Carl Morck is a mess. Honestly, that’s the only way to describe the protagonist of Netflix’s gritty Scottish crime drama Dept. Q. If you thought the first episode was heavy, episode 2 cranks up the claustrophobia—both literally and metaphorically.
We finally get a real look at the basement. It’s not just a set piece; it’s a graveyard for forgotten crimes. While DCI Carl Morck (played with a perfect, irritable edge by Matthew Goode) would much rather spend his days wallowing in his own trauma or playing solitaire, his new assistant Akram Salim has other plans.
Akram is the MVP here.
He’s a former Syrian policeman working as a civilian, and he’s significantly more observant than Carl gives him credit for. While Carl is busy dodging his mandatory therapy sessions with Dr. Rachel Irving (Kelly Macdonald), Akram is digging through a mountain of paper. He finds the one file that actually matters: the disappearance of Merritt Lingard.
The Mystery of the Hyperbaric Chamber
The episode opens with a shot that stays with you. Merritt Lingard, the high-flying prosecutor who vanished four years ago, isn't dead. She’s alive. But she’s trapped in a hyperbaric chamber.
It's horrifying.
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She’s being watched through cameras. The walls of her pressurized prison are covered in scribbled names—criminals she put away during her career. This isn't just a kidnapping; it’s a meticulously planned psychological torture. Whoever has her wants her to remember every single person she ever condemned.
They feed her through a small hatch. They let her shower through a ceiling vent. It’s clinical. It’s cold.
In the present day, Carl and Akram are trying to figure out how a woman disappears from a ferry without a single witness. Akram points out that there were 18 cameras on that boat. How do you just walk off a ship and into thin air? Carl, ever the skeptic, thinks she just went overboard.
"People don't just vanish," Akram basically tells him. And he's right.
Investigating the "Unsolvable"
The dynamic between Carl and Akram shifts in this episode. They visit Fergus Dunbar, the original detective on the case, who is currently drying out in a rehab facility. Fergus is defensive. He’s spent weeks searching the coastline, and he’s convinced there was nothing left to find.
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Except for William.
Merritt’s brother, William, was the only witness. But William has aphasia following a severe head injury. He can't speak. He can't explain what he saw. When Carl and Akram try to visit him at the Egley House treatment facility, they’re blocked by the director, Dr. Fiona Wallace. She’s protective, claiming that police questioning previously traumatized him.
It’s a classic procedural hurdle, but it feels more personal here because of Carl’s own fractured mental state.
A Quick Breakdown of the Clues:
- The Ferry Footage: No signs of a struggle, but a total lack of a body.
- The Brother: William draws pictures instead of speaking. He’s the key, but he’s locked away.
- The Hostages: Merritt is forced to guess which "victim" of her prosecution is responsible for her current state once a month.
- The Panic Attack: Carl is forced to give a press conference by his boss, Moira Jacobson. It doesn't go well. He freezes. He can barely breathe.
That Ending Though
The climax of the episode isn't a high-speed chase. It’s a moment of pure, raw panic. As Carl fumbles through the press conference on TV, William is watching from his room at the care facility. Seeing Carl—and hearing about his sister—triggers something in him.
He smashes a window. He runs.
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While Carl is spiraling in a hallway, trying to compose himself after his public meltdown, Akram is the one who realizes they’ve actually started something. This isn't just a cold case anymore. It’s active.
The episode does a brilliant job of showing that Carl isn't a hero yet. He’s a guy who’s barely holding it together, stuck in a basement with a man he doesn't fully trust, looking for a woman everyone else has given up on.
What to Keep an Eye On
If you're following along with the Jussi Adler-Olsen books, you'll notice the Scottish setting (specifically Edinburgh and the fictional Mhòr) adds a much gloomier, rain-soaked layer to the story than the original Danish setting.
Pay attention to the man in the cap. He’s seen briefly, and he’s clearly the one keeping Merritt in that chamber. There’s also the matter of "S"—the person who wrote a romantic note found in Merritt's old files. Is it a lead or a red herring? In a Scott Frank production, it’s usually both.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Watch:
- Watch the Drawings: William’s art isn't just a hobby; it’s a map. Look at the details of the "man in the cap" in the background of his sketches.
- Listen to Akram: He mentions his life in Syria for a reason. His background in the "Secret Police" (as hinted by some viewers) might be why he's so good at finding what’s hidden.
- The Pressure: The hyperbaric chamber isn't just a cage; the pressure changes are used as a threat. It’s a ticking clock that Carl doesn't even know exists yet.
Next time you sit down for episode 3, look for the connection between the "SOS" logo (Shorebird Ocean Systems) and the cormorant bird William keeps drawing. It's the bridge between the past on the island and the present in the basement.