Dept Q review: Scandi-noir with British flair

After a long wait, we have a cop thriller that will sweep you up in its twists and turns and keep you guessing about the suspect and criminal motive until the end. British crime TV is at its best in this new Netflix show starring Mathew Goode. You will be reminded that it has indeed been a long time since Line of Duty popped the reeling reveal of the identity of H, the elusive suspect of the series. Some are likening Dept Q to Broadchurch, a classic crime TV where two British detectives investigated the dramatic case of a missing boy in a coastal town. Basically, the new show created by Scott Frank (The Queen's Gambit) and Chandni Lakhani will not disappoint. Based on a Danish novel by Jussi Adler-Olsen, the creator has set the show in Scotland instead of the original location but the feel of the series keeps true to Scandi noir.
The eponymous department is a cold-case division, newly thrown together in the dank basement of the Edinburgh police station. Detective Carl Morck has returned from Q hiatus after being shot at a crime scene he was investigating along with his partner James Hardy. Carl cares for no one and nothing now, it seems, but is nearly devoted to checking up on his friend James who is paralysed as result of the shooting.
A motley crew is thrown together for Carl to reluctantly work with, it includes a Syrian ex-cop immigrant Akram, Detective Constable Rose Dickson who has worked with Carl before, and lastly James who dives into the case files in his hospital bed. Akram digs up a file on a missing woman who was a successful prosecutor before she vanished from a boat four years ago. Her case is assumed a suicide but Akram notices it is riddled with inconsistencies. Soon you are strapped in for a ride as the ingredients that make up the case of Merrit Lingard fall open and the detectives start following its scent.
Dept Q throws many surprises along the way and is punctuated with several scenes that check the boxes of skilful acting, thoughtful camera work and deft directing.
Mathew Goode has shed the debonair looks of his notable roles to play Carl Morck. In Dept Q, his hair is not slicked back and he is not gliding in coat tails to woo a princess (Margaret in The Crown) or an aristocrat (Mary Crawley in Downton Abbey). As Carl Morck, he is gaunt, scruffy and searching for redemption. This is just what Goode and detective thriller addicts needed. Yes, he caught your eye being a suave and exciting eligible bachelor but as a bitter and alienated detective haunted by guilt and PTSD, he is magnetic.
Carl and partner James Hardy investigate a crime scene and its fallout is something Carl cannot reckon with. A terribly unpleasant person to begin with, cocky and disdainful, Carl is also grappling with guilt and failure. Like all stock detective characters, he resists going for his mandatory psychiatric sessions to work through his PTSD.
But viewers, and later Carl himself, will want to see more interaction with Dr Rachel Irving (Kelly Macdonald). Their verbal sparring is on point and she doesn't miss a chance to call him out as he deflects and scoffs at her and what she represents.
The other woman in Carl's work life is perhaps even more direct and brutal in her verbal expression. Chief supervisor Moira (Kate Dickie) creates Dept Q to kill two birds with one stone. She needs more funds to run the station and she wants Carl to keep working but out of her hair. The scenes of her exchanges with Carl are a treat each and every time. In fact, the seasoned acting, which is scarce to behold – on Netflix shows at least – enable the viewer to keep refocusing on the show just as she means to whip Carl into refocusing on his case.
There are a host of characters and suspects to consider in the case of Merrit's disappearance. As the investigating team traces the steps of Merrit, they uncover insidious people around her that could be the unusual suspects behind her kidnapping or even murder. Merrit's background, from her youth to the peak of her career, is painted as a story within a story. The execution is a triumph for the directors of the show. The numerous flashbacks do not erase your interest and the two story arcs are tightly interwoven. The kidnappers had devised a shocking plan for Merrit and a diabolical torture chamber.
The series boasts a strong Scottish cast with the likes of Dickie and Mark Bonner who plays Merrit's dodgy boss as senior legal officer of the Scottish government. However, Alexej Manvelov who plays the role of Akram Salim holds as much onscreen presence with his gravitas. One looks forward to his scenes with Carl, who begrudgingly respects him as Akram's credibility speaks for itself.
While Rose sort of brings heart to the team, being young and keen, she notices the good in her colleagues. She also is dealing with PTSD and simultaneously finding her ground as a detective. It's possible, if the series continues, that we will be familiarised with her backstory.
The only 'sweet' relationship is hers and James Hardy's as she looks up to him as a mentor. Discreetly, James helps and encourages her. Played by Jamie Sives (you might recall him from GoT), although James is off the premises of the police station and bed bound, he is not at all forgotten in the nine part series. Although he works on the periphery for the team, in the closing scene, he has recovered enough to reach the office and join the department physically. The look on Carl's face as he slowly turns to see his friend arriving is as satisfying as the show is from the get go. It indicates that much is yet left to be explored by these brilliant detectives. The team may well be banished in the old shower quarters of the police building, but their real work is to discover the world out there.
The gritty realism of Dept Q is matched by its aesthetic choices that elevate the show beyond the usual crime fare. The camera lingers deliberately on objects, on eyes, on small gestures that might otherwise be missed. Each visual clue feels loaded with meaning, even when the plot doesn't rush to explain it. These details reward patient viewing, especially as the narrative slowly unfurls its deeper preoccupations: justice, guilt, and the unknowability of others.
The psychological depth of the show is perhaps most evident in the way it handles trauma. Everyone in Dept Q is carrying something. Carl's PTSD is front and centre, but Rose's anxiety and Akram's cultural displacement are also subtly woven in. None of this is over-explained. Instead, the show allows these tensions to manifest in offhand remarks, in silence, in the ways the team members do or do not show up for each other.
Even Merrit herself, in the flashbacks, is revealed to have been haunted by earlier events. A past case she prosecuted, involving a serial offender who was released on appeal, emerges as a possible motive for revenge. As her timeline catches up to the moment of her disappearance, the tension is unbearable. The final two episodes, a crescendo of confrontation and resolution, are masterfully executed without leaning on melodrama. The reveal is chilling not just for who did it—but for how many knew and did nothing.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Express Tribune

a day ago

• Express Tribune

Laura Marcus, Percy Daggs IV, Rada Rae and Jhaleil Swaby join cast of hunger games prequel

