We're like environmental ninjas

If only they could concentrate on "detecting" (looking for lost treasures with metal detectors) and not have to deal with real-world problems, life would be wonderful for Lance and Andy.  Unfortunately, in series 3 of Detectorists, available starting May 29 from Acorn, personal and job issues keep intruding on what should be prime detecting time.  Even more bad news reaches the Danebury Metal Detecting Club (DMDC) in the form of a notification that Lance and Andy's field, where they have secured exclusive permission to detect, is soon to be covered over with solar panels and therefore off limits.

The six-episode series begins with Andy and Becky living with Becky's mom along with their young son Stan.  Andy has finally gotten a job in his chosen field of archeology, looking for potentially historically important artifacts during the building of a new office block.  Bachelor Lance also suddenly has company, as his long-lost daughter Kate has moved in.  While Lance is thrilled to have finally re-established contact with Kate, her slovenly habits and noisy friends have caused problems in Lance's previously well-ordered world.  Not to mention that it's become nearly impossible for Lance to spend time with his girlfriend Toni.  He obviously can't have her staying over at his place, and Toni lives on a houseboat, which, while charming, is a no-go zone for seasick-prone Lance.

Episode two sees Andy find something of historic value at his job, although his boss doesn't seem to share his enthusiasm.  Lance tries hypnotherapy at Toni's urging to try to get over his fear of water.  "Simon and Garfunkle," two rival detectors from the newly named Terra Firma club (for some reason they discarded their previous moniker of the Land Sharks), hear about the solar panel plans for the previously off-limits field and decide to see if they can't get access to it before it becomes an energy farm. In Episode Three, Andy re-thinks his career options and Lance's former wife Maggie shows up and asks to move in temporarily.  They also discover it's not just rival detectorists like Simon and Garfunkle they have to worry about in terms of stealing their finds.

Lance decides to camp out in the field in order to avoid meeting Maggie at his flat, and Andy takes up a new career in Episode Four.  When both Lance and Kate are out of the flat, Maggie has a good old nose around through papers and drawers, but what exactly is she hoping to find?  In Episode Five, it has not gone unnoticed by Simon and Garfunkle that Lance and Andy seem to be going over and over one section of the field.  Suspicious, they resort to some high-tech spying methods to try to discover what's going on.  In the meantime, more bad news arrives when Lance and Andy are told that their favorite tree is going to have to be cut down because it obstructs the sun.


In the final episode, there is finally a bit of good news.  The rival detectorists decide to open up the field on the last day before construction begins on the solar panel farm and work together to see if they can find a suspected Roman burial site.  Thank goodness even Shelia pitches in with some of her world-famous lemonade . . .

There are some interesting extras after the final episode on the DVD including interviews with Mackenzie Crook and Sophie Thompson.  One bonus feature also deals with real-life mother and daughter Diana Rigg and Rachel Stirling who also play mother and daughter in the series.  The final bonus highlights the village of Framlingham, where most of the series is filmed, as well as allowing many of the actors to discuss their experiences in filming the series.

Although this is rumored to be the "final season" of this delightful series, in the bonus feature creator Mackenzie Crook didn't rule out the possibility of another season if everything lines up in the future.  I really hope there will be more episodes because there are certainly many questions that could remain to be answered:  Will Lance ever make it onto Toni's boat?  Will Shelia's lemonade ever be drinkable?  Will the Finds Table ever have any exciting finds?  I'll be anxiously awaiting the answers to these and more questions and crossing my fingers for another series!

Disclaimer:  I received a copy of Detectorists, Season 3 from Acorn in exchange for this review