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Season 1 – Dept. Q

Play trailer 2:23 Poster for Season 1 – Dept. Q 2025 Crime Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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85% Tomatometer 48 Reviews 93% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
A brash but brilliant cop becomes head of a new police department, where he leads an unlikely team of misfits in solving Edinburgh's cold cases.
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Dept. Q — Season 1

Dept. Q — Season 1

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Critics Consensus

In a sea of generic crime dramas, Dept. Q stakes it's claim amongst the thrilling, enthralling, and sublime thanks to a winning cast and veteran creative Scott Frank.

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Critics Reviews

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Chris Vognar Boston Globe As grim as it can get, “Dept. Q” offers a world of viewing pleasure. Jun 12, 2025 Full Review John Powers NPR Goode has a gift for portraying charismatic unlikability... Here, he captures Carl's reflexive haughtiness yet also lets us glimpse the revealing moments when he registers the existence of people other than himself. Jun 12, 2025 Full Review Dan Einav Financial Times Dept. Q, a serviceable new Netflix crime thriller with a title that’s evocative of James Bond, and a premise more than a little reminiscent of Slow Horses. Rated: 3/5 Jun 4, 2025 Full Review James Hibbs Radio Times Dept. Q feels like a work in progress - not unlike its protagonist, it's a mess with real promise beneath it all, a diamond waiting to be cut and polished. Rated: 3/5 Jun 11, 2025 Full Review Marty Brown Common Sense Media No, this isn't Apple's hit Slow Horses, but Dept. Q takes many of its cues from the Gary Oldman series, with diminishing returns. Jun 10, 2025 Full Review Pedro Gallego Espinof There's a superb balance between all its elements, including a tone that isn't afraid to veer sharply between funny and cheesy. [Full review in Spanish] Rated: 4/5 Jun 10, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Becky T Just brilliant. Serious, funny, unpredictable. Best watch of 2025. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/15/25 Full Review Karen E Absolutely brilliant, kept me guessing till episode 8. Please do another series. I binge watched this in 3 days. Superb acting. Storyline wide open for more. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/15/25 Full Review Deana W It was too much. The amount of information given at all times I found it hard to follow. I got to episode 6 and then looked up spoilers. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 06/15/25 Full Review Kirsty R It's definitely worth a watch and it does getting better as it goes on. My only real complaint is that one of the antagonists felt too cartoony, like a character from a different show had stumbled on set and never left. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 06/15/25 Full Review Audience Member What a show. Was unsure for the first 2-3, but was a splendid watch Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/15/25 Full Review Locus P It was very watchable, though treading the very, very worn path of a grizzled male detective who continually stuffs things up, has a tragic backstory and who is violent with criminals. This was a slightly different mix though, as the police case had a strong "cozy mystery" element, with larger than life criminals. Which made it fairly light viewing. The storyline was also silly, but not in a terrible way. Not every police show has to be gritty, and this one certainly isn't. On the downside, the lines the male detective (Mork?) delivered were often cringey, as you could predict exactly what smart alec thing he was about to say next. The female police officer was strangely shy for being in the police force and didn't come across as remotely realistic. She didn't play any major role and got left out of any real action. The ending was both satisfying and unsatisfying. A woman had been tortured for 4 long years, but her captors were mercifully killed instantly. Which feels super-bad. They got the easy way out with zero accountability for what they did. I'd maybe watch a season 2 if I happened to see it kicking around in the future, but I'm not the core audience for this kind of show. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 06/15/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Dept. Q — Season 1

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Cast & Crew

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Matthew Goode

DCI Carl Morck

Leah Byrne

Rose

Kelly Macdonald

Dr Rachel Irving

Catriona Stirling

DC Wilson

Paul Ellard

Press

Aron Dochard

DC Clark

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired May 29, 2025 DCI Carl Morck returns to work after a near-fatal incident and finds himself head of a new department; a prosecutor faces a tough day in court. Details Episode 2 Aired May 29, 2025 As Carl and his new assistant start digging into their first cold case, he can't stop his personal demons encroaching on his professional life. Details Episode 3 Aired May 29, 2025 Carl and Akram recreate the fateful ferry journey on their way to the Isle of Mhòr; a frustrated Rose makes her case for joining their department. Details Episode 4 Aired May 29, 2025 Rose goes to the island to find out what Carl couldn't; Akram finds a note which sends the investigation in an entirely new direction. Details Episode 5 Aired May 29, 2025 The prosecutor's disappearance becomes connected with a death; a scuffle in a newspaper office sees Carl making headlines; Moira sees a therapist. Details Episode 6 Aired May 29, 2025 The police detain a suspect for the Leith Park shooting; Carl returns to the scene of the crime, before losing his temper in public once again. Details Episode 7 Aired May 29, 2025 Carl makes some dangerous allegations to some powerful men; Rose takes a fresh angle to uncover more information about Sam Haig. Details Episode 8 Aired May 29, 2025 The kidnappers give their victim a clue as they press her for an answer to their question; Dept. Q gets closer to unravelling its own riddle. Details Episode 9 Aired May 29, 2025 A decades-old recording helps all the clues to fall into place; but as the pressure rises, in and out of the chamber, can Carl get there in time? Details
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Dept. Q — Season 1

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Dept. Q — Season 1

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Season Info

Director
Scott Frank
Screenwriter
Chandni Lakhani
Network
Netflix
Rating
TV-MA
Genre
Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
British English
Release Date
May 29, 2025
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