DEPT. Q: Episode 1.1

Name: DEPT. Q: Episode 1.1
Item: DEPT. Q: Episode 1.1
Author: Review

"A Cold Case Series with Light at the End"

Family Content: (No reviewed)

Entertainment Quality:

	None	Light	Moderate	Heavy
Language
Violence
Sex
Nudity

Credits →

What You Need To Know:

In the first episode of Season 1 of DEPT. Q, a new Netflix British detective drama series, features DCI Carl Morck as the head of a new department that solves cold cases in the greater Edinburgh metropolitan area. His mind for complex cases is impressive, but his outlook on life is as dreary as a London fog. With his new crew of eccentric aides, can he clear up some of the darkest of Edinburgh’s unsolved issues?

The series is well done with excellent cinematography of Scotland’s capital. It has a dark and moody atmosphere and a brooding tension that ebbs and flows nicely. The biggest problem with the opening episode of DEPT. Q is that it has a weighty tone. The dominant worldview of the series is heavily Romantic, with some biblical moral elements throughout. Most notably, the protagonist’s disabled partner turns from a self-destructive path to join the protagonist as part of his cold case task force, which is the most redemptive element of the show so far and holds out a real light in a dark series. Due to brutal violence, considerable foul language, a very dark overall tone, and themes of high crimes, including murder and suicide, MOVIEGUIDE® advises strong caution for adults.

Content:

(BB, C, RoRo, LLL, VV, S, M):

Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements:

The dominant worldview of the series is heavy Romantic with some biblical moral elements throughout. While the protagonist starts out difficult to get behind, supporting characters bring in strong elements to lighten the mood and bring biblical redemptive storytelling into play;

Foul Language:

40 f words, 2 strong profanities, and 11 obscenities;

Violence:

A dead man is shown sitting in an easy chair in his front room with dried blood covering his face and an investigating officer says he’s been stabbed in the head; a man leaves the scene and is shot point blank in the face by a masked gunman (he is later shown on the floor, presumably dead, with blood all over his face); other officers on the scene are shown wounded or killed (one has blood on his head and flowing out of his mouth and another is seen with a knife sticking out of his head while the murderer briefly views his handiwork); video of a crime replays past events with gunshots and blood flying in blink and you’ll miss them segments; cases involving rape are briefly mentioned; a character acts a friend to help him commit suicide and later turns from this self-destructive path;

Sex:

Cases involving rape are briefly mentioned;

Nudity:

No nudity;

Alcohol Use:

Multiple people drink beer or other spirits regularly; a cop seems tipsy once;

Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse:

None, and

Miscellaneous Immorality:

The protagonist seems to have significant baggage and to be generally nasty toward almost everyone. This may be explained or ameliorated later.

More Detail:

In the first episode of Season 1 of DEPT. Q, a new Netflix British detective drama series, DCI Carl Morck struggles to cope with most aspects of life outside of work. His mind for complex cases is impressive, but his life outside work is non-existent, his interactions with colleagues are cranky and critical, and his outlook on life is as dreary as a London fog.

When he is shot in the face by a masked gunman while investigating a crime scene, he takes the minimum amount of time off and returns to duty. He gets back only to be made the head of a new, well-endowed department that solves cold cases left in the books for the greater Edinburgh metropolis. With his office in the basement and his new crew of eccentric aides, can he clear up some of the darkest of Edinburgh’s unsolved issues?

The series is well done with excellent cinematography of Scotland’s capital. It has a dark and moody atmosphere and a brooding tension that ebbs and flows nicely. The biggest problem with the opening episode of DEPT. Q is that it has a weighty tone, and there’s very little levity to lighten its mood. It’s also hard to get behind the protagonist, who seems to be nasty on principle rather than from something in his backstory, but this will hopefully change as the series progresses.

Thankfully, his “eager” assistant, Akram Salim, gives some hope of providing this much-needed humor. As the close of Episode 1 arrives, viewers begin to see an odd but effective team forming around a protagonist who is significantly in need of this. Also, the time twist in the last minute is gripping and chilling.

The dominant worldview of the series is heavily Romantic, with some biblical moral elements throughout. It appears that the protagonist is a deeply troubled man with minimal regard for his fellow beings, but he does do his detecting well and at least commits to be there for a disabled partner. Another important character, a middle-aged female lawyer, deeply desires justice but has her home issues regarding an adult brother with significant mental problems, and more trouble is on the way.

The protagonist’s assistant is perhaps the only character so far who exhibits strong moral fiber without significant drawbacks. Most notably, however, the protagonist’s partner, disabled in a shootout early on, suffers paralysis as a result. At one point, when his family arrives to see him, he subtly asks his friend to help him end his life. Later, he turns from this self-destructive path to join the protagonist as part of his cold case task force, which is the most redemptive element of the show so far and offers a glimmer of hope in a dark series.

Due to strong scenes of sometimes brutal violence, considerable and repeated foul language, a very dark overall tone, and themes of high crimes, including murder and suicide, MOVIEGUIDE® advises strong caution for adults.