Warning! Spoilers below for Dept. Q season 1! Dept. Q season 1 introduced Matthew Goode's veteran detective Carl Morck, who assembles a team of misfit investigators to tackle the cold cases that have been left to the side.

Dept. Q season 1 tackled the events of the first novel in Adler-Olsen's series, Mercy, which centers on the disappearance of Lingard four years before the series' start. As the team dive deeper into the case, it is soon uncovered that Merritt had been abducted by the Jennings family, as her relationship with Harry Jennings led to the young boy's death. While Merritt was successfully rescued, the team's work has only just begun.

Dept. Q Season 2 Will Tackle A Grisly Double Murder

The Team Will Tackle A Conspiracy Among The Upper Classes

In 2008, the second novel of the Department Q. novel series was released, titled Disgrace. The novel revolves around Carl and his team receiving a case involving the brutal murder of a brother and sister in their family's summer home in the late-80's. At the time of the original investigation, it was assumed that the true culprit had been found within a group of wealthy, privileged boarding school students, clearing the rest of their names. Despite things seemingly having been long-solved, however, the file has still found its way onto Morck's desk, intriguing the veteran detective.

Furthermore, one member of the cleared suspects is hoping to find someone with whom she can share a case-changing secret. While the majority of the students had gone on to further their fortunes, the sole girl of the group, Kimmie Lassen, disappeared from society despite inheriting her own fair share of wealth, in order to not only evade potential police scrutiny, but others who may wish to silence her. As the long-dormant case is reopened, Kimmie finds herself becoming the most wanted woman in the series' original setting of Copenhagen.

With their immense wealth, connections, and resources, Morck and is team are forced to carefully navigate the social hierarchy.

As the novel progresses, it becomes clearer that Kimmie's self-exile from society was due to the horrific deeds done to the two siblings, which have left very notable scars on her psyche, but she nevertheless pushes forward to expose the truth. This brings surviving classmates Ditlev Pram, Ulrik Dybbøl Jensen, and Floren Torsten back into her life for the worst, as their paranoia over what she may reveal leads to them hunting her. With their immense wealth, connections, and resources, Morck and his team are forced to carefully navigate the social hierarchy to find the truth.

Do Morck and Irving Become A Couple?

The Therapist Helped Bring The Detective Out Of His Worst Mindset

The case is not the only obstacle facing the core cast in Dept. Q's potential future seasons. Dept Q. season 1 ended on a touching note for Morck, where he can see that Merritt is doing well following her ordeal, humbly avoiding any thanks or glory, and instead choosing to press on with his job. Furthermore, another recent development in his life may also be bringing him joy, thanks to his meeting with his assigned police therapist, Dr. Rachel Irving (Kelly Macdonald).

Across the season, Irving was tasked with helping Morck better handle his PTSD following the terrifying shooting that left him injured and his partner James Hardy (Jamie Sives) paralyzed. While Morck needed time to open up to the therapist, by the end of the season, they had a healthy and respectful relationship. Within the novels, Carl's relationship with his therapist Mona Ibsen leads to him pursuing her romantically, suggesting that a relationship between the series' Carl and Rachel may be on the cards.

Will Dept. Q Change James' Story?

The Second Novel Places James' Counterpart In A More Dire Position

However, one detail that continues to haunt Carl's life is his guilt over James' fate. Within Disgrace, James has reached a new low point in his life and is attempting to find a way to be euthanized. However, in the Netflix series' final episode, Hardy is instead summoned by commanding officer Moira (Kate Dickie) to discuss the case that left him paraplegic.

Carl's involvement in tackling this mysterious new case tied directly to the shooting could mark a deviation from the second novel's story.

Throughout the season, it had been hinted that there may be more to the case than it seems, possibly with widespread corruption within the upper echelons of Edinburgh's law enforcement. Though Disgrace saw James reaching a desperate point in his life, Moira tasking him alone without Carl's involvement to tackle this mysterious new case tied directly to the shooting could mark a deviation from the second novel's story, but tie into its themes of institutional corruption to take Hardy on a new path that sees him overcome his limitations.

Salim's Story Will Reveal More Of His Past

The Refugee's Past Will Become More Notable Over Time

While corruption may be set to play a major obstacle in Morck's next case, the detective did skillfully use Stephen Byrne's (Mark Bonnar) involvement in the case to the benefit of one of his teammates. Alongside using the potentially career-ending intel to blackmail the Lord Advocate into properly funding Department. Q, he pushes for Akram Salim (Alexej Manvelov) to be fast-tracked to the rank of Detective Inspector. This move pays off their development over the season and sets up Salim for greater roles.

Throughout the novel series, Salim's book counterpart, Hafez El-Assad, is set up as an overarching mystery himself in regards to his past, as he shows himself as an incredibly capable individual. Each newly-revealed skill casts further suspicion on his past and what drove him to become a refugee in the first place. This suspicion eventually culminates in both Morck and Rose becoming more suspicious of his ties to the Iraq War with the fifth novel, Buried.

Later Dept. Q Series Will Show Rose's Darker Side

Rose Is Battling Her Own Demons

Rose is also hiding her own mysteries, as later novels dive into her past and potential family life. Alongside sparking a romance with later Department Q member Gordon Taylor, the series later introduces Rose's tech-savvy twin sister, Ysra, who finds herself roped into the department when Rose is absent in the third novel, Redemption, though even here, later novels suggest that she may have been diagnosed with a multiple-personality disorder. As such, there are still several layers to her character that have yet to be explored.

Dept Q. may have yet to be renewed, but the chances for additional seasons are high. Alongside a strong critical reception, the series also reached #3 on Netflix's global rankings, proving itself to be a notable hit for the streamer. With several novels ready to be adapted, it is possible that the series could find itself becoming a mainstay on the streamer.