Netflix’s 100% Rotten Tomatoes Thriller Just Beat Game of Thrones at Its Own Game

by

Five years after its captivating first season, The Chestnut Man is back as one of Netflix’s biggest hits. The show’s second season successfully recreated the shocking twists that made Game of Thrones famous. Based on Søren Sveistrup’s 2018 novel and adapted for TV by Sveistrup, Dorte Warnøe Hagh, David Sandreuter, and Mikkel Serup, The Chestnut Man first appeared on Netflix in 2021 to widespread praise. Remarkably, the new season, which launched on May 7, 2026, is even more thrilling.

I was totally hooked by The Chestnut Man when it first came out! Seeing detectives Naia Thulin and Mark Hess team up to catch that creepy killer who left those chestnut figures was intense. The case led them to a huge confrontation on the island of Møn, but honestly, the new case in The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek is even more heartbreaking. It uses a plot twist you’ve probably seen in shows like Game of Thrones, but it does it so much better – it really got me!

The Chestnut Man Season 2 Killed Off Its Main Character (Just Like Game of Thrones)

Five years after initially working together, Naia Thulin and Mark Hess reunited to investigate a stalker who was targeting people they believed had ruined families through affairs and divorce. When they suspected Ditte Kølster might be the stalker’s next target, Thulin and Hess encountered her ex-husband, Peter Højgård.

I was absolutely horrified to learn what happened at the Family Law Agency. This man, Peter, clearly had serious issues, and he showed up with a rifle, following Ditte. It was a terrible scene – he started shooting innocent people and even police officers. Just when it looked like Thulin might have gotten through to him, he shockingly shot her and then kidnapped Ditte. It’s devastating that Thulin collapsed right there in the street, fatally wounded. The whole thing is just heartbreaking and senseless.

The series The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek, based on Søren Sveistrup’s 2024 novel Tælle til en, tælle til to, took a bold risk by killing off its lead character in the third episode – a move reminiscent of the shocking deaths in Game of Thrones. The HBO hit famously kept viewers on edge for eight seasons by demonstrating that any character could be killed at any time.

The trend of unexpectedly killing off major characters likely started with Ned Stark’s (Sean Bean) death in Season 1 of Game of Thrones. This moment, in the episode “Baelor,” was a huge shock to viewers. Similarly, the death of Naia Thulin in The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek was completely unexpected and had a significant impact on the ongoing investigation led by Hess.

Naia Thulin’s Death in The Chestnut Man Carries Extra Weight

The deaths of key characters in Game of Thrones, like Ned Stark, significantly shaped the rest of the story. However, the death of Naia Thulin in The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek feels even more impactful. It’s unusual for a crime thriller like The Chestnut Man to kill off a central character.

Usually, the people closest to the victim drive the main character to dig deeper, but Thulin’s death drastically altered the investigation in The Chestnut Man. It proved to be a turning point for the series, shifting the focus in a way previous cases hadn’t.

Without many other characters to support the story, Thulin’s departure was noticeable throughout the second season. The focus shifted to Mark Hess continuing his investigation alone, and his ongoing connections with Thulin’s family – his daughter, Le (Ester Birch), and father figure, Aksel (Anders Hove).

Unlike Game of Thrones, which could keep going even after losing key characters thanks to its large cast, The Chestnut Man struggled more when Thulin died. While Hess took over the investigation, and Sandra Lindstrøm provided some support, Thulin’s death had a significant impact on the show and will likely continue to be felt if it returns for another season.

What Does the Future Hold for The Chestnut Man After Naia Thulin’s Death?

Both seasons of The Chestnut Man have been universally praised on Rotten Tomatoes, earning a perfect 100% score. This makes it one of Netflix’s most critically successful series.

I’ve been totally hooked on the first two seasons, and it’s amazing to know they’re based on books by Søren Sveistrup – he also wrote some really popular Danish shows like Nikolaj og Julie and The Killing! But I’m a little worried because he hasn’t written another book for the series yet. Since there isn’t a follow-up book to Tælle til en, tælle til to, I’m not sure if The Chestnut Man will get a third season, and that’s a bit nerve-wracking!

The finale of The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek leaves the door open for another season, and it would be fantastic if the show continued. With Mark Hess now living in Copenhagen after leaving Europol, he has the chance to be the father figure Le Thulin always hoped for, and could also take the lead on solving new cases.

Several actors, including Sandra Lindstrøm Hess and Esra Foldager (Özlem Saglanmak), are potential replacements for Naia Thulin. Considering the five-year wait between seasons one and two of The Chestnut Man, a third season might not arrive for a while. This delay could give writer Sveistrup time to write a sequel to Tælle til en, tælle til to, which could then serve as inspiration for The Chestnut Man Season 3.

As a huge fan, I’m already wondering where this show will go next. It feels like it could really expand beyond the original books, kind of like what happened with Game of Thrones. With the author’s passing, I know one thing for certain: when the show does come back, it’s going to be drastically different than anything we’ve seen before.

Read More

2026-05-16 21:37