Fri May 30 03:10:00 UTC 2025: ## Netflix’s “Dept. Q”: A Muddled Mix of Influences Falls Short

**Edinburgh, Scotland** – Netflix’s latest crime drama, “Dept. Q,” starring Matthew Goode as a traumatized Edinburgh detective, arrives this week with high ambitions but ultimately fails to deliver a cohesive and compelling experience.

The series, based on the novel by Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen, boasts an international pedigree. American writer and director Scott Frank, known for both successes like “The Queen’s Gambit” and less successful ventures, developed the show with British writer Chandni Lakhani. The series is set and filmed in Scotland, featuring a primarily British cast.

“Dept. Q” follows Goode’s Carl Morck as he assembles a cold-case unit. Frank blends Nordic noir sensibilities with American crime drama tropes. The pairing of Goode’s Morck with Alexej Manvelov’s Akram Salim, a Syrian immigrant with a talent for eliciting confessions, offers some of the show’s highlights, with the dynamic between the two actors proving engaging.

While Frank’s signature fluency and style are present, the ambitious nine-episode season struggles to coalesce. The show’s various influences, including elements of Nordic noir and American crime dramas, create a muddled final product. While offering an engaging pairing between the two leads, the show fails to be the sum of its parts.

A 2013 Danish film adaptation of the same novel, “The Keeper of Lost Causes,” may be preferable to some due to its shorter runtime. “Dept. Q” premieres on Netflix on Thursday.

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