The Chestnut Man’s Episode 6 is a tense and emotional end that provides a satisfying wrap-up to one of the year’s most gripping crime stories. The police race against time to find Naia Thulin and Mark Hess and finally the shocking truths emerge. Long-buried secrets are revealed and the killer’s identity leads to a deadly final confrontation.
The investigation leads them to the farmhouse.
The finale opens with the police in a frantic search for Thulin and Hess following the shocking events of the last episode. The investigators learn that Toke changed identity at the age of eighteen, which is why he was apparently absent from the official records.
The clues lead everyone to an isolated farmhouse—the scene of Toke’s family’s horrific murder years ago. It’s also the same property Hess has been secretly probing, connecting the present murders to a terrible tragedy of the past.
Thulin enters the farmhouse to join Genz and she immediately feels that something is wrong. Upon finding a computer and a few suspicious items inside, the truth begins to unravel before she can even begin to understand what it is she’s found.
The Chestnut Man Is Finally Exposed
Although viewers knew the killer’s identity from the previous episode, this is the moment Thulin learns it herself.
She finds photos of victims, detailed logs, and proof that Genz was involved in every single murder inside the farmhouse. The farmhouse is not just a hideout, it’s his command center.
Genz admits he is the killer, and when Thulin tries to arrest him, he acts faster. He knocks her out with chloroform and takes full control of the situation.
Soon after, Rosa appears and walks right into Genz’s trap, not knowing it.
Why did Genz become a murderer?
Genz believes his killings were justice.
He says his victims Anne, Laura and Jessie let their children down and deserved to be punished. In his own mind he thought he was saving innocent lives by getting rid of mothers he thought unfit.
His twisted sense of justice clearly stems from the trauma he suffered as a child, especially the horrific murders at the farmhouse which shaped his damaged worldview.
Rosa is also blamed by Genz for past events, even though she was only a child back then. When she refuses to participate in his disturbing games, he turns violent.
Hess Arrives to the Rescue
Just as the situation becomes more perilous, Hess appears at the farmhouse to rescue Thulin and Rosa.
But soon Genz takes control, overpowering Hess and taking his phone. He locks them all in, pours gasoline over the house and intends to burn the farmhouse to the ground to destroy all evidence.
As time runs out, Thulin manages to free herself and escape through a window.
How Does Genz Stop
After she gets away, Thulin tries to get her gun out of the car, but Genz catches her and forces her into his car.
Meanwhile the farmhouse catches fire but Hess and Rosa barely get out before the flames spread completely.
Genz drives off with Thulin, and begins to explain his motives, sure he has won. However, Thulin fights back and attacks him inside the moving car and a struggle for control of the vehicle ensues.
Hess catches up with Genz on the road and faces him. Genz, instead of backing down, charges straight at him.
Thulin grabs the steering wheel at the last possible moment, and the vehicle crashes.
Genz’s reign of terror is over with the crash. He’s impaled in the accident and dies without revealing Kristine’s location.
Kristine, Where Is She?
The mystery still exists, even after Genz’s death.
Genz receives a call. It’s Astrid. She hangs up abruptly at the sound of approaching police sirens, revealing her involvement.
Police trace the call to a secluded home where they finally find Kristine alive, locked away in a room in the basement.
One of the most emotional moments of the series, she is safely reunited with her family.
For Thulin and Hess it is the confirmation they have been waiting for. At last the nightmare is over.
The Chestnut Man: Ending Explained
The case is closed and the characters start moving on.
Hess prepares for his next mission in Bucharest, and Thulin eventually gets a job in cybercrime. Before he leaves, she offers him a drawing from her daughter, a symbol of the bond forged between them during the course of the investigation.
Linus, who was wrongly accused earlier in the season, is on the other hand finally released and gets compensated for all he went through.
But his last scene hints that his story might not be quite finished.
Final Review
The Chestnut Man comes to an exciting, emotional, and suspenseful ending.
The final confrontation with Genz is nail-biting, Kristine’s rescue is properly cathartic and Thulin and Hess are treated to some rewarding character development.
There are a few supporting relationships that could have used a little more development, but the series brings its central mystery to a satisfying and memorable conclusion.
With strong performances, a chilling villain and a consistently tense atmosphere throughout all six episodes, The Chestnut Man is one of the best crime thrillers in recent memory and definitely worth watching.
