Any well-reviewed crime drama that pulls quite a few comparisons to Apple TV’s good Sluggish Horses will simply earn a spot on my to-watch listing, however as quickly as Dept. Q hit Netflix final week, I hit play with out hesitation. The explanation I used to be in such a rush to dive in is that I stay in Edinburgh — the town the place the brand new detective present is about.
Edinburgh is commonly used as a filming location, however more often than not it merely supplies a picturesque and/or historic backdrop for a TV present or movie — it is extra concerning the aesthetic impact reasonably than taking part in a pivotal position within the plot.
Dept. Q is completely different. Jaded detective Carl Morck, performed by a grizzled Matthew Goode, who’s recovering from a taking pictures that killed one police officer, almost killed him and paralysed his associate on a call-out, has been tasked with operating a brand new division delving into Edinburgh’s chilly circumstances. The case that Goode picks out, together with the circumstances surrounding his taking pictures, has complicated, knotty hyperlinks to Edinburgh’s justice system and legal underworld.
Right here, the town supplies greater than only a fairly skyline — it is pulled into the foreground, with the important thing gamers shifting between the grand courts on Edinburgh’s well-known Royal Mile and the grimier components of the town that vacationers by no means see. As somebody who calls Edinburgh dwelling, I am greater than accustomed to the landmarks, however I do not acknowledge the facet of the town I see within the present in any respect. That is to not say it is not correct.
Edinburgh Fort is clearly a well-recognized sight to me.
Certain, Edinburgh is not precisely a hotbed of violent crime in contrast with different cities within the UK and undoubtedly in contrast with cities within the US. Within the 5 years I’ve lived right here, I can keep in mind just one deadly taking pictures making the information. However I additionally absolutely acknowledge that almost all of organized crime is commonly hidden from the view of these not immersed in that world.
Sometimes, violent incidents, police raids or trials spill over, sending ripples of tension by neighborhoods and cropping up in headlines. However creative portrayals, whereas typically exaggerated for dramatic impact, can expose us to variations of locations that in any other case would possibly stay hidden from view.
As a metropolis famed for its magnificence, typically considered genteel and reasonably sedate, it is fascinating to see Edinburgh portrayed as a spot that’s a lot greater than the vacationer supreme. Not for the reason that 1996 movie Trainspotting has a much less romanticized imaginative and prescient of the town been seen on display screen.
Dept. Q even wasn’t initially set in Edinburgh — it is truly tailored from a Danish novel of the identical identify — however as a resident, I appreciated the best way it supplied a unique perspective on the place that I do know and love. It was additionally enjoyable to identify components of city I am intimately accustomed to seem in a comparatively high-production present — the fortress view from exterior my favourite indie file retailer, for instance.
There are numerous flaws with Dept Q, from little niggles (what native journalist can afford to drive a Porsche?) to pacing points — particularly within the first episode. The plot is so meaty that at occasions it turns into convoluted. However regardless of all of this, I discovered myself staying up previous my bedtime to observe “only one extra episode” — as my husband and I might inform one another with a sideways look, absolutely conscious that we have been succumbing to a full-on binge.
Is it good? No. Am I already hankering after season 2? Completely. Am I hoping Edinburgh will loom even bigger in future episodes? I am asking properly — sure, please.
