Department Q stars share season 2 hopes as Netflix yet to renew series

Edinburgh Live

04-06-2025

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info
Netflix audiences have embraced Department Q, and its stars are eagerly awaiting news of a second season. Despite Netflix not yet confirming a renewal for season 2, the show has received acclaim from both critics and viewers.
The enthralling new mystery crime drama showcases a talented cast, featuring Matthew Goode as the astute but haunted DCI Carl Morck who spearheads a fresh Cold Case division with Edinburgh's police service.
Speaking to Reach in a recent exclusive interview, Department Q actors Alexej Manvelov and Leah Byrne, portraying Akram and Rose respectively, shared their anticipation for potential future storylines.
Both characters develop significant depth throughout the series, leaving many questions about Akram's background and his life prior to Syria unresolved by the end of season one.
(Image: NETFLIX)
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Free Netflix subscription Get Netflix free with Sky
Sky is giving away a free Netflix subscription with its new TV bundles, including the £15 Essential TV plan. Members can watch live and on-demand TV content without a satellite dish, including hit shows like The Last of Us, Black Mirror and all WWE programming.
from £15
Sky Get the deal here
On the topic of aspirations for Department Q's future seasons, Alexej kept it simple with: "Just for it to happen!"
Leah chimed in with fervent agreement, saying: "Yeah, absolutely."
Alexej further expressed his eagerness to delve deeper into his character, noting: "I look forward to unpacking a bit more about Akram because I feel there is a lot more to tell."
Adapted from Jussi Adler-Olsen's popular Danish Nordic noir novels, Department Q has an extensive source material to explore, with Leah acknowledging: "For sure, we've got so many books worth of stuff waiting for us there to mine."
The book series behind Netflix's latest detective series boasts a total of 10 volumes, which could potentially fuel the show's longevity if further seasons are greenlit, reports the Express.
The lead actors shared their views on the intricate layers of the characters they portray in the series, avoiding any spoilers.
Leah was full of praise for the intricate writing of her role, saying: "I think it's just how incredible Scott writes that character," noting the delight in playing characters with depth.
"And I think something we see throughout the series is that we've got these people who are so multifaceted who appear one thing one level but then are hiding or have so much going on and it's such a joy as an actor to get to play someone like that because there's so much to explore with her."
Alexej echoed this sentiment, saying: "For an actor, it's such a perk to do a multifaceted character but also not to just reveal it. But just to do a little bit at a time and all these subtle things and stuff."
He also expressed gratitude for the collaborative process, adding: "And we worked on the backstory quite a lot on paper and references and stuff like that but then Scott let me do my thing and then he directed me, you know. And to maintain that mystery is also a trick of the trade that I really appreciate."
(Image: NETFLIX)
Netflix describes the plot of Department Q as follows: "DCI Carl Morck is a brilliant cop but a terrible colleague. His razor-sharp sarcasm has made him no friends in Edinburgh Police."
It continues: "After a shooting that leaves a young PC dead, and his partner paralysed, he finds himself exiled to the basement and the sole member of Dept. Q; a newly formed cold case unit.
"The department is a PR stunt, there to distract the public from the failures of an under-resourced, failing police force that is glad to see the back of him.
"But more by accident than design, Carl starts to build a gang of waifs and strays who have everything to prove.
"So, when the stone-cold trail of a prominent civil servant who disappeared several years ago starts to heat up, Carl is back doing what he does best - rattling cages and refusing to take no for an answer."
All episodes of Department Q are available to stream now, exclusively on Netflix.