Netflix is leaning into the rising appetite for brooding detective dramas with Dept. Q, a new series premiering May 29. Directed and co-written by Scott Frank—known for The Queen’s Gambit—the show explores familiar territory for fans of Slow Horses and other slow-burn crime thrillers. At its core is a haunted investigator navigating trauma, institutional dysfunction, and a growing pile of unsolved cases that quickly become more dangerous than anyone expected.
Matthew Goode stars as DCI Carl Morck, a gifted detective exiled to a cold case unit after a personal and professional crisis derails his career. What begins as a symbolic reassignment—more PR maneuver than real policing—soon turns volatile as Morck and his reluctant team reopen investigations that powerful interests would prefer stay buried. The series uses this setup to delve into murky questions about justice, memory, and institutional rot, all while keeping the tension grounded in character.
Set in a shadowy, stylized version of Edinburgh, Dept. Q draws on the Scandinavian noir roots of its source material. Based on the best-selling novels by Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen, the show carries the hallmarks of Nordic crime fiction: morally complex protagonists, emotionally charged investigations, and a bleak visual palette that reflects the internal weather of its characters.
Kelly Macdonald plays a police therapist tasked with helping Morck reconcile his personal demons with the demands of the job, while Chloe Pirrie takes on the role of a sharp-edged prosecutor wary of the political landmines buried in old files. The casting, combined with Scott Frank’s deliberate pacing and emphasis on psychological depth, suggests Dept. Qis less interested in conventional procedural formulas and more focused on slow-burning suspense and damaged characters who are as difficult to decode as the crimes they investigate.
While the series doesn’t aim for bombast or rapid plot twists, it builds tension through layered storytelling and carefully drawn interpersonal dynamics. It’s not chasing adrenaline—it’s exploring the uneasy places justice breaks down and where institutions fail the people they’re meant to serve. That makes it a natural companion for viewers who appreciated the weary cynicism and emotional complexity of Slow Horses or Broadchurch.
Dept. Q also underscores Netflix’s continued investment in global crime fiction, adapting internationally successful IP for English-speaking audiences while retaining a strong sense of atmosphere and narrative gravity. The original novels, which have sold millions of copies worldwide, provide a deep well of material to draw from, and the show’s creative team seems more interested in exploring that depth than repackaging it into something slick or overly commercial.
Whether Dept. Q becomes a standout hit will depend on its ability to sustain interest over multiple episodes with character-driven storytelling. But early signs point to a series that respects its audience’s intelligence and attention span—qualities that have become rare enough to feel refreshing.
