.

This has its advantages – if you watch both seasons back-to-back, you'll notice that the writers use roughly the same structure.

There's an introduction from the distant past that will later tie into the main plot, Thulin and Hess clashing due to their differences in personality, and them struggling to work together due to their separation, the murders are once again linked to the victims' family lives.

Rather than accusing the writers of repeating themselves, it should be said that it's a matter of continuity and a deliberate repetition of structure – much like in the three seasons of True Detective.

'The Chestnut Man' Season 2 Turned Out to Be Even Better Than the Already Worthy First Season

The first season of The Chestnut Man was about hope, albeit partly unfounded, while Hide and Seek is about the inability to survive loss. Midway through, the show unleashes one of the most brutal plot twists, even for a Scandinavian noir.

The writers took cues from the pacing of True Detective, but were bolder. After a frightening outburst, the action slows considerably, shifting toward tragedy and emotional suffering.

However, Hide and Seek doesn't become boring – the dramatic portion is even better developed than in the first season and each subplot feels individual and doesn't seem forced.

The second season of The Chestnut Man is in no way inferior to the first. With a similar structure and depressing atmosphere, the new chapter adds brutal twists that alter the story's meaning.

The secondary plots are better developed and gradually coalesce into one intricate, complex mystery. It's just a shame that the recognizable symbol from the title has disappeared. The Chestnut Man is gone, but the series is no worse for it.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'The Chestnut Man' Season 2?

• The Chestnut Man Season 2 has 100% from critics and 79% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.