Netflix’s Dept. Q Is Returning With A Darker Case — And This Time, Carl Morck Is Going After Scotland’s Most Powerful. Matthew Goode is back as the troubled detective, joined by his familiar team and a huge lineup of new faces. Their latest investigation leads into a crime hidden among the wealthy and influential, where uncovering the truth could put the entire team in dangerous territory. With production now underway in Edinburgh and Scott Frank back at the helm, Season 2 looks set to take Carl and his misfit squad somewhere even more unpredictable.

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Dept. Q Season 2: Netflix Reveals New Mystery and Expands the Cast

Dept Q Season 2 on Netflix: Release Date, Cast News, Plot Details

Matthew Goode is returning as DCI Carl Morck, and this time his unconventional team at Dept. Q is being drawn into a crime hidden among Scotland’s most powerful circles.

Netflix has officially confirmed that production on Season 2 of the hit crime drama is underway in Edinburgh, while also revealing a large lineup of returning favorites and new cast members. The second season will once again follow Carl and his team of misfit investigators as they take on cases that others have been unable to solve.

Based on the crime novels by Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen, Dept. Q was developed for Netflix by Scott Frank and Chandni Lakhani. The first season premiered in May 2025 and spent six weeks in Netflix’s Global Top 10, helping secure a second-season renewal.

Dept. Q' Season 2 on Netflix: Filming Begins July 2026 & What We Know So Far

A darker case for Carl Morck

Season 2 will once again centre on DCI Carl Morck, who operates the unconventional Department Q from the basement of an Edinburgh police station.

The unit is tasked with investigating cases previously considered unsolvable. While the series retains its procedural mystery framework, Netflix says the story will continue to explore the complicated personal lives of the detectives alongside the cases they investigate.

This time, Carl and his team will confront a particularly serious crime hidden within the highest levels of Scottish society.

Executive producer Rob Bullock describes the new mystery as a story involving wealthy and powerful people who believe they are beyond the reach of the law. Carl, however, is determined to prove otherwise.

The new case will give the series another opportunity to combine its investigation with the distinctive dynamic between Carl and the unlikely group of colleagues he has assembled around him.

Netflix executive Manda Levin also teased a darker story for Season 2, while noting that audiences will once again follow Carl and his team as they attempt to uncover those responsible.

dept q season 2 start of production image

The original team is coming back

Matthew Goode will reprise his role as DCI Carl Morck, the brilliant but difficult detective at the centre of the series.

Several key members of Department Q will also return, including:

  • Alexej Manvelov as Akram Salim
  • Leah Byrne as DC Rose Dickson
  • Jamie Sives as DS James Hardy
  • Mark Bonnar as Stephen Burns
  • Kate Dickie as Moira Jacobson
  • Aaron McVeigh as Jasper Stewart
  • Sanjeev Kohli as Martin Fleming

The returning ensemble gives Carl another familiar group of investigators to rely on as the department takes on its next difficult case.

Goode previously described his enthusiasm for returning to the role, praising the cast and crew led by creator Scott Frank.

Season 2 adds a major new cast

Netflix is also significantly expanding the world of Dept. Q with a group of new characters.

The newly announced cast includes:

  • Aisling Franciosi as Kimmie
  • Greg Wise as Derek Powell
  • Nicholas Rowe as Thomas Fulton
  • Tony Curran as Winnie Calderwood
  • Hamish Clark as Christopher Herron
  • Alex Ferns as Phil Allenbeck
  • Ross Anderson as Ricky Daddario
  • Rebecca Root as June Lovesay
  • Isla Johnston as Agnes
  • Amy Brenneman as Helen

new cast for dept q season 2

Franciosi is known for Speak No Evil and The Nightingale, while Wise has appeared in The Crown and The Buccaneers. Rowe recently appeared in Red Eye, and Curran has credits including Mary & George and Outlander: Blood of My Blood. Johnston previously appeared in The Queen’s Gambit.

Scottish actor Ross Anderson is also joining the season as Ricky Daddario. Anderson has previously appeared in The Last Kingdom, Seven Kings Must Die and Netflix’s Lift.

Scott Frank returns behind the camera

The second season continues to be led by creator Scott Frank, who is returning to direct.

Frank is known for creating Netflix’s acclaimed limited series The Queen’s Gambit as well as Godless. He also developed Dept. Q for Netflix alongside Chandni Lakhani.

The series is produced by Left Bank Pictures and Sony Pictures Television. Production is currently taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland.

When will Dept. Q Season 2 arrive on Netflix?

Production on Season 2 is now underway in Edinburgh, but Netflix has not yet announced an official release date.

For now, viewers can look forward to the return of Matthew Goode’s Carl Morck, his increasingly familiar team of misfits and a new investigation that reaches into some of the most powerful corners of Scottish society.

And with an expanded cast joining the returning ensemble, the next chapter of Dept. Q appears set to make Carl Morck’s already complicated job even more difficult.