Ludwig’s stellar season 2 finale proves why it has to end sooner rather than later

*Warning - contains spoilers for the Ludwig season 2 finale.*

In an age of hit shows getting cancelled well before their time, one genre has bucked the trend - cosy crime.

The detective drama continues to ride high as the flavour of the moment, with The Marlow Murder Club, Father Brown, Bookish, The Madame Blanc Mysteries and Professor T being but a few current examples.

But their popularity isn't the only thing that keeps them going. These series are also often designed to run and run, as the format allows stars to settle in with a character and explore them for years to come.

Even in cases when actors come and go, like in Death in Paradise and Grantchester, they can get swapped out and the format itself continues. Sally Phillips recently suggested this could be the case for her series, The Hairdresser Mysteries.

Sadly, one series which perhaps can't expect such longevity is the BBC's excellent Ludwig, led by David Mitchell.

Ludwig is an odd example of cosy crime, in that it has a case of the week format, a staple of the genre, but it also features an underlying, ongoing mystery at its core. In most episodes, the two plots are fairly evenly balanced - it isn't a series where the main plot is only touched upon each week, it is a fundamental factor of every instalment.

As in season 1, it particularly comes to a head in the season 2 finale, which is one of the show's finest hours to date. The episode sees John and his misfit gang investigating the death of Chief Constable Ziegler, which is directly tied to James's disappearance and the story which set the whole show's events in motion.

It ends with John's allies on the same page, vowing to stop at nothing to bring the villainous Joanne Kemper to justice.

We already know that Ludwig will be returning for a Christmas special and a third season, which feels crucial given that there is still so much for us to learn.

However, the season 2 finale made clearer than ever that Ludwig isn't like other cosy crime series - it can't go on forever.

The show's central mystery surrounding James's disappearance and Kemper's apparent involvement in multiple murders has to be resolved, and sooner rather than later.

Season 2's ending gives the sense that substantial pieces of the puzzle are now fitting into place, and that momentum is what keeps the show engaging.

Of course, there is always the option for the show's creator, Mark Brotherhood, to throw more spanners in the works, take one step forward, two steps back. That could work for a time, and the show could coast on its wit and Mitchell's charm. It won't be too long, however, until this will leave fans feeling cheated and frustrated.

Mysteries have to be solved - that's the whole premise of the detective genre, that the audience gains catharsis through resolution. Ludwig may be able to stretch out its puzzles a little longer, but not indefinitely.

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It's not the case that Ludwig should definitely end with season 3. If it's felt that there's a fourth run of story to be told, then that's fantastic news. We shouldn't be wishing the series away before its time.

What can't happen is for it to run endlessly, with more mysteries piled on just to wring more ratings juice out of the undeniable hit.

Ludwig is at its best when delving into its central premise and its long-running storyline, as proven by the season 2 finale. The Ziegler mystery was thrilling because it felt consequential.

In contrast, the cases of the week aren't always the most riveting on TV. The puzzles lack the complexity of an Agatha Christie or the characterful charm of Beyond Paradise.

Instead, the series relies on drip feeding us information about James's disappearance, and for that to work successfully, there has to be an end in sight.

The clock is ticking on Ludwig, but that shouldn't be a matter of sorrow. Instead, we should enjoy the series for everything its got left, and hope Brotherhood and his team have the creative integrity to know when time is up and answers are due.

Ludwig season 2 is available to stream in full on BBC iPlayer.

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