The gritty streets of Edinburgh are about to get darker. Netflix’s Dept. Q, the Scottish crime thriller that took the world by storm with its debut season, is gearing up for a second chapter that promises to be even more intense. After a gripping first season that left audiences hooked with its intricate plotting and emotionally charged storytelling, Dept. Q is back, diving headfirst into a chilling new case where secrets buried for two decades claw their way to the surface. With Detective Carl Morck at the helm, leading his ragtag team of misfits, Season 2 is poised to unravel a mystery that’s as personal as it is perilous, blending the haunting echoes of the past with dangers lurking in the present.
At the heart of Dept. Q is Carl Morck, played with brooding intensity by Matthew Goode. A former top-tier detective, Morck is a man haunted by his past, wrestling with guilt over a shooting that left his partner paralyzed and another officer dead. Relegated to the cold case unit known as Department Q, Morck’s sharp mind and sharper sarcasm make him both a brilliant investigator and a difficult colleague. Season 1 saw him tackle a 16-year-old case, peeling back layers of deception to solve a disappearance that shook the Edinburgh police force. The season’s finale was a masterclass in understated power, resolving the case without flashy heroics but with a gut-punch of emotional weight. Now, with Season 2 officially greenlit, Morck and his team are ready to dig into a case that promises to be their most challenging yet.
Based on Jussi Adler-Olsen’s Nordic noir novel The Absent One, the second season shifts focus to a brutal double murder from 20 years ago. A brother and sister were savagely killed, and one suspect—a member of a privileged group of boarding school students—confessed and is serving time. But Morck, with his knack for sniffing out inconsistencies, isn’t convinced. The case, long considered closed, reeks of a cover-up, and Morck’s instincts lead him to a mysterious figure: Kimmie, a woman living on the streets, whose secrets could blow the case wide open. But Kimmie isn’t just evading the police—she’s being hunted by powerful individuals desperate to keep their dark past buried. This setup promises a thrilling cat-and-mouse game, with Morck navigating a treacherous web of wealth, influence, and betrayal.
What makes Dept. Q stand out in the crowded field of crime dramas is its focus on character-driven storytelling. Morck’s team—comprising the charismatic Akram, the tenacious Rose, and other misfits—brings a dynamic energy to the series. Each member carries their own baggage, from personal traumas to hidden agendas, and their interactions in the dingy basement of Department Q are as compelling as the cases they solve. Season 1 established their chemistry, showing how these unlikely colleagues evolve into a tight-knit unit, each bringing unique strengths to the table. In Season 2, expect deeper exploration of their personal lives, particularly Morck’s lingering guilt over the Leith Park shooting and Akram’s enigmatic past, which may tie into the new case in unexpected ways.
The new season is likely to blend the cold case of the double murder with a current investigation, a formula that worked brilliantly in Season 1. This dual-timeline approach keeps the stakes high, as past and present collide in ways that test Morck’s resolve. The boarding school at the center of the case is a hotbed of privilege and corruption, its elite alumni now wielding power in Edinburgh’s upper echelons. As Morck digs deeper, he’ll uncover a conspiracy that threatens to upend not just the case but his own life. The addition of a contemporary crime—possibly linked to the Leith Park shooting or a new threat involving gangster Eugene Errington—adds urgency, ensuring that Department Q is never just sifting through dusty files but racing against time.
Visually, Dept. Q continues to lean into its moody, atmospheric aesthetic. Filmed in Edinburgh, the series captures the city’s stark beauty, from its misty docks to its shadowy alleys. Season 2’s production, already underway, will likely amplify this gritty realism, with the fictional island of Mhòr and locations like Burntisland Docks standing in for the story’s darker settings. The show’s creators, Scott Frank and Chandni Lakhani, have hinted at a tighter season, possibly six episodes instead of nine, promising a more focused narrative that doesn’t sacrifice depth. Frank, known for The Queen’s Gambit, has teased a “great idea” for Season 2, blending the novel’s shocking twists with original elements to keep viewers guessing.
The cast remains a highlight, with Matthew Goode delivering a career-defining performance as Morck. His portrayal captures the detective’s complexity—arrogant yet vulnerable, brilliant yet broken. Leah Byrne as Rose and Alexej Manvelov as Akram bring heart and humor, while Kelly Macdonald’s Dr. Rachel Irving adds an intriguing layer to Morck’s story. Their unconventional therapist-patient dynamic in Season 1 hinted at deeper connections, and Season 2 may explore whether this evolves into something more, though Goode has suggested the show might prioritize their friendship over romance, a refreshing choice in a genre often reliant on predictable entanglements.
Thematically, Season 2 will likely delve into the cost of secrets—both those kept by the powerful and those buried by the marginalized, like Kimmie. Her story, as a woman pushed to society’s edges yet holding the key to a decades-old crime, promises to be a poignant counterpoint to Morck’s own struggles with guilt and redemption. The boarding school setting, with its echoes of privilege and abuse, offers fertile ground for exploring class, power, and justice, themes that resonate deeply in today’s world.
As Dept. Q prepares to return, its first season’s success sets a high bar. With a 93% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and critical acclaim for its intelligent writing and stellar cast, the show has become a standout in Netflix’s lineup. Its international appeal, rooted in Adler-Olsen’s Nordic noir roots but reimagined in a Scottish setting, has drawn viewers from across the globe. Season 2’s release, expected in mid-2026 based on production timelines, can’t come soon enough for fans eager to see Morck and his team tackle another labyrinthine mystery.
In a world where the past refuses to stay buried, Dept. Q Season 2 promises to be a rollercoaster of suspense, emotion, and revelation. As Carl Morck chases truths that others would kill to keep hidden, viewers will be drawn into a story where every clue uncovers a wound, and every secret threatens to destroy. Get ready for a breathless journey into the shadows of Edinburgh’s past—Department Q is back, and the stakes have never been higher.
