Dept. Q | Season 1, Episode 1 | The File from the Freezer: Tots, Trauma & Basement Sleuths

🥔 Welcome to Dept. Q Couch Potatoes! 🥔

Episode at a Glance

Netflix’s Dept. Q kicks off with a bang—literally.

🔍 Meet DCI Carl Morck, a brilliant but brooding detective, whose life is upended after a harrowing ambush leaves his partner James Hardy paralyzed and another officer dead.

Haunted by guilt and forced into therapy with the sharp Dr. Rachel Irving, Carl is relegated to the police basement to head up the barely funded, newly minted Department Q—a cold case unit that’s as much a PR move as a punishment.

But Carl’s not alone in the dungeon for long.

🕵🏻‍♂️ Enter Akram Salim, a former Syrian cop who’s got a knack for finding the truth and a mysterious past of his own. Together, they’re tasked with reopening the chilling four-year-old disappearance of prosecutor Merritt Lingard—a case that’s as tangled as a plate of tots at a Minnesota potluck.

👩🏻‍⚖️ Meanwhile, Merritt’s story unfolds in parallel: a relentless prosecutor, now missing and presumed dead after a botched conviction and a string of threats. But in a shocking twist, we learn Merritt is alive—held captive in a nightmarish chamber, her fate tied to secrets that will pull Carl and Akram deeper into the shadows.

Meet the Main Characters

• 🕵️‍♂️ DCI Carl Morck (Matthew Goode): Guilt-ridden, sharp-tongued, and not exactly a team player, Carl’s trying to hold it together while piecing his life—and the coldest of cases—back together.

• 🏥 James Hardy (Jamie Sives): Carl’s former partner, now paralyzed but still a source of wisdom and emotional weight for Carl.

• 💻 Akram Salim (Alexej Manvelov): The underestimated assistant with a detective’s mind and a past that might just be the key to cracking Department Q’s toughest mysteries.

• 👩‍⚖️ Merritt Lingard (Chloe Pirrie): The missing prosecutor whose case becomes Dept. Q’s first obsession. Her story is the heart of the season’s mystery.

• 👩‍💼 Moira Jacobson (Kate Dickie): Carl’s boss, more interested in politics and budgets than basement sleuthing, but she’s the one who sets Dept. Q in motion.

• 🛋️ Dr. Rachel Irving (Kelly Macdonald): Carl’s reluctant therapist, tasked with prying open his emotional armor.

Totty Takeaways
This debut episode is a masterclass in moody atmosphere and layered storytelling. With its blend of Nordic noir vibes and Scottish grit, Dept. Q serves up a platter of trauma, mystery, and unlikely alliances. The cold case of Merritt Lingard is just the tip of the iceberg—expect secrets, suspense, and plenty of emotional crunch in every bite.

Ready to dig into the coldest case in Scotland?

Grab your tots—Dept. Q is officially open for business!

🥔 Tator Tot Rating (1 to 5 tots)
Jen: 4.5 Tots 🥔🥔🥔🥔✨
Ray: 5 Tots 🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔

🔗 Links & Resources

Dept. Q on Netflix 

 

Dept. Q at IMDB

 

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🙌 Connect with Us
Email the Show: [email protected]
Email Jen: [email protected]
Email Ray: [email protected]

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