Repeats His Disappointing Cyberpunk Trend

Warning! This article contains spoilers for Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole on Netflix.While it is good to see Joel Kinnaman as one of the two leads in a new Netflix crime thriller, it is disappointing that the show continues his cyberpunk drama’s disappointing trend.

Considering how Joel Kinnaman has appeared in everything from serious sci-fi shows to comical superhero flicks in the last couple of years, it is hard to deny that he is easily one of the most versatile actors of modern times. The actor has now further diversified his acting portfolio by serving as one of the leads in a new Netflix crime thriller.

From a critical standpoint, the show has primarily earned positive reviews from viewers and critics and is also seemingly performing well on Netflix. However, it is unfortunate that the show continues a trend for the actor, which was triggered by his hit cyberpunk show on Netflix.

Like Altered Carbon Season 2, Detective Hole’s Next Installment Will Not Mark Joel Kinnaman’s Return

Ronald Plante/Netflix

Netflix’s Altered Carbon has a lot going in its favor in season 1. The show hooked viewers with its immersive portrayal of a cyberpunk world ridden with both high-tech and low life. Despite having a TV budget, the show did an incredible job of giving audiences a glimpse of a futuristic neon-soaked world where heavy class divides shape every aspect of society.

One of Altered Carbon‘s biggest strengths, though, was its lead, Joel Kinnaman. The Swedish-American actor brilliantly portrayed Takeshi Novacs’ quiet intensity and anger towards the upper class. If it wasn’t for Joel Kinnaman, Netflix’s Altered Carbon would not have been half as good.

In season 2, the show replaced Kinnaman with Anthony Mackie. While the MCU star proved to be a decent lead in the cyberpunk series’ new installment, it was hard not to feel Joel Kinnaman’s absence. With this being one of the biggest reasons, Altered Carbon season 2 felt like a subpar follow-up to its predecessor, ultimately leading to its cancellation.

Even in Netflix’s new crime thriller, Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole, Joel Kinnaman serves as one of the two leads. However, instead of playing the main hero in the series, Kinnaman plays the primary antagonist. His character, Tom Waaler, is portrayed as a morally bankrupt detective who resorts to extreme methods to fulfill his self interests.

Every time Joel Kinnaman appears as Tom Waaler in Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole, he steals the show by perfectly capturing his character’s darker tendencies and moral complexities. It almost becomes hard not to wait for his sequences as the show unfolds. Unfortunately, even in Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole, Kinnaman’s character ends up dead in the finale.

His character’s fate in the show’s final arc confirms that if Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole season 2 sees the light of day, he will likely not return as Tom Waaler. Like Takeshi Kovacs in Altered Carbon, he seemingly got to play Tom Waaler only for one season in Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole.

Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole Still Has Another Great Lead

Fortunately, the main titular character in Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole, Tobias Santelmann, is no less compelling to watch. He is not a full-blown villain like Tom Waaler, but he, too, has many flaws. He struggles with a crippling alcohol addiction and finds it hard to hold on to relationships. In the past, his alcoholism even got one of his colleagues killed.

Santelmann is convincing as Detective Harry Hole in the series because he perfectly embodies all the moral struggles and buried demons the character keeps dealing with.

Since Santelmann plays the titular lead in the Netflix crime thriller, he will obviously return in Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole season 2 if the show gets renewed. Joel Kinnaman’s absence will still be felt in the series, just like his exit from Altered Carbon after season 1 significantly changed the show.

However, unlike the Netflix cyberpunk series, it is possible that Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole might find creative ways to bring him back. Joel Kinnaman could be featured in flashbacks as Harry Hole learns more about his past. Or, he could even be portrayed as a projection of Harry Hole’s guilt.