A fresh wave of tributes has been announced for Lionsgate's The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. Laura Marcus, Percy Daggs IV, Rada Rae, and Jhaleil Swaby will join the previously revealed cast, including Glenn Close, Kieran Culkin, Elle Fanning, Ralph Fiennes, McKenna Grace, and others. Marcus has been cast as Silka, a career tribute from District 1. She is currently seen in Andor as Beela and will play Mollie Garfield, daughter of former U.S. President James Garfield, in Death By Lighting for Netflix later this year. Her past credits include The Serpent Queen on STARZ, BBC's Bad Education and The Jetty, and The Devil's Hour for Amazon Studios. Daggs portrays Beetee's son, a tribute from District 3. Recently, he starred in Never Let Go alongside Halle Berry and is a series regular in Hulu's Paradise. He also appeared in AppleTV+'s The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey alongside Samuel L. Jackson. Rada Rae will take on the role of Wellie, a tribute from District 6. Rae's recent work includes starring in the Netflix film Exterritorials and TV series House of David and Nine Perfect Strangers. Swaby, cast as Panache, a career tribute from District 1, has appeared in The Lake on Amazon Prime Video, Supergirl on CW, and The Next Step. The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, based on Suzanne Collins' novel, explores the origins of the Quarter Quell. The movie, directed by Francis Lawrence and set for a November 2026 release, is currently in pre-production. The book has already seen massive success, selling over 1.5 million copies in its first week. Lionsgate's Hunger Games franchise has grossed over $3.3 billion globally from its five films.

Express Tribune

a day ago

• Express Tribune

Outer Banks season 5 begins filming with cast set for the final adventure

Netflix has officially kicked off production on the fifth and final season of Outer Banks, with new behind-the-scenes images showcasing the cast. The release date for Season 5 remains unconfirmed, but the show is expected to premiere sometime in 2026, likely in the latter half of the year, as filming will continue through 2025. Outer Banks, a fan-favorite series that has amassed over 200 million views, will conclude with its upcoming season. The decision to end the series after five seasons is likely influenced by rising production costs and the increasing fame of its stars, making it more expensive to continue the show. Co-creators Jonas Pate, Josh Pate, and Shannon Burke had always planned for a five-season arc, and they remain on board as executive producers for the final season. The new season will bring back key cast members, including Chase Stokes (John B. Routledge), Madelyn Cline (Sarah Cameron), Madison Bailey (Kiara Carrera), Jonathan Daviss (Pope Heyward), Drew Starkey (Rafe Cameron), Carlacia Grant (Cleo), Austin North (Topper), and Fiona Palomo (Sofia). However, Rudy Pankow, who plays fan-favorite JJ, is absent from the newly released images, suggesting that his character may not return for the final season. The series will also continue the plotline from the end of Season 4, where Sarah Cameron is revealed to be pregnant with John B.'s child, adding a new dimension to their relationship. Although Pankow is not involved in Season 5, he has landed a leading role in the upcoming film adaptation of Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover. Meanwhile, Cline is set to star in I Know What You Did Last Summer, a new horror film. Despite the loss of Pankow, the remaining cast is ready to wrap up the Pogues' journey with a thrilling conclusion. Fans of the show can expect more updates as production continues, with Outer Banks Season 5 set to premiere in 2026 on Netflix.

Express Tribune

a day ago

• Express Tribune

Netflix drops ‘The Waterfront', inspired by creator's real-life family drug ties

Netflix's new drama The Waterfront, which premiered on June 19, takes viewers deep into a coastal town torn apart by secrets, legacy, and survival—and it's rooted in real life. The eight-episode series comes from Kevin Williamson, the mind behind Scream, Dawson's Creek, and The Vampire Diaries. This time, Williamson delivers a raw, personal story inspired by his own father's descent into drug smuggling in the 1980s. The series stars Holt McCallany, Maria Bello, Melissa Benoist, and Jake Weary as members of the Buckley family, who were once-respected figures in the fictional town of Havenport, North Carolina. Once dominant in the local fishing industry, the Buckleys are now unraveling amid addiction, financial hardship, and long-buried betrayals. Behind the family's polished public image is a messy tangle of secrets and a willingness to do whatever it takes to maintain control—even if it means turning on one another. While the Buckleys are fictional, the emotional core of the story is deeply personal to Williamson. In recent interviews, the showrunner shared that his father, a fisherman by trade, began smuggling drugs during hard times to support the family. The consequences of that decision left a mark on Williamson's childhood and have stayed with him since. 'This is the story I've been circling for decades,' he said, referencing how the themes of loss, identity, and buried secrets have been present throughout his career—from slasher films like Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer to coming-of-age dramas. The Waterfront offers a gritty, emotionally charged look at the cost of survival and legacy—with Williamson finally confronting a story he's been carrying most of his life.