Netflix has finally added Dept. Q, a massive new crime drama, which I've had on my watchlist ever since the streamer announced it.
On the surface, it sounds like a police version of the Apple TV Plus smash Slow Horses as a team of unlikely crime-fighters tackle mysterious cold cases. But it's set in Scotland's capital city, Edinburgh, instead of London.
And rather than Gary Oldman's slob spook Jackson Lamb, the main character is brash but brilliant misfit English detective DCI Carl Morck (Matthew Goode), whose world is falling apart following a shooting that leaves his partner paralysed.
Morck is dispatched to the police station's basement, where he finds himself as the sole member of Department Q, a new unit charged with solving the city's darkest cold cases.
“Carl is aggressive and rude, but I love his sense of humour," says Goode, who's best known for his parts in Downton Abbey and A Discovery of Witches. "He's a complicated character, and you see him warts and all. He's a horrible colleague but a brilliant detective.
“I think he's going to be a bit divisive at the start, but hopefully viewers will learn to love him."
Morck soon starts building up a team including DC Rose Dickson (Leah Byrne), who has been confined to desk duties after a mental-health-related breakdown and Akram Salim (Alexej Manvelov), who also has something to prove to boss DCS Moira Jacobson (Kate Dickie).
At first, Morck isn't interested in the cases he's given and spends much of his time tormenting his therapist, Dr Rachel Irving (Kelly Macdonald). But one case grabs his attention: the mystery surrounding the disappearance of prosecutor Merritt Lingard (Chloe Pirrie) several years ago.
"It’s a very dark case and they have no idea just how dark it is at the start," teases Goode. "It takes Akram and Rose to convince Carl that Merritt’s disappearance is a mystery worth solving, but once the case gets its hooks into him, he wants to find the answer.”
Is Dept. Q worth watching?
If you're into shows like Slow Horses, then yes. It's got a great cast and the nine-part series is from Scott Frank, the creator of the hit chess drama The Queen's Gambit. It's a great set up for a story, and its Edinburgh location is a further bonus.
Scott spoke to Netflix about casting Matthew Goode in the leading role. He said, "I've been working with him since 2006. Matthew just felt like this guy. I was writing with him in mind. I knew that he could do this and that he would lend this undeniable intelligence with his flintiness, but that he could also be emotional without being sentimental."
Dept. Q is on Netflix now [added Thursday, May 29]. See our best shows on Netflix guide for more series to enjoy.
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