The new Netflix series Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole has viewers talking about its gripping finale. The Norwegian crime drama, which started streaming on March 26, 2026, follows the troubled Oslo detective Harry Hole as he chases a serial killer while fighting a corrupt colleague. The nine-episode first season, based on Nesbø’s 2003 novel The Devil’s Star, wraps up with answers about the killer’s identity and a brutal end for Harry’s enemy, Tom Waaler. Here is a breakdown of how the story ends and what it means.
The Serial Killer’s True Identity
Harry Hole (Tobias Santelmann) discovers that the person behind the murders is Wilhelm “Willy” Barli (Frank Kjosås), a theater producer and the husband of one of the victims, Lisbeth. The case involved a series of killings where victims were missing fingers, and the crimes seemed to follow a satanic pattern. But the truth was much simpler and more personal.
Willy killed his wife after learning she was having an affair with Martin Aminov (Simon J. Berger), a con man selling star-shaped diamonds. To hide his crime, Willy created the image of a serial killer to mislead the police. He carefully placed Martin near the murder scenes to frame him. The final clue came from Lisbeth’s severed finger, which Willy had sent to the police. Testing showed fennel seeds under her nail that matched a meal Willy ate before her death, meaning he had hidden the finger inside his body to plant the evidence.
When Harry confronted him at his home, Willy admitted everything. He had kept Lisbeth’s body hidden in his waterbed. Before Harry could arrest him, Willy jumped from the balcony to his death, landing on a pentagram-shaped laundry rack below. The show’s creator, Jo Nesbø, shared that the waterbed idea came from his own experience buying one in the 1990s and imagining “life evolving inside the water.”
Tom Waaler’s End
Tom Waaler (Joel Kinnaman), Harry’s long-time rival, had been running a weapons smuggling operation with Martin. When Harry got too close to the truth, Waaler kidnapped Oleg, the son of Harry’s girlfriend Rakel (Pia Tjelta), to force Harry to back off.
The final fight took place in a student housing building. Waaler planned to kill Harry and Martin and frame them for the kidnapping. But Harry turned the situation around. A struggle broke out in an elevator, and Waaler’s arm got stuck in the door. As the elevator moved, it tore his arm off. Waaler died from blood loss as he tried to chase after them.
Joel Kinnaman described his character’s death as “very brutal” and praised Nesbø’s writing for taking things “to the extreme.” He added, “There’s something that happens when you do that, and it’s a lot more than the shock value of each incident. I think it just makes the audience unable to lean back.”
The Post-Credits Twist
After the main story ends, a mid-credit scene shows a group of people in masks meeting in a lavish room. The leader removes her mask, revealing herself to be Agnes Sjolid (Agnes Kittelsen), the Chief Superintendent of the police force. She tells her group that Waaler’s death is only a small setback and that they will “regroup and lay low for now” before coming back stronger.
This means the corruption goes much higher than anyone thought. Agnes had earlier reinstated Harry as a police officer, possibly to keep him close and under her control.
The final scene shows Harry visiting Waaler’s hometown. A store clerk tells him about the abuse Waaler suffered from his father as a child, and hints that Waaler may have been responsible for his father’s death.
Also Read:
Cast and Release Details
The series features a strong cast including Tobias Santelmann as Harry Hole, Joel Kinnaman as Tom Waaler, Pia Tjelta as Rakel, Kelly Gale as reporter Maya, and Peter Stormare in a supporting role. The show was created by Jo Nesbø himself and directed by Øystein Karlsen and Anna Zackrisson.
All nine episodes of Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole are now streaming on Netflix worldwide. The series is available with English subtitles and dubbing options for global audiences in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and India.
For more TV series recaps and entertainment updates, keep checking VvipTimes for the latest on your favorite shows.
