Dept Q review – this excellent crime drama is a grimy, gothic treat
It must be so galling for an actor to be blessed with just the right face for one kind of part. Galling for good actors anyway. Pretty sweet for the others – 'You need a face someone would definitely kill for? Put this useless hunk/babe in there and just move the scenery round them.'
Matthew Goode is, nomenclaturally and otherwise, one of the former, but cursed with a face best described as 'modern patrician' and has therefore been the first port of call for just about every period drama there has been for the last 20 years. He's been in everything from Brideshead Revisited (as Charles Ryder) on the big screen, to Downton Abbey (Henry Talbot) and The Crown (where at least he got to play that bounder Lord Snowdon) on the small one. Judging by the relish with which he seizes the chance to play contemporary and ignoble in his new outing, the psychological thriller Dept Q, he must have been going quietly mad with frustration throughout.
Goode takes the part of detective Carl Morck in this excellent adaptation by Scott Frank (The Queen's Gambit, plus innumerable hit films as a credited writer or uncredited rewriter) of the Danish crime novelist Jussi Adler-Olsen's bestselling series of the same name. Morck may have a flair for the job, but he is a terrible man and colleague. After his ceaseless arrogance gets a young uniformed officer killed, and his own partner paralysed by a bullet that then passes through Morck's own neck, he is put on long-term leave and must wrestle, possibly for the first time in his egocentric life, with the idea of his mortality. This is accompanied with a rising guilt that he fights every step of the way; watching the latter perfuse his soul as the nine episodes unfold is at least as compelling as the dense, twisty, cleverly structured and hideous plot playing out above it.
When Morck returns unwelcomed to work, he is assigned to head a new department (the Q of the title). It is set up to investigate cold cases, in the hope of providing good optics for the troubled Edinburgh police force (granite and gothic are subbed in for snowy Nordic bleakness, which works a treat) while they work on unyielding new ones, including the search for Morck's attacker. His new office is located in the dank, grimy basement beneath the station, so that's Morck told. Oh, and he also turns out to be the entire department, as his boss allocates its supposed funds to the cash-strapped officers above ground.
Gradually, he assembles a motley crew to help him. It includes: cadet Rose (Leah Byrne), recovering from a breakdown and hoping get away from the desk duty she has been given; Morck's partner DI James Hardy (Jamie Sives), operating from his hospital bed; and Syrian refugee and former police officer Akram Salim (Alexej Manvelov), who picks their first case – the disappearance four years ago of ambitious young advocate Merritt Linguard (Chloe Pirrie). For the audience, her story – which I think stays the right side of voyeuristic, though it is occasionally a close call – runs in parallel to the main, though the claustrophobic may have to watch some of it through their fingers.
It is all fantastically well, and rigorously, done. The pacing has a leisurely confidence that some may find a touch slow, but allows for a character-first approach, creating a richness that amply rewards initial patience. Soon, we are immersed in a narrative that involves a missing necklace, a brutal historic beating, the perils of isolated village life, urban horrors and institutional failings ranging from simple incompetence to outright corruption. Plus a plentiful dash of the mental, emotional and physical suffering human beings are capable of inflicting on one another, in the name of love, revenge or just for the sheer fun of it.
The performances – which also include Mark Bonnar as Linguard's unsettling boss and Kelly Macdonald as Morck's unfortunate but mandated police therapist, Dr Irving – are all first rate. (Goode, as the bearded, gaunt, increasingly haunted detective, is the blackly shining centrepiece.) The script is sharp and lean, and especially good at channelling Morck's spitting sarcasm. Writers Chandni Lakhani and Stephen Greenhorn enable the audience to thrill to his keen and ever-whetted edge while also making us sympathise with the colleagues who would rejoice to see him head over the side of the same ferry from which Linguard supposedly fell. A slightly harrowing treat, but a treat all the same.
Dept Q is on Netflix
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North Wales Live
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- North Wales Live
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- Edinburgh Live
Dawn French's life in quaint coastal village after leaving £6.6m mansion behind
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 The British comedian Dawn French, celebrated for her memorable characters in 'The Vicar of Dibley' and 'French and Saunders', has traded her picturesque Fowey sea view for a more secluded location near the Devon-Cornwall border. This comes as Fowey became "too cool and trendy" for her preference. Dawn French has become synonymous with life in Cornwall since making it her home nearly twenty years ago, enchanting her fans with snapshots of her life by the sea. In 2021, she sold her expansive 15-bedroom waterfront mansion in Fowey, which boasted breathtaking estuary views, for £6.6 million – a considerable increase from her initial investment in 2006. READ MORE - BBC period drama 'better than Downton Abbey' as fans demand return of show READ MORE - Steven Gerrard's off-screen life from famous wife, massive net worth and 'career return' A native of Wales, Dawn French opted to leave behind her substantial property, as reported by the Express, in favour of a more serene environment within the quieter reaches of Cornwall. Now, alongside her husband Mark Bignell, Dawn French enjoys the tranquility of a secluded Cornish village, basking in the serene waterside scenery, far removed from the crowds of tourists that flood Fowey during the peak season, reports Devon Live. French had first made Fowey her home in 2006, residing in a Grade-II listed property with her then-husband Sir Lenny Henry and their daughter Billie, prior to their separation in 2010. In 2013, Dawn French tied the knot with her current spouse Mark, a therapist, and decided to remain in their Cornish home. During her time in Cornwall, as Cornwall Live has documented, Dawn has become an avid advocate for the county's breathtaking scenery and gastronomic delights, frequently praising local eateries for their "unpretentious" atmosphere and delectable dishes. The adored comedienne shares glimpses of her life in Cornwall with her followers, often humourously showcasing lesser-known gems like the dog-friendly Par Beach, which is also a preferred stroll for her furry companion. One of Dawn's favourite spots for a meal out is Edie's Kitchen in Carlyon Bay, which is just a brief walk from where she used to live. She acclaimed it on Twitter as the peak of her dining experiences that particular year, extolling the restaurant for its "unpretentious, fresh, tasty good-lookin grub". Come September 2018, national gem Dawn French brightened the spirits of patrons at Edie's Kitchen by popping in whilst filming the third series of her hit show 'Delicious'. Another treasured spot is the Hidden Hut in Portscatho, hailed as one of Cornwall's finest. Esteemed not only by locals but also by celebrities such as Rick Stein and Alice Levine, it even accommodated international dignitaries during the G7 Summit in 2021. Back in 2017, Dawn delighted her fans by posting a stunning snapshot of Par Beach shrouded in mist while walking her beloved pooch. The eagle-eyed residents of St Austell quickly recognised their cherished Par Beach in Dawn French's online photo, triggering a buzz of excitement among the Friends of Par Beach Facebook community. Dawn French, known for her brilliant wit, demonstrated it once again in a 2019 tweet that married her affection for Cornwall with a naughty twist. She shared a snap of her pet against a breathtaking coastal scene, wittily captioned: "Cornwall. Ghastly." Fast forward to 2024, purchasing a home in Cornwall now comes with a hefty price tag of £299,000 on average, as reported by the Office for National Statistics.
