Folge #1.2

I find Carl Morck to be a slowly developing character. Of course, he is utterly damaged by the events of the recent past. Akram is his support and his possible salvation. While he holds no official position, his role is to balance the whole process. When he is assigned to sit in that basement, I don't believe anyone realized his incredible gifts of emotional stability and amazing insight into cases. I can see a series of cases involving these guys. Moira is smart but makes a really dangerous decision, to throw Carl to the wolves, nearly forcing a breakdown. The press ignores his new position and grills him on his part in the case which got him shot and others killed or paralyzed. This makes for a much more focused character.

We also get a look at the hell the lawyer's captivity is producing. We also get to know the motivation.

I kind of liked this episode, even if it's about as formulaic as they come. Carl is reluctant to dig into the cold case, but Akram and Moira force his hand, mainly by making a public statement, which strikes me as a terrible idea. Why alert potential criminals that you're reopening the investigation into something they thought was buried for good? But Moira, saddled with an unfortunate name and a matching personality, insists on going public to justify the department's existence and budget.

Carl and Akram interview Claire, the housekeeper, who's openly hostile and full of contempt for William's sister. Enter the obligatory trope of the witness who knows something but can't talk: Killiam holds a crucial piece of the puzzle but, alas, suffers from a conveniently vague cerebral issue. Cue the eye roll.

To pad the otherwise skeletal plot, we get a side story involving Carl's insufferable teenage stepson, a walking cliché with attitude issues and a bad haircut (like other characters). Meanwhile, the show keeps trying to generate suspense with scenes of Merritt in custody - still not doing much, but being ominous about it.

Ep 2 of Netflix's "Dept. Q" continues the saga, though whether it truly advances it as compellingly as the premiere is up for debate.

If Ep 1 set a tone, this one largely reiterates it, pushing further into the same bleak, methodical territory. Matthew Goode's Carl Mørck remains a consistent anchor, his portrayal of world-weariness still solid. He's clearly a man battling his own demons, and Goode certainly conveys that internal struggle with his nuanced, often silent, performance.

The dynamic between Mørck and Alexej Manvelov's Akram Salim continues to be the most intriguing element. Manvelov's earnestness still offers a refreshing contrast to Mørck's gloom, and their quiet, evolving partnership is where the real subtle strengths of the episode lie.

However, the direction, while maintaining the signature atmospheric and muted visual style, perhaps leans too heavily into the slow burn. For some, the deliberate unspooling of the Merete Lynggaard case, while true to the Nordic Noir ethos, might feel less like a meticulous investigation and more like stagnation. The episode digs deeper into the victim's past, adding complexity, but without a significant shift in momentum or a fresh injection of urgency, it risks becoming repetitive.

It certainly maintains the show's gritty aesthetic, but those hoping for an acceleration of the plot or a substantial narrative payoff might find themselves testing their patience.