Dept Q. TV Series Review
Dept. Q is a British crime thriller television series based on the book series by Danish writer Jussi Adler-Olsen. It premiered on Netflix on 29 May 2025.
After Detective Carl Morck returns to duty, after being injured in shootout in which a colleague is killed and another paralysed, he is tasked with running a special Department which solves cold cases, as part of a campaign to improve police ratings. Operating from a semi-derelict basement office/bathroom he reluctantly sets to work….
The Good
The series grows on you, taking you on a surprisingly tense ride that manages held together by a great cast with good acting, captivating screen presence, good dialogue and some dry British charm.
Matthew Goode as Detective Chief Inspector Carl Morck plays a gritty know-it-all character, who despite his brilliance, has a charismatic unlikability and rubs his colleagues the wrong way. The character was reminiscent of Dr House, rough edges and caustic wit on the surface but beneath it all, you might find a half-decent being who wears a mask to hide vulnerability.
Alexej Manvelov quietly steals the show as Akram Salim, the mysterious Syrian who may or may not have worked as part of an elite police service and works in Dept Q as a civilian employee in charge of records and admin work, but proves capable of so much more. I would put him down as the actual star of the show.
Alongside Leah Byrne‘s DC Rose Dickson the Dept Q motley crew have a complex dynamic of ego, ambition, emotional trauma and a mysterious flair, all elements of the glue that hold the show together.
The Bad
The show is like a procedural cold case show, except that its only about one case, maybe two, spread across 9 episodes… so it feels like its dragging its feet with its slow burn approach, that’s more about the characters than the actual crime.
Its not groundbreaking and feels familiar right down to its genius but troubled persona.
The Ugly
It has some disturbing themes and imagery and while it isn’t gratuitously violent, it has some moments which can be…. uncomfortable.
An underlying theme of the series could be that maybe the police arent as efficient as they could be, looking for obvious solutions to a case, than fully putting in the work except for the cases when a police officer gets killed or they are just trying to look good with a high profile win…. Is this a reflection of police effectiveness?
Final Thoughts
Dept Q is thrilling crime drama, with a slow burn buildup but gets going once it finds its pace to deliver a worthwhile watch…
Have you watched Dept Q?
Becoming The Muse 
Your thoughts.. if you will?