For fans of the Slasher anthology series, you will likely notice a familiar face from “Slasher: Solstice” takes center stage in SLASHER: RIPPER. After portraying Connor Rijkers in “Slasher: Solstice” and breaking the hearts of many viewers, Gabriel Darku has stepped back into the Slasher ring. Marking his first adult character in his career, he takes on the role of Detective Kenneth Rijkers in the latest season of Slasher.

We get a sense of Gabriel Darku’s Detective Kenneth Rijkers early in the first two episodes of SLASHER: RIPPER. Of the characters we are introduced to, there’s a sense of justice and goodness that feels rare coming from the Detective. With that said, he doesn’t flinch away from the gore. Whether witnessing brutal death scenes or having his hands fist-deep inside a corpse to dig out clues, Rijkers is a tough cookie.

“Even though he’s new to the detective role, he doesn’t scare easily,” Darku remarked. “He’s steadfast in his belief of justice, and ever since witnessing what happened to Margaret all those years ago, he’s steeled himself a lot. [He’s] just ready for this job and want to bring justice and bring in and help those who are in need.”

New horizons for Gabriel Darku

Darku’s detective is in a tricky situation, however. Being one of the newest and greenest detectives, Rijkers still has barriers to break through. We see these barriers rear their head in his frequent confrontations with Superintendent Isaac Kashtinsky (Daniel Kash) over the handling of the case. Kashtinsky is heavily influenced by his relationship with the corrupt Basil Garvey (Eric McCormack), and this complicated relationship between these two men of power throws several wrenches in Rijkers’ work.

But, like any good fictional detective, where there’s a will, there’s a way. Rijkers, as Darku shared, is “that kind of detective that comes in and is very observant of everything that is going on around him and is not afraid to do what needs to be done to solve the mystery.” Because this is a Slasher series, there’s something to be noted about how far the detective may go to solve the mystery and acquire justice. After all, no one is truly innocent in the Slasher universe.

Time will tell how deep this sense of justice goes in Gabriel Darku’s Detective Kenneth Rijkers, and how connected this character is to his previous role in “Slasher: Solstice.” For the young actor, the role marks a major milestone for him. “It was really great to get to step into almost like a Batman-type role,” Darku said. And, as a launching point for other projects, the sky is the limit.

Ready to dive into the dark, gory world of SLASHER: RIPPER? The first two episodes are now available on Shudder and AMC+ with new episodes rolling out weekly on Thursdays.

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Sarah Musnicky

Editor-in-Chief/Co-Owner at Nightmarish Conjurings

Sarah is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Owner of Nightmarish Conjurings. Most may know her due to her desire to literally hug anything that could kill her, but also making sure that everyone is squared away and sanity is intact.

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