Dept Q Season 2: What to Expect if it is Renewed?

Season 1 of Netflix’s ‘Dept. Q’ concludes with a wrap-up of the central mysteries while the narrative keeps just enough intrigue alive to invite the audience’s never-ending curiosity. DCI Carl Morck and his ragtag team, including civilian assistant Akram, previously desk-bound Rose, and out-of-commission detective Hardy, successfully solve their missing person case that had gone cold four years ago. As such, with Merritt finally safe and sound, Carl’s department establishes its significance within the precinct outside of a simple PR stunt.

Thus, as we leave it, the cold case unit, still operating out of abandoned shower quarters, is all geared up for their next big case. Even though no official announcement has arrived yet regarding the future of the show, the narrative remains lush with possibilities for a potential season 2. In the case of a renewal, past filming patterns suggest that a follow-up season could hit the screens as early as the later quarter of 2026 or the first half of 2027.

Dept. Q Season 2 Could Take Narrative Inspiration From Its Literary Source

‘Dept. Q’ season 1 ends with Carl and his team saving the prosecutor who has been missing for four years, Merritt Lingard, from her brutal imprisonment. In the aftermath, a three-month time jump finds Carl and his team back on stable ground, ready to take on their next challenge. In the transitional period, the lead detective has recovered from his previously sustained bullet wound, Hardy has completed enough physiotherapy to walk on his own with the help of crutches, and Akram has started the process of securing a DI rank. Furthermore, thanks to some well-placed threats and blackmail, the department is able to secure the full potential of its lucrative budget for the future. Therefore, a potential season 2 is bound to find our protagonists in a much better-off place, with even more investigative resources available to them.

Although the details of the next mystery that Department Q might tackle remain up in the air, certain predictions remain. For instance, season 1 revolved around a primary mystery that resembled the plot of the first book in Jussi Adler-Olsen’s Danish crime novel series, ‘Department Q.’ For the same reason, its highly likely that the show would continue this habit, by adapting the plot of the seasond book, ‘The Absent One,’ for a future season 2. As such, fans can expect Carl and his team to next delve into a decades-old case that includes a boarding school, the murder of a brother and a sister, and one dubious confession. Therefore, for now, the likelihood of the future seasons mining inspiration from the novels, at least to some degree, remains strong.

Dept. Q Season 2 Could Further Explore the Unsolved Leith Park Case

Regardless of predictions, the specifics of the future cold case that Department Q chooses to open in a potential season 2 remain uncertain. However, the end of season 1 sets up a more direct continuation for other, more personal storylines. The Leith Park case, currently being helmed by the seemingly incompetent DCI Bruce, presents the most prominent of these plotlines. The show opens with Carl getting caught in an ambush attack after he and Hardy respond to an emergency call at a house near Leith Park. Even months down the line, the police force hasn’t procured any notable leads for the case.

Carl isn’t allowed to investigate the case on account of the obvious conflict of interest. Still, he’s able to make an observation or two that identify certain aspects of the shooting. For instance, Bruce and his team now know that the emergency call into Mr. Allen’s residence was a planted bait, implying a bigger conspiracy at play. The decision to leave the mystery open-ended in season 1 could be a set-up for the Leith Park shooting to become an overarching plot point in the show that spans seasons. Carl and Hardy’s personal connection to the case naturally lends personal stakes to the case, which can help build emotional bridges for the narrative of the next seasonal installment in the series.

Department Q’s Next Case Will Bring a New Set of Characters to Season 2

The police procedural format of ‘Dept. Q’ lends it the unique ability to retain a familiar foundation while introducing brand-new elements with each new season. This means that while Carl and his team, namely, Akram, Rose, Hardy, and even Police Chief Moira, will remain integral parts of the narrative, the show will likely cycle through storyline-specific characters. Consequently, people connected to Merritt Lingard’s narrative, including William, Stephen, Claire, and the central antagonists, Ailsa and Lyle, will probably not return in the next season. As such, we can expect previously regular cast members like Chloe Pirri and Tom Bulpett to exit the show.

On the other hand, actors like Matthew Goode, Alexej Manvelov, Leah Byrne, and Jamie Sives will all likely reprise their roles in future continuations. In fact, if the show becomes a multi-season phenomenon, like ‘Criminal Minds’ or ‘Slow Horses,’ these actors and their characters can be expected to form the core group within the series. In a potential season 2, we will likely explore Carl and Hardy’s link to Leith Park and its traumatic aftermath. Furthermore, the narrative can delve deeper into the backstories of Akram and Rose, with a particular focus on the former’s mysterious past in Syria. Thus, these character-driven storylines will ultimately form the emotional center of the future season, in the event of a renewal.