Department Q's Chloe Pirrie reveals surprising change Netflix series made from book show is based on

Cosmopolitan

02-06-2025

The latest thriller series to take Netflix's top 10 by storm is the new nine-part series Department Q. Inspired by the novel series of the same name by Danish writer Jussi Adler-Olsen, Department Q follows the life of Detective Carl Morck who is set up in a new department to solve cold cases. And for his first case he attempts to solve the disappearance of Merritt Lingard, a prosecutor who went missing from a ferry boat four years previously.
In a terrifying twist, it appears Merritt is being held by a family in a tank for something she did in her childhood. However, as a prosecutor Merritt initially believes she is being punished for something she did in her career attempting to get justice, a fact which is very different from the book.
Speaking to Cosmopolitan UK, Chloe Pirrie, who plays Merritt in Department Q reveals Merritt is actually a politician in the novel Mercy, upon which the series is based on. However, while the job is in fact very different, Pirrie reveals the essence of the Merritt's journey is still very similar in both book and TV series.
"Ultimately, she's a person whose past catches up with her," she said. "In really, the most hideous terrifying way, that the human brain could imagine. Which is something Scott [Frank, the series creator] is so good at, that thing of crafting a story where you torture the characters in various ways, with their darkest secrets and fears."
Pirrie, 37, who has previously appeared in Carnival Row, The Queen's Gambit, and Under the Banner of Heaven, had already played a lawyer in a former role, when she appeared in The Victim alongside her Department Q co-star Kelly Macdonald. Working in this show then enabled her to have even more knowledge for the role of Merritt.
Speaking to Cosmopolitan UK she said: "I did quite a lot of research then [for The Victim] about how it works. And there's all these amazing shows on TV now, like the Murder Trial series, which is about real life cases. And so there's a lot actually out there of footage of people doing this job. It's a very particular job with its own set of rules and social conduct."
Pirrie insists that despite Merritt's career and romantic relationship, family is the biggest thread tying everything together in the series.
When asked what she envisions for Merritt following the end of season one, Pirrie said: "She just goes through so much. Scott said it himself, everything he writes, he says, 'it's kind of about family.' And I think family is at the heart of the show. And so something that helps to heal those wounds which are very much connected to family, I want that for her."
As for whether we'll get to see that for Merritt and her brother William is still to be determined as the show has not yet been confirmed for a season two but we're keeping our fingers crossed.
Department Q is available on Netflix now