“A five-star spy thriller”: Watch out Slow Horses, Netflix's Dept. Q is back for a “glorious” series 2

Attention, TV lovers! The spy thriller of the year is back - and no, it's not Slow Horses. Dept. Q is the five-star series that spent six weeks in the global top 10 shows when it was released on Netflix earlier this year - and now, it's giving Slow Horses a run for its money and returning for a glorious series 2.

You may remember that series 1 introduced us to emotionally-scarred DCI Carl Morck (Matthew Goode), who had recently returned to work after an attack that left one colleague paralysed and another dead. Now in charge of cold case unit Department Q, he assembles a team of razor-sharp misfits who work from the basement of an Edinburgh police station and must solve cases previously deemed unsolvable.

While we wait for Dept Q. series 2 to arrive on our screens, here’s everything you need to know about the series, including the cast, plot and how to watch it.

What happened in Dept. Q series 1?

An adaptation of the novels of the same name by Danish author, Jussi Adler-Olsen, the first series of Dept. Q, which aired in nine parts, revolved around Carl Morck, a former top-rated detective in Edinburgh who, following an attack that left his partner paralysed and another policeman dead, had taken some time out. Now, it's time to return and he's taken off the homicide unit and tasked with setting up Department Q.

So, what is Department Q? It's a cold case unit and the team are tasked with solving cases that have previously been closed or forgotten - often deemed unsolvable. And they must also work from the basement of the Edinburgh police headquarters. Essentially, it's nothing more than a PR opportunity for the embattled Edinburgh police department and Morck has no real intention of actually solving any crimes. That's until he learns of the sudden disappearance of lawyer Merritt Lingard (Chloe Pirrie).

We won’t give any spoilers away here, just in case you're yet to watch series 1, but let's just say that Morck and his team find themselves very invested in the case. And do they solve it? Well, you'll have to tune in to find out.

What will happen in Dept. Q series 2?

As it stands, Netflix is keeping tight-lipped about plot details for Dept. Q series 2, simply sharing that DCI Carl Morck will return along with his team of Akram, Rose and Hardy. The streamer shared in a press release: “The renewal follows the success of the show’s debut series which captivated audiences with its shocking twists and turns.”

Netflix's Mona Qureshi and Manda Levin said: “We are raring to return to Carl Morck and his band of glorious misfits at Dept. Q. Scott Frank brought us best-in-class storytelling and thrilled Netflix audiences worldwide. We can’t wait to see what Morck and the gang uncover in Season 2... Edinburgh, we’re back.”

While executive producer of Left Bank Pictures, Rob Bullock, added: “So, we are going downstairs to Dept. Q for a second season. We at Left Bank Pictures nervously await what Scott has in store for his alter-ego Carl Morck, and the other enabling members of team do-lally. We salute Netflix’s courage to let them loose once again.”

Who will star in Dept. Q series 2?

We know that Matthew Goode is reprising his role as detective inspector Carl Morck (phew!), along with his gang of misfit investigators including Alexej Manvelov as Akram, Leah Byrne as Rose, and Jamie Sives as Hardy. We're also hoping that the following Dept. Q series 1 cast members will return:

• Chloe Pirrie as Prosecutor Merritt Lingard
• Leah Byrne as DC Rose Dickson
• Kelly Macdonald as Dr Rachel Irving
• Kate Dickie as Chief Superintendent Moira Jacobson
• Patrick Kennedy as Prosecutor Liam Taylor
• Mark Bonnar as Lord Advocate Stephen Burns

Is there a trailer for Dept. Q series 2?

Netflix hasn’t shared an official trailer for Dept. Q series 2 just yet, but you can watch the trailer for Dept. Q series 1 below:

View full post on YouTube

Is Dept. Q any good?

Yes - it's certainly giving Slow Horses some competition! The show brilliantly blends the mystery of unsolved cases with the fun of watching a group of unlikely colleagues attempt to get to the bottom of them. It’s the work of genius director and writer Scott Frank who, prior to Dept. Q, co-created, directed, and wrote Netflix’s record-setting The Queen's Gambit, so we probably shouldn't have expected anything less.

How can I watch Dept. Q?

Netflix hasn’t yet shared a release date for Dept. Q series 2, but we'd expect it to be released at some point in 2026. As soon as we have a confirmed date, we'll share it here. Until then, you can watch the entirety of series 1 on Netflix.