Premiering on May 29, 2025, on Netflix, Dept. Q is a brooding, atmospheric TV series based on the acclaimed Danish novels by Jussi Adler-Olsen, brought to life by Scott Frank, the creator of The Queen’s Gambit. This 2025 TV series stars Matthew Goode as DCI Carl Morck, a brilliant but emotionally broken detective banished to the basement of Edinburgh’s police headquarters to run a newly formed cold case unit. Co-starring Alexej Manvelov, Leah Byrne, Jamie Sives, Chloe Pirrie, Kate Dickie, and Kelly Macdonald, this nine-episode drama melds procedural intensity with psychological depth. With its bleak Scottish setting, morally complex characters, and a central mystery that cuts deep, Dept. Q is Netflix’s latest prestige TV show, and a standout in the crowded field of crime thrillers.
A Crime Drama That Hits the Ground Wounded
Dept. Q opens not with a triumphant return, but with a tragedy. DCI Carl Morck (Matthew Goode), still reeling from a violent shooting that left a colleague dead and his partner Hardy (Jamie Sives) paralyzed, is back on the job—unwelcome, unwanted, and emotionally wrecked. His superiors, particularly the ice-cold Moira Jacobson (Kate Dickie), stash him in a decaying basement office to lead a cold case unit that’s more PR than practical.
But Morck, despite his abrasiveness, is too good a cop to disappear quietly. Soon, he's investigating a years-old disappearance that may be tied to larger systemic corruption—and maybe even his own shooting. The show quickly reveals itself as more than a standard cold-case procedural. It’s a psychological portrait of a man trying to function after being shattered.
Matthew Goode Leads a Rich Ensemble with Grit and Gravitas
Matthew Goode trades his familiar aristocratic elegance for something darker, rougher, and far more magnetic. His portrayal of Morck is the heart of Dept. Q, and it’s a masterclass in controlled emotional chaos. With a permanent scowl, a neck scar, and a sharp tongue, Morck is a deeply flawed protagonist—but Goode never lets him slide into caricature. His sardonic humor is matched by flashes of vulnerability, and his gradual emotional thaw is subtle yet powerful.
The supporting cast enhances the dynamic beautifully. Alexej Manvelov is quietly commanding as Akram Salim, a former Syrian cop now relegated to clerical work. He’s not just the moral counterbalance to Morck—he’s the steady compass of the team. Leah Byrne, as the young and emotionally wounded DC Rose Dickson, adds warmth and determination, while Jamie Sives offers dignity and pain as Hardy, contributing from his hospital bed. Together, this unlikely trio becomes the emotional engine of the show.
A Mystery That Feels Personal and Political
The cold case at the center of Dept. Q – Season 1 is the disappearance of prosecutor Merritt Lingard (Chloe Pirrie), who vanished four years earlier under suspicious circumstances. What starts as a missing person’s case quickly escalates into something far darker and more twisted, exploring misogyny, institutional failure, and buried secrets.
Frank smartly interweaves Merritt’s story with Morck’s investigation, creating a dual narrative that is as much about the cost of truth as it is about uncovering it. Merritt, a fierce but isolated woman, becomes more than a victim—her character is fleshed out with just enough detail to make her arc as compelling as the mystery surrounding her.
This is not a whodunit in the traditional sense. Instead, it’s a slow, meticulous excavation of a crime—and the systems that allowed it to happen. It’s also about trauma, both personal and collective, and how that trauma refuses to stay buried.
Edinburgh as a Gothic Stage for Despair and Redemption
One of the series’ greatest strengths is its sense of place. Edinburgh is depicted not as a tourist-friendly postcard, but as a shadow-drenched maze of alleys, brutalist architecture, and haunted institutions. The show trades Scandi snow for Scottish mist, but retains the Nordic noir aesthetic: grim, moody, and beautiful in its bleakness.
Production designer Grant Montgomery makes the subterranean offices of Dept. Q feel like a crypt: flickering lights, flaking plaster, and a stench of disuse. This physical decay mirrors the psychological state of its characters. And yet, there’s also a raw beauty in the show’s visuals—a reminder that even in rot, there can be rebirth.
Writing That Respects Its Audience
What sets Dept. Q apart from many other crime TV series is its refusal to spoon-feed its audience. Yes, there are flashbacks and moments of exposition, but Frank’s writing assumes a level of emotional intelligence. Themes of guilt, displacement, and redemption are never spelled out—they’re embodied by characters living in the shadows of their pasts.
The show takes its time, and while some viewers may find the pacing slow, that patience pays off. The narrative isn't built around jump scares or sudden twists, but rather a creeping dread that seeps in gradually. The story unfolds like a novel—dense, deliberate, and deeply human.
Emotionally Complex, But Never Overwrought
While Dept. Q wears the skin of a police procedural, it’s closer in tone to psychological drama. Scenes between Morck and his department-mandated therapist Dr. Irving (played with quiet brilliance by Kelly Macdonald) are highlights, revealing the raw nerve beneath Morck’s snark and misanthropy.
There’s also surprising humor throughout. Morck’s deadpan insults, Rose’s earnestness, and Akram’s wry patience provide just enough levity to balance the darkness. These small, human moments ground the series and prevent it from tipping into grim self-seriousness.
A Cold Case Unit That Feels Fresh Despite Familiar Beats
Yes, the premise of a disgraced cop rebuilding a team of misfits in a forgotten department sounds familiar—think Slow Horses, Bosch: Legacy, or Prime Suspect. But Dept. Q distinguishes itself with emotional nuance, razor-sharp performances, and a focus on personal damage over procedural glory.
This is not a show about genius sleuths cracking the case with brilliance alone. It’s about people whose lives have been broken—by violence, exile, mental illness, bureaucracy—finding meaning through the act of investigation. In solving someone else’s mystery, they start to piece together their own.
Final Verdict: Dept. Q Is a Standout in 2025's Crime TV Slate
In a crowded market of crime dramas, Dept. Q – Season 1 emerges as one of the best TV series of 2025. With Netflix backing and Scott Frank at the helm, the show manages to feel intimate and epic at once. It's not trying to reinvent the genre, but it doesn't need to. It executes its premise with intelligence, style, and heart.
Anchored by a career-best performance from Matthew Goode, supported by a stellar cast, and grounded in storytelling that values both character and craft, Dept. Q delivers on all fronts. If you're looking for a new crime TV show May 2025 to sink into—one that balances grim realism with glimmers of hope—this is the one.
Let’s hope this isn’t the last time we descend into the basement with Carl Morck and his team.
Rating: ★★★★½☆ (4.5 out of 5)