By now, you’ve likely seen enough detective stories with a broken protagonist who works through their issues by solving cases that the idea of another one fills you with dread. Doubly so, if said detective is snarky and borderline abusive to those around them. Dept. Q waits until the end of its first episode to showcase how it aims to be different, but the wait proves to be worth it. It doesn’t upend the well-worn tropes of this type of story so much as rearrange the parts.
Chandi Lakhani and The Queen’s Gambit creator Scott Frank team up for this adaptation of a Danish book series. Dept. Q follows Carl Morck (Matthew Goode), the aforementioned curmudgeonly detective who returns to work after a shooting incident that killed an officer and paralyzed another. While Morck wants to dive into solving that case, his superiors have other plans. Enter the titular department Q, a division focused on solving cold cases. Relegated to the unused basement, Morck partners with civilian employee Akram Salim (Alexej Manvelov) out of necessity and soon, the duo pick their first case. All the while, ambitious prosecutor Merritt Lingard (Chloe Pirrie) works on an important trial while ignoring cryptic threats.
A discerning viewer will probably put together how these two disparate stories connect before the show reveals it. Still, it’s a thrilling twist that adds to the stakes, something Dept. Q struggles with as it goes on. The series stretches the central mystery over nine episodes, causing a weak middle section. What elevates the material and keeps things moving is the program’s excellent character work. The writing places a lot of emphasis on the interactions between characters and deepens our bond with them.
Matthew Goode has the toughest task as Detective Morck. We’ve seen plenty of asshole protagonists throughout the years, but Goode finds some new avenues. He really shines in scenes with Manvelov’s Akram and with Jamie Sives’ James Hardy, a detective left paralyzed after the shooting. If there is a heart to this show, Manvelov embodies it. A Syrian refugee with previous police experience, Akram is looking for chance and he finds that with Morck. Sives provides an understated performance as a man grappling with his sudden disability. His scenes with Goode bristle with the energy of two people desperately trying to keep each other from falling apart. Add in Leah Byrne’s ever-charming Rose and you have a fantastic central cast to build on.
Unlike Frank’s previous Netflix work, Dept. Q clearly sets itself up for future seasons. This might be why I’m more willing to give it a pass for the slow pace in solving the major mystery. It’s clear this is a show being built to last. Something that feels like a rarity in the current landscape. Most series take things one season at a time, assuming that is all they’ll get. With strong characters and an interesting lead performance, Dept. Q presents a solid case for our continued attention.
Dept. Q is currently streaming on Netflix.