Netflix: DEPT. Q Ending & Answers

Looking for the DEPT. Q ending explained? Wondering what happened to Merritt, or if the Netflix crime thriller series will get a season 2? Here’s a complete breakdown of the ending, twists, and what it all means.

Netflix’s Dept. Q ending delivers brutal answers. But before we get that far, the series offers a gripping blend of psychological drama, procedural mystery, and emotional redemption. All set against the misty backdrop of Edinburgh, Scotland.

Based on the bestselling Danish novels by Jussi Adler-Olsen, the series reimagines the original Scandi noir as a brooding Tartan noir. All led by Matthew Goode’s portrayal of the emotionally scarred DCI Carl Morck. A British man in Scotland.

The nine-episode first season centers on the haunting cold case of Merritt Lingard. She’s a high-profile prosecutor who vanished during a ferry trip with her mentally disabled brother, William.

What begins as a bureaucratic assignment for Morck’s newly formed cold-case unit spirals into a dark, layered investigation that unearths long-buried secrets, personal traumas, and systemic corruption. That’s why the Dept. Q ending hits so hard!

The Season 1 Dept. Q ending

Let’s get into the ending of Dept. Q season 1, by doing a little Q&A. We’ll try to get to the bottom of all core elements this way. So, let’s get into it, shall we?

Needless to say, but I’ll say it anyway for good measure, the below is full of Dept. Q spoilers for season 1. If you’re looking for a review of the series, then head on over here >

What Happened to Merritt Lingard?

Merritt Lingard’s disappearance is the emotional core of Dept. Q. Initially presumed drowned after a public altercation with her brother, the case had gone cold for four years.

Fortunately, Carl Morck and his team—tech-savvy Akram (Alexej Manvelov), emotionally fragile Rose (Leah Byrne), and the paralyzed yet insightful Hardy (Jamie Sives)—uncover evidence suggesting foul play.

Their investigation ultimately reveals that Merritt was abducted by Lyle Jennings, who had assumed the identity of journalist Sam Haig to seduce her.

Lyle, harboring a vendetta rooted in a tragic incident involving his brother Harry and Merritt during their youth, held her captive in a hyperbaric chamber on his family’s shipping property, Shorebird Ocean Systems.

The company’s logo—a cormorant—matches a drawing by William, providing a crucial clue.

Who Kidnapped Merritt and Why?

The abduction ties back to a botched robbery from Merritt’s teenage years. Seeking to escape her oppressive home life, Merritt had conspired with Harry Jennings to steal her mother’s jewelry.

The plan went awry when Lyle, Harry’s antisocial brother, assaulted William during the heist, leaving him nonverbal. Harry died fleeing the police, and Lyle, along with his mother Ailsa, blamed Merritt for his death.

Years later, Lyle’s obsession led him to kidnap Merritt under the guise of Sam Haig, imprisoning her in a hyperbaric chamber as a twisted form of retribution.

The idea for this method, using the hyperbaric chamber, came from his own childhood. He and his brother were placed there to learn a lesson when their mother saw fit. Clearly, Lyle got his antisocial and emotionally stunted personality from her.

How Does Department Q Save Merritt?

In the episode 9 season finale, Morck and Akram locate the chamber where Merritt is held. Faced with the challenge of safely decompressing the chamber, they receive guidance from Hardy via phone.

During the rescue, Lyle attacks, and Morck is shot while protecting Akram. Akram, drawing on his mysterious past, subdues Lyle, who is killed in the process. Lyle’s mother, Ailsa, confronted by the police as she tries to escape, takes her own life.

Merritt is rescued and begins her recovery, reuniting with her brother William.

What About the Opening Shooting?

The series opens with a traumatic shooting that leaves Morck wounded, Hardy paralyzed, and a rookie officer dead. Throughout the season, Morck grapples with PTSD and survivor’s guilt.

While the killer behind the ambush remains unresolved, Morck theorizes it was a calculated distraction to cover up the murder of the young officer. This lingering mystery sets the stage for potential exploration in future seasons.

Who Is Sam Haig?

Sam Haig appears to be a key figure in Merritt Lingard’s disappearance — a journalist who was allegedly in a relationship with her and investigating corruption within her legal department.

But when Morck and Dickson dig deeper, Haig’s timeline doesn’t add up. He was reportedly involved in two separate affairs at the same time, leading to a chilling revelation: the Sam Haig seen with Lingard wasn’t Sam Haig at all.

The real Haig had already died — pushed from a climbing cliff by Lyle Jennings, a violent and deeply disturbed man with a dark history tied to Lingard’s past.

Years earlier, Lyle had beaten Merritt’s brother William during a robbery gone wrong, a crime for which his brother Harry took the blame and later died. Lyle and his mother blamed Merritt for Harry’s death and, years later, Lyle sought revenge.

How did Lyle Jennings and Sam Haig know each other?

Lyle and Haig had once been institutionalized together as children. After reconnecting in adulthood, Lyle killed Haig and assumed his identity to get close to Merritt.

Under the Haig alias, Lyle seduced and kidnapped her, imprisoning her in a hyperbaric chamber on the grounds of his family’s shipping company, Shorebird Ocean Systems — symbolized by a cormorant, the same bird William had obsessively drawn.

The fake Haig’s betrayal becomes the final thread that unravels the entire case.

Is Dept. Q Based on Other Works?

Yes, Dept. Q is adapted from the acclaimed Danish crime novels by Jussi Adler-Olsen. The original series includes titles like The Keeper of Lost Causes and The Absent One, which were previously adapted into Danish films starring Nikolaj Lie Kaas as Carl Mørck.

The Netflix adaptation relocates the setting to Edinburgh and introduces new cultural nuances while retaining the core themes of the source material.

Will There Be a Dept. Q Season 2?

While Netflix has not officially announced a second season of Dept. Q, the series leaves several threads open for continuation.

Not least, the unresolved questions surrounding the initial shooting, Akram’s enigmatic past, and the dynamics within Department Q suggest ample material for future episodes. Given the positive reception and the depth of the source material, a renewal seems promising.

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Dept. Q is now streaming on Netflix. For viewers seeking a complex, character-driven crime drama with emotional depth and intricate storytelling, this series is a must-watch.