Netflix thriller Dept. Q exceeds even its stunning first episode

Dept. Q has remained in the top 10 Netflix shows since its debut on May 29th, and deservedly so. There has rarely been such a great blend of suspense, with just enough dark humor, as we see in this series.

There are literally thousands of viewing choices on your favorite streamer at any given time. Every week brings a new batch of series and movies, all competing for your most precious possession: time. So we take our recommendations seriously.

Estimates show that Netflix has between 36,000 and 42,000 hours of content available at any given time. Don't nobody has time for that.

Of course, one person's treasure is another's trash. For example, I love Chappie, the second film in Neil Blomkamp's great sci-fi trilogy. I know maybe five other people who like it, and that's fine. None of them are currently on Netflix, but his excellent short film series Oats Studios is. The point is, your mileage may vary, but I'd be shocked if you aren't thrilled by Dept. Q.

Dept. Q ratchets up the suspense through the next four episodes

Hopefully, you've already read my review of the first episode. If not, jump on over, as the rest of this will make a heck of a lot more sense once you know the premise. In brief, Matthew Goode plays the extremely disagreeable Detective Carl Morck.

He's assigned to a special unit to single-handedly clear cold cases in Edinburgh, Scotland, in large part because no one wants to work with him. He faces an incredible number of obstacles to resolve his first assignment, all with absolutely zero grace.

The first episode set the stage, revealing the missing person case he tackles. As it turns out, we'd seen the setup for that throughout the first 65 minutes. Each episode averages about 50 minutes, with the first and last running longer. That's just one of the advantages of streaming shows. There are no time slots to fit, so there are no constraints on how the story plays out in each episode.

Episode 2

Here, we delve into the fate of the victim, who was kidnapped four years before Morck's assignment. We also see Morck and his assistant Akram begin to unravel the bare threads of the cold case. Chloe Pirrie is riveting in her role, as is Goode and Alexej Manvelov, who plays the former Syrian detective Akram. He's the perfect counterpart to the ascerbic Morck, and a brilliant researcher as well.

They find nothing but roadblocks as they track down the victim's brother. Meanwhile, Morck faces difficult therapy sessions, still suffering from the shooting incident. You did see the first episode, right? He still suffers from flashbacks to the terrible incident that ended one life and irreparably damaged two others.

Episode 3

Morck and Akram recreate the circumstances of the victim's last public appearance, a ferry trip she took with her brother to their old island home, Innis Mohr. They interview the constable of the small island destination, finding that her brother was beaten by a thief, Harry Jennings. Jennings himself died trying to escape.

They interview her father, learning nothing; well, nothing but that her upbringing was beyond difficult. They do gain another team member, Detective Rose Dickson. Like everyone else, she's battling her demons. This is one damaged bunch.

Meanwhile, our kidnapping victim struggles with her demons. Some are personal, but her overriding concern is the two heinous people who have tormented her for the four years of her captivity. They challenge her to understand why they took her, forcing her to relive every poor decision she ever made.

They promise to release her when she tells them why they took her. As if you can trust kidnappers, right? With every torturous memory, her anguish gets worse.

Episode 4

Carl pokes his nose into the investigation of his own shooting. As you might guess, it's not exactly welcome. Rose goes to Mohr to follow up on their initial interviews, while Carl and Akram discover an old note revealing that the victim had a secret relationship. Morck believes that it was with the Lord Advocate, but as he soon learns, he has the wrong man.

In another flashback, we see the victim kidnapped from the ferry. Back in the present day, she guesses that the person she'd wronged was her former lover, Sam Haig. Unfortunately for her, she, like Morck, has the wrong man and is no closer to her release.

Episode 5

Morck's former partner, James Hardy, was paralyzed in the shooting. Morck had previously dropped off the case file to him, partly for his insight, and in part to give him a renewed sense of purpose. Turns out Morck has some sliver of a heart after all. While Hardy works at his physical therapy, Morck and Silam investigate Haig and find that the reporter was working on a corruption case.

That case apparently ties in with a trial involving our kidnapping victim. Once more, we return to the previous timeline and learn that the Lord Advocate (think district attorney) prevented the testimony of a key witness in a murder trial. As the audience, we have one more potential mastermind behind the kidnapping.

Hopefully, I haven't given too much away, but I gave you just enough to whet your appetite. Assuming you have an appetite for blackmail, kidnapping, and murder. Enjoy, you fiend.

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