Review for Dept Q streaming on Netflix
Netflix’s Dept. Q is a moody, methodical slow-burn. An atmospheric crime thriller that leans into its brooding tone and damaged characters with real commitment. Based on the popular Danish novels, this new adaptation transplants the story to a rain-slicked Edinburgh and finds surprising freshness in familiar procedural territory.
“Gritty, stylish, and quietly addictive.“
At the heart of it is DCI Carl Morck, played with icy precision by Matthew Goode. He’s all repressed trauma and quiet fury, a man so buried in guilt and disdain that he almost forgets how to be human. The show doesn’t rush to redeem him, and that restraint works in its favour. Instead, his growing partnership with newcomer Akram Salim (played brilliantly by Alexej Manvelov) offers some much-needed warmth and emotional grounding.
A reopened case of a missing prosecutor, unfolds across nine tightly-wound episodes. The mystery is gripping, if occasionally overcomplicated, but what lingers is the atmosphere: shadowy basements, grey skies, and a palpable sense of moral rot beneath the surface of Scotland’s elite.
Creator Scott Frank (The Queen’s Gambit) brings his signature blend of slow tension and sharp character work, though the season could’ve been slightly tighter, some subplots meander, and the dialogue occasionally flirts with melodrama. Still, it’s a compelling first season that gives weight to grief, justice, and buried secrets.
A strong debut for what could become a cornerstone crime series for Netflix. Gritty, stylish, and quietly addictive.
Dept. Q Season 1 is now available to stream on Netflix
Binge. play. Watch. Repeat.
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