Picture Credit: Netflix
Dept. Q is back on the case with production currently underway in Scotland through to the end of the year. Netflix has just unveiled the full lineup of new faces and returning favorites joining the hit series plus some hints about where the story is heading.
Based on the beloved Danish crime novels by Jussi Adler-Olsen, the English-language adaptation was developed for Netflix by Scott Frank (The Queen’s Gambit, Godless) and Chandni Lakhani. The first season premiered in May 2025 to rave reviews and massive viewership numbers—spending six weeks in the Global Top Ten—earning a swift season 2 renewal in August of the same year.
Now, Netflix has officially confirmed who will be back to solve the next cold case, along with a slate of brand-new characters plus an official synopsis for S2, which reads:
“DCI Carl Morck heads up the maverick Dept. Q from the basement of an Edinburgh police station, charged with cases previously deemed unsolvable. This darkly humorous, propulsive show delivers all the pleasures of a procedural, but takes us into the complex mysteries not just of the cases but of the detectives themselves.”
Executive Producer Rob Bullock also teased what to expect from the central mystery of the new season, noting: “This season, Carl and his band of misfits tackle a terrible crime hidden in the highest echelons of Scottish society. It is a story for our times: rich and powerful people who believe they are above the law. Carl, of course, knows otherwise. It’s a joy to be working with master storyteller Scott Frank once again, along with the rest of team dolally. We applaud Netflix’s courage for letting them loose once again.”
Manda Levin, who is overseeing the series alongside Jessica Burdett for Netflix, said: “Season 1 of Dept. Q made us laugh and cry; it shocked and intrigued us; we fell in love with the characters and with the incredibly vivid and iconic world that Scott Frank and his amazing team conjured up in one of our very favourite cities. That it was embraced so wholeheartedly by an audience in Scotland, in the rest of the UK, and across the world, was thrilling. The story of Season 2 is as darkly delicious as you’d expect, and Carl and his glorious gang will have their work cut out pinning down the perpetrators as we launch back in for more!”
To bring this new mystery to life, Netflix has announced a massive wave of new and returning cast members.
Returning Cast:
- Matthew Goode (The Offer, A Discovery of Witches) as DCI Carl Morck
- Alexej Manvelov (Jack Ryan, Top Dog) as Akram Salim
- Leah Byrne (But When We Dance) as DC Rose Dickson
- Jamie Sives (Guilt, Chernobyl) as DS James Hardy
- Mark Bonnar (Line of Duty, Ludwig) as Stephen Burns
- Kate Dickie (The Witch, Game of Thrones) as Moira Jacobson
- Aaron McVeigh as Jasper
- Sanjeev Kohli (Still Game, River City) as Martin Fleming
New Cast:
- Aisling Franciosi (Speak No Evil, The Nightingale) as Kimmie
- Greg Wise (The Crown, The Buccaneers) as Derek Powell
- Nicholas Rowe (Red Eye S2, Spy Among Friends) as Thomas Fulton
- Tony Curran (Outlander: Blood of My Blood, Mary & George) as Winnie Calderwood
- Hamish Clark (Monarch of the Glen) as Christopher Herron
- Alex Ferns (Waiting for the Out, The Batman) as Phil Allenbeck
- Rebecca Root (Heartstopper, The Wheel of Time) as June Lovesay
- Isla Johnston (The Queen’s Gambit, The Carpenter’s Son) as Agnes
- Amy Brenneman (The Old Man, Judging Amy) as Helen
These newly announced cast members join Scottish actor Ross Anderson, whom we exclusively revealed earlier today had joined the second season just prior to Netflix’s official announcement. Anderson will play the role of Ricky Daddario in the upcoming season. Anderson is no stranger to Netflix audiences, having previously starred as Domnal in The Last Kingdom and its follow-up feature film Seven Kings Must Die, as well as starring in the Kevin Hart heist movie Lift.
Scott Frank has been confirmed to return to the director’s chair. Left Bank Pictures and Sony Pictures Television are producing the series.
What is the production status of Dept. Q Season 2?
As we noted in our other post, production is now in full flow in Edinburgh, Scotland, and has been since early June, and will conclude by mid-December, we’re told.
Are you excited about the new cast additions to Dept. Q season 2? Let us know in the comments below!
