Netflix’s ‘Dept. Q’: Scott Frank’s Dark Scottish Noir Arrives May 29

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Netflix’s newest venture with Scott Frank appears to promise a visual feast of noir crime stories. If the initial images for ‘Dept. Q’ are any indication, this drama series, led by the showrunner from ‘The Queen’s Gambit‘, is an adaptation of a widely-acclaimed Nordic noir crime novel series penned by Jussi Adler-Olsen, a Danish author. The story seems to have shifted locations, placing Matthew Goode’s character Carl Morck in Edinburgh, Scotland instead of Denmark, but it doesn’t seem that the English language adaptation has diminished any other aspects of the original work.

Here’s the official synopsis from Netflix:

Detective Inspector Carl Morck, while exceptionally skilled in his police work, has a reputation as a difficult colleague. His biting wit hasn’t won him many admirers within the Edinburgh police force. Following a shooting that claims the life of a young officer and leaves his partner permanently disabled, he is relegated to the basement and assigned to Department Q, a newly established cold case unit. This department, in essence, serves as a diversion for the public, masking the shortcomings of an understaffed, faltering police force eager to see him gone. By happenstance rather than intention, Morck gathers a motley crew of individuals who have much to prove. When the cold case of a prominent government official who vanished several years ago begins to gain traction, Morck finds himself once again employing his knack for stirring up trouble and relentlessly pursuing answers.

Interested in learning more about the cast and checking out the initial photos from an eagerly awaited upcoming show? Continue reading, as everything you’re curious about can be found in the following section.

‘Dept. Q’ Looks Like The Perfect Sort Of Crime Thriller

According to Tudum, the cast includes the following:

  • Matthew Goode (Downton Abbey, Stoker) as Detective Chief Inspector Carl Morck
  • Chloe Pirrie (The Game, An Inspector Calls) as Merritt Lingard
  • Jamie Sives (Annika, Guilt) as Detective Chief Inspector James Hardy
  • Mark Bonnar (Operation Mincemeat, Unforgotten) as Stephen Burns
  • Alexej Manvelov (Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Chernobyl) as Akram Salim
  • Leah Byrne (Nightsleeper, The Last Bus) as Detective Constable Rose Dickson
  • Kate Dickie (The Witch, Game of Thrones) as Detective Chief Superintendent Moira Jacobson
  • Shirley Henderson (Bridget Jones’s Diary, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) as Claire Marsh
  • Kelly Macdonald (No Country for Old Men, Gosford Park) as Dr. Rachel Irving
  • Tom Bulpett (Father Brown, Casualty) as William Lingard

Indeed, as we delve into the narrative, Detective Chief Inspector Carl Morck finds himself confronting hidden mysteries. As Goodie elaborated to Tudum, “A cold case from Aberdeen, 16 years old, has been solved at the story’s onset.” This resolution provides a favorable impression since the department is currently grappling with financial constraints and rising crime rates. Consequently, Kate Dickie’s character, the police force’s leader, decides to establish a cold case unit due to these circumstances. Given her supervision over Carl, she assigns him to lead this unit, stationing him in the basement to maintain close oversight.

As Morck delves deeper into his fresh set of duties, he uncovers secrets as ominous as the depths of a Scottish loch. Consequently, he brings together a group of unlikely allies to help him untangle the intricate, shadowy mysteries shrouding these cold cases from Edinburgh. With Scotland’s enchantingly eerie, gothic backdrop, who wouldn’t be eager to dive headfirst into uncovering its hidden, murky past?

Needless to say, we’re looking forward to seeing Scott Frank’s take on these classic novels.

Netflix

‘Dept Q. premieres on Netflix on May 29, 2025.

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2025-04-22 01:07