Image: Netflix
A darkish and gritty investigative crime drama set in Scotland, Netflix’s new sequence Dept. Q will preserve you glued to the display screen by means of its intricate net of mysteries.
Thus far in 2025, Netflix has debuted a variety of wonderful British sequence. From the chilling true story lined in Poisonous City, to the worldwide phenomenon Adolescence, we’ve been handled to some top-tier tales. Could 2025 brings us Dept. Q, a brand new sequence from Scott Frank (Godless, The Queen’s Gambit). The present is an investigative crime drama set in Scotland. Is it one other hit for the streamer? Let’s examine.
Primarily based on the best-selling Danish novel The Keeper of Misplaced Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen, the sequence re-locates the unique story to Scotland. We comply with flawed-but-excellent detective Carl Morck (performed by former Downton Abbey star Matthew Goode), who after a traumatic shootout that killed a cop and paralysed his associate, returns to work to seek out that he’s been assigned to a brand new division. He’s to go Division Q — a grungy basement flooring, the place it’s his activity to rekindle chilly instances. The transfer seems be an try by police chief Moira (Kate Dickie) to get Carl out of the best way; his snappy and brash persona makes him inherently damaging to the police power.
Carl unwittingly assembles a group of quirky, unlikely assistants — together with enigmatic Syrian Akram Salim (Alexej Manvelov) and Detective Constable Rose Dickson (Leah Byrne) — and collectively they try and sort out the case of Merritt Lingard, a former controversial prosecutor believed to have been drowned 4 years prior.
Goode delivers a sensational efficiency as DI Carl Morck; a flawed, however sensible detective inspector. There’s so many layers to his character; I significantly cherished his typically twisted views, brashness, and sarcastic feedback. The distinctive persona lends itself to quite a few witty moments. However he’s not all that detestable; there’s a really human and weak aspect to him, significantly a loneliness. He’s English, surrounded by Scottish individuals, so the present instantly presents him with a way of isolation.
His humility shines in a couple of elements, most notably his relationship with each his half-brother, in addition to with police therapist Dr. Rachel Irving (Kelly Macdonald), who’s one of many solely individuals he can actually speak in confidence to.
As well as, the chemistry between Morck and unlikely de facto associate Akram Salim — a Syrian refugee with an enigmatic previous — was amongst my favourite components. The 2 characters complement one another extraordinarily nicely — their partnership by means of the sequence develops just like the most interesting buddy cop movies. Then Rose Dickson and Hardy (Jamie Sives) are added to the group. The entire Division Q group have a superb chemistry, bouncing off one another — but additionally advancing the plot and offering loads of laughs alongside the best way.
As for Merritt Lingard (Chloe Pirrie), who’s very a lot on the catalyst of the present, I used to be gripped. Her story is extremely wide-ranging, advanced, and causes ripple-effects throughout all corners of the sequence. Pirrie places in some excellent performances, most notably when her character is confined contained in the hyperbaric chamber; we really feel her ache, each mentally and emotionally. The digital camera work, too, achieves in making the viewer really feel a way of claustrophobia by narrowing the facet ratio in lots of her scenes.
The intertwined instances and entanglements are virtually kaleidoscopic at instances; there are even one or two scenes that repeat themselves, however they’ve extra readability and significance the second time round. The sequence does a superb job at drip-feeding info, permitting eagle-eyed viewers to piece collectively inferred clues forward of the characters. I did really feel, nonetheless, that the present struggled with uneven pacing at instances. It typically lingers in unimportant scenes, whereas key moments rush by. Maybe sure story arcs, such because the capturing Carl was concerned in firstly, may very well be additional explored in future seasons. I’m actually invested.
By means of its layered characters, Dept. Q explores themes of redemption, revenge, betrayal of belief, justice, and resilience. Atmospheric all through, it’s a gritty, grounded sequence offering a vivid (and disturbingly believable) image of crime in Britain.
How does Dept. Q finish? Does it go away room for extra seasons?
Warning: The next part comprises spoilers. Proceed with warning!
Dept. Q season 1 does a fantastic job at introducing us to the core characters, and protecting the intricacies of of Marritt Lingard’s case. It delivers a satisfying ending to the story, however leaves room for additional instalments. For those who have been in any respect confused by the spider’s net of occasions that happen all through the present, particularly its endgame, we’ve compiled the important thing takeaways under:
- Merritt’s captors are shrouded in thriller for almost all of the season. Within the closing episodes, the duo are revealed to be Ailsa (the mom of Harry and Lyle Jennings) in addition to Lyle himself. They’d Merritt trapped inside a hyperbaric chamber — a vessel usually used to deal with decompression illness in divers. For Merritt, they use it to restrict her, additionally utilizing the strain to torture her.
- Lyle and his brother Harry had a detailed relationship rising up. Their upbringing was traumatic. Their mom, Ailsa, would lock them within the hyperbaric chamber for prolonged durations at a time. The brothers thought-about this punishment to be regular behaviour. The vessel itself was owned by their father.
- Lyle commonly pursued sociopathic actions all through his life. After all, he killed his brother, framing it as a mountaineering accident. Whereas not confirmed, Lyle might have additionally killed his father by the use of setting hearth to his residence at age 14. He additionally had a previous of coercing youngsters and locking them within the vessel.
- At first of the case, it’s presumed that Harry Jennings had attacked Merritt’s brother William. Nevertheless, the assault on William was orchestrated by Lyle. “I stored your brother from hurting my brother,” Lyle tells Merritt.
- After finding Merritt, each Carl and Akram confront Lyle. Carl is injured, however Lyle is killed. As well as, Ailsa commits suicide after being caught.
- DI Hardy returns to the power, formally becoming a member of the group in Division Q.
Image: Netflix
The season does go away a couple of unanswered questions. Primarily, we’re by no means explicitly knowledgeable of who the shooter from the opening scene is. Additionally, the enigmatic historical past of Akram is left as a thriller. An immigrant and political refugee, Akram has extra army and intelligence than he lets on. Within the finale, Morck, having turn into keen on Akram as a associate, pleas to get Akram a task as a DI.
The sequence leaves loads of house open for extra seasons. Jussi Adler-Olsen has already written 11 novels, persevering with the story of Morck and his group as they resolve chilly instances in Division Q. There may be a lot potential to maintain the story going. That is one to resume, Netflix.
