The highly-anticipated fourth season of the BBC's compelling crime drama Vienna Blood made its debut on Sunday night – and viewers have given their verdict.
The period drama, based on the bestselling Liebermann novels by Frank Tallis, follows the crime-solving duo Inspector Oskar Rheinhardt (Juergen Maurer) and Doctor Max Liebermann (Matthew Beard) as they investigate grizzly murders in 20th-century Vienna.
In the new episodes, Inspector Rheinhardt asks Doctor Liebermann for help in what could be the pair's most dangerous case yet as they discover a traitor at the heart of the government.
It's safe to say viewers were gripped by the opening episode, and were pleased to see Oskar and Max back on their screens. One person penned on social media: "Omg!! What a wonderfully atmospheric episode. Brilliant stuff!" while a second wrote: "#ViennaBlood back and as brilliant as ever!"
A third person remarked: "I'm so pleased this is back...apart from the storylines & great characters, visually, it's stunning, I get so transfixed by the décor in a room, or costumes that I have to rewind as I've missed what's been said...I still hanker after an orange coffee set I saw in the last series!" while others praised the dynamic between the two leads. "I love Max and Oskar's friendship," wrote one fan.
Unlike the previous three series, the new season features one story, titled Mephisto Waltz, which is told over just two episodes.
One viewer was a little disappointed at the shortened series and penned on social media: "Should be more episodes. Like four or six to make a series. Two is more of a mini-series. I'm sure it's normally three episodes. Two just isn't enough #ViennaBlood," while another asked: "Just two episodes?"
Commenting on the two-episode series, Oliver Auspitz and Andreas Kamm of production company MR Film said: "We can't wait to bring this very special season of Vienna Blood to a worldwide audience. Having one case spanning two episodes will push Max and Oskar to limits never seen before."
For those yet to catch up on the first episode, the full synopsis reads: "It's Vienna, 1909 and the double murder of an arms dealer in police custody and a senior public official has shaken Vienna to its core. Doctor Max Liebermann has only just returned from a lecture tour when Inspector Rheinhardt asks for help in what could be the most dangerous case of their career.
"Oskar and Max discover a conspiracy that leads to the heart of government. Can the Freudian psychoanalyst and detective do enough to stop a seditious mole known as 'Mephisto' from bringing the Austro-Hungarian Empire to destruction? And will their lives ever be the same again?"
Vienna Blood is available on BBC iPlayer.