Query summary: Key events unfold in Dept. Q episode 2 as Carl grapples with his past, initiating the hunt for Merritt.
In the latest installment of the Netflix crime drama, "Dept. Q," detective Carl Morck (Matthew Goode) returns to work following a shooting incident that left his partner paralyzed and a young officer dead. Instead of being allowed to grieve, Morck is tasked with launching Department Q, an elite division of the police force dedicated to solving cold cases.
The inaugural case assigned to Department Q involves the mysterious disappearance of prosecutor Merritt Lingard, whose subsequent absence threatens to unravel Morck's entire world.
The episode commences with Merritt locked inside a container, where she finds supplies such as toilet paper, fruit, and water. The walls of the container are adorned with the names and criminals charges of various individuals. Merritt also takes a shower inside the container using a small vent.
Meanwhile, Akram informs Morck that there were 18 cameras keeping watch over Merritt when she was on a ferry, but she simply vanished without a trace. The team discusses the possibility of someone pushing her overboard, but they can't find any witnesses to support this theory. Akram suggests she may have been kidnapped, but Morck doubts someone would go to such lengths to seize someone at sea. He also wonders why there was no ransom demand if that was indeed the case.
Moira drops by to demand a report on the first case, but Morck and Akram argue about him being given the freedom to find cases. Moira storms off, and Morck is furious with Akram for showing her the case.
Later on, at the police station, DCI Bruce reviews the Leith Park shooting incident with another officer. Morck interrupts to ask about a suspect named Fergus Dunbar, who is currently in rehab at a peculiar church. Morck insists on speaking with Dunbar about Merritt's case.
Morck pays a visit to Dunbar, a former policeman, and inquires about Merritt's disappearance. Dunbar maintains that he has no information about her, having searched the water and coastline for weeks without finding anything. He also mentions that he had interviewed everyone on the ferry and the other boat in the water that day to no avail.
Back at Department Q, Akram prays, and Morck interrupts to demand Merritt's brother's name. Akram reveals it is William, who resides in a treatment facility called Egley House. Morck and Akram visit the facility to question William, with Akram divulging his history as a Syrian police officer during the conversation.
At Egley House, the staff initially refuses to allow William to be questioned, citing his aphasia—a condition affecting his language, expression, and comprehension—and his lack of interaction with others. With some persuasion, Morck and Akram manage to speak with William's legal guardian, who confirms that he suffers from severe communication difficulties.
Morck becomes determined to see William and speaks with the staff about obtaining a warrant. The legal guardian eventually declares that she will protect William and dismisses Morck and Akram.
Elsewhere, it is revealed that a woman named Claire Marsh visits William every week, despite the staff's assertion that he has no visitors. Morck and Akram decide to visit Claire, who claims she hasn't thought of Merritt or William in years. However, Morck knows about her frequent visits to Egley House and presses her for answers.
Claire reveals that she is the housekeeper at a mansion and was friends with Merritt and William. She says she was protective of William and reveals that he suffered serious head trauma in an accident when he was 16. Claire explains that she couldn't get any information about the accident from Merritt and still doesn't know what happened.
Claire details Merritt's behavior in the weeks leading up to her disappearance. She was on edge about a case, according to Claire, but this was not unusual for Merritt. She lived isolated in the countryside, keeping her work and personal lives separate. Claire also mentions that she didn't even know about the trip Merritt and William were taking until they had already left.
As the episode concludes, Morck receives a call from Jasper's school. Jasper has not been attending classes. Morck rushes home to find his son with a girl, and they leave with their belongings in tow. Meanwhile, Akram requests all records pertaining to Merritt Lingard's case from Department Q's secretary, Rose.
In a related subplot, Rose is dealing with her own struggles, taking medication for a yet-unspecified mental health issue. She argues with Moira about returning to work, but Moira refuses to discuss the matter further.
Finally, Morck seeks therapy to address his guilt over the shooting incident that caused his partner's paralysis. During one session, he confesses to his therapist that he only returned to work because he was ordered to, and not because he truly wanted to.
Dept. Q is currently streaming on Netflix.
- After discovering that 18 cameras on a ferry were monitoring Merritt, Carl Morck and his team ponder the possibility of someone pushing her overboard, but they can't find any witnesses to support this theory.
- In therapy, Morck expresses his guilt over returning to work following the shooting incident that left his partner paralyzed and a young officer dead, confessing that he only did so because he was ordered to.
- Later in the series, Carl Morck and his team visit Egley House, a treatment facility, to question Merritt Lingard's brother, William, about her mysterious disappearance.
- To unwind after a long day of work, Morck sometimes relaxes by watching episodes from various television series on Netflix, finding it an enjoyable form of entertainment.
