Latest news with #Edinburgh-set
Sydney Morning Herald
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Gripping Netflix thriller is the best police mystery since Mare of Easttown
Dept. Q ★★★★½ You could make a list of the building blocks in this Edinburgh-set crime thriller and they'd be readily familiar to fans of the genre. Tick off a gifted but arrogant detective, their disaffected child, a new partner who carries a heavy burden, and a case that offers few clues. But without fail this enthralling drama, which becomes an unstoppable procedural driven by resuscitation and redemption, transcends the recognisable. Every element is finely honed, making Dept. Q the best law enforcement mystery since Mare of Easttown. It's a triumph of craft, capably assembled. That begins with creator Scott Frank, who co-wrote and lead-directed this adaptation of Jussi Adler-Olsen's series of Danish crime novels. Frank, whose previous Netflix series include The Queen's Gambit and Godless, moves the story to Scotland, but his protagonist is unyielding. Carl Morck (Matthew Goode) is a demanding police detective, dismissive of those who can't dissect a crime scene. His colleagues are in a race to tell Morck to eff off, with many achieving personal bests. Returning to work after a failed routine operation hospitalised his partner, Hardy (Jamie Sives), Morck is a fuse waiting to be lit, so his boss, Moira Jacobson (Kate Dickie), sends him to the basement as the head – and sole member – of a new cold case squad. Here's another tick: Morck has mandated sessions with psychologist Dr Rachel Irving (Kelly Macdonald). But they're both revealing and bleakly funny – Morck is never a misanthrope for the sake of it, and Frank keeps finding new foils for him. The dialogue bristles with subtext and swipes. Goode's an exceptional actor who's never had a defining role. Until now. He gives Morck's struggles with self-loathing and selflessness a roiling depth. In a show where confinement – physically and emotionally – is a recurring theme, Morck's trajectory is never simply upwards. His doubts about himself are reflected in a hard-charging prosecutor with a complex past, Merrit Lingard (Chloe Pirrie), but Morck's professional drive is equally a magnet for outsiders. The first is his assistant, Akram Salim (Alexej Manvelov), a Syrian refugee with a complicated CV. Loading It helps immeasurably that the case they settle on is a genuine puzzle, and the story unfolds it patiently with false starts and authentic legwork. Nothing comes easily on Dept. Q, and that makes each step a small triumph. There's a hint of Slow Horses in the maladjusted and misfits finding purpose in the basement, but the idiomatic sarcasm is more of a defence mechanism in Edinburgh. It's a show about the fine line between someone staying afloat or sinking without trace. The margins always matter in this gripping tale.
The Age
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
Gripping Netflix thriller is the best police mystery since Mare of Easttown
Dept. Q ★★★★½ You could make a list of the building blocks in this Edinburgh-set crime thriller and they'd be readily familiar to fans of the genre. Tick off a gifted but arrogant detective, their disaffected child, a new partner who carries a heavy burden, and a case that offers few clues. But without fail this enthralling drama, which becomes an unstoppable procedural driven by resuscitation and redemption, transcends the recognisable. Every element is finely honed, making Dept. Q the best law enforcement mystery since Mare of Easttown. It's a triumph of craft, capably assembled. That begins with creator Scott Frank, who co-wrote and lead-directed this adaptation of Jussi Adler-Olsen's series of Danish crime novels. Frank, whose previous Netflix series include The Queen's Gambit and Godless, moves the story to Scotland, but his protagonist is unyielding. Carl Morck (Matthew Goode) is a demanding police detective, dismissive of those who can't dissect a crime scene. His colleagues are in a race to tell Morck to eff off, with many achieving personal bests. Returning to work after a failed routine operation hospitalised his partner, Hardy (Jamie Sives), Morck is a fuse waiting to be lit, so his boss, Moira Jacobson (Kate Dickie), sends him to the basement as the head – and sole member – of a new cold case squad. Here's another tick: Morck has mandated sessions with psychologist Dr Rachel Irving (Kelly Macdonald). But they're both revealing and bleakly funny – Morck is never a misanthrope for the sake of it, and Frank keeps finding new foils for him. The dialogue bristles with subtext and swipes. Goode's an exceptional actor who's never had a defining role. Until now. He gives Morck's struggles with self-loathing and selflessness a roiling depth. In a show where confinement – physically and emotionally – is a recurring theme, Morck's trajectory is never simply upwards. His doubts about himself are reflected in a hard-charging prosecutor with a complex past, Merrit Lingard (Chloe Pirrie), but Morck's professional drive is equally a magnet for outsiders. The first is his assistant, Akram Salim (Alexej Manvelov), a Syrian refugee with a complicated CV. Loading It helps immeasurably that the case they settle on is a genuine puzzle, and the story unfolds it patiently with false starts and authentic legwork. Nothing comes easily on Dept. Q, and that makes each step a small triumph. There's a hint of Slow Horses in the maladjusted and misfits finding purpose in the basement, but the idiomatic sarcasm is more of a defence mechanism in Edinburgh. It's a show about the fine line between someone staying afloat or sinking without trace. The margins always matter in this gripping tale.
Edinburgh Live
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Netflix unveils trailer for new Edinburgh crime thriller based on popular novel series
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 has unveiled the first trailer for an Edinburgh-set police drama, Dept Q. The series which is set to premiere on May 29, saw streets across the capital be taken over by crews as filming got underway Starring Line of Duty's Kelly Macdonald and Downton Abbey's Matthew Goode, the series follows a detective leading a cold case unit in Edinburgh. Based on the novels by Jussi Adler-Olsen, the show also stars Chloe Pirrie, Jamie Sives, Leah Byrne, Mark Bonnar, Kate Dickie, Alexej Manvelov, Shirley Henderson and Tom Bulpett. The two-minute teaser introduces Goode's DCI Carl Morck as he speaks to Macdonald's therapist Dr Rachel Irving about the incident. The investigation trail leads them to look into the officers themselves. (Image: Netflix) Over the course of 2024, residential and city centre areas were taken over for the crime drama series. Calder Crescent was closed for locals from 8am to 5pm on February 6 2024 while scenes were shot. Then in march 2024, Melville Street was partially closed as film crews got to work. (Image: Edinburgh Live) Locals were previously informed: "We are writing to you on behalf of LBM Dept Q Ltd to inform you of our plans to film scenes for a chilling new detective series being made for one of the large streaming channels in and around Edinburgh." The Netflix description reads: "A brash but brilliant cop becomes head of a new police department, where he leads an unlikely team of misfits in solving Edinburgh's cold cases." Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox Director Scott Frank previously said: "The fact that I have been a fan of Jussi's novels for a dozen years now combined with my long-standing obsession with old school British procedurals like Cracker and Prime Suspect, made this one irresistible. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sentstraight to your messages. "There are ten novels in all, each one is a terrific mystery with great potential for a great season of television. And Carl Mørck is one of those classic detective antiheroes, funny and dark at the same time, that I can never get enough of. I think audiences will feel the same way.' You can watch the full trailer here.
