Dept. Q - Goode so good

[Peachy2005]

Hot tip! Dept. Q on Netflix (since yesterday). It grabbed me by the throat in the first 5 minutes and never let go. I was 5 episodes in before I could bear to pause (at 1am). Now I need to try to make the remaining episodes last a bit longer 🙃

It’s a dark cold-case police drama set in Edinburgh. Apologies if there is already a thread about it but I couldn’t find one. Matthew Goode is excellent and so is everyone else in it. Can’t recommend it enough!

I've seen Matthew Goode in other things like Downton and he's never done a thing for me. Yet in this, where he is being horrible to everyone and all unkempt, I suddenly fancy the pants off him. Bit concerned about what that says about me!

It's excellent. They will be doing another series.

Thanks. They do sound good, now all I need is the concentration levels required to read past the first sentence of a book, over and over again 😄 definitely going to look into them. Not just yet tho, I can’t read a book/watch an adaptation too close together as I just end up picking it to bits! I’ll wait for a while until I forget the series, which along with the lack of concentration my memory is shot atm, so probably won’t take too long!

Might have a look, haven’t watched anything on dvd in so long now!

Unfortunately the first Dept Q volume is the sort of book that begins with the protagonist looking at their reflection in the mirror … So that’s the end of this author for me.

I’ll just have to wait patiently for the next Netflix adaptation.

@MissConductUS, Black Doves came out a few months ago - it engendered some lively debate on threads here. You may be able to find them through Search.

If you don't like the plot holes in Dept Q you will struggle with Black Doves. There are no end of fights in city streets with not a soul there to witness them and messy crime scenes just left for someone else (who?) to clear up.

@MissPrismsMistake, I'm in the U.S. and I've noticed that Netflix doesn't always release new content on the same schedule here. Or I may have just missed it when it came out. I'll have a look for the earlier discussion of it here.

@CaptainMyCaptain, I've noticed those issues in just the first two episodes. I've just been invoking my willing suspension of disbelief.

Is Akram Assad???

Yes. Hafed al Assad, known as Assad. Don't know why they changed the name, but possibly because of recent political events in Syria.
Marcus the boss also seemed to have become Moira. 😮

I’m about to give up on this as the torture scenes are both boring and horrific, which is a strange mix. I love Matthew Goode and Edinburgh, but I’m finding it hard to stay hooked.

I didn’t think the torture scenes were that bad. It was fairly minimal torture until near the end for a young woman. I was expecting far worse

Yup. I would usually turn off anything that centred on the abuse, torture (or murder) of a woman - but actually this took a slightly different turn. I don’t know what happened in the novel - but I can see that (heavens, this isn’t the spoiler thread - will be careful!) the way in which the story was focused meant it avoided elements that would have made me stop watching.

I adore Edinburgh - but I certainly don’t think this showed it in its best light!

(Oddly enough, I’m pretty sure I spotted bits of Edinburgh in ‘The Buccaneers’ - when the story was set in London.)

I left the room during those scenes.

I binge-watched this until nearly 2.00. in the morning.

Excellent.

@AndAllOurYesterdays' point about Goode looking better when he's all unkempt is rather like Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn in LOTR. He did not scrub up well for the coronation scenes; way more attractive when all dishevelled.

This exists - it’s called IMDB! (Shazam for actors)

Binged it over the weekend. There’s 10 books apparently so I expect there will be more.

I first recall Matthew in the Good Wife. Liked him in that, less so in Downton Abbey or anywhere he played a posh toff.

I watched the first ep & when it ended realised that I didn't care why Merritt had been kidnapped or who had done it!

We've watched two. Not bothered about watching any more. We've also abandoned The Bear and Severance.

Giri/Haji is her best role IMO. It was a fantastic show too.

I've got 5 episodes in, was at home with a dreadful cold yesterday but was v restrained and waited till DH was home after going to the pub to watch football!
So gripping. Dying to know what happens!

Used to live there and was just up recently too. Surely they could have found a view of the Cowgate that actually looked like it?
Also loved the big poster at Waverley!

Yes I enjoyed Giri/Haji. And generally I like Kelly Macdonald, but I do think she's coasting nowadays. The way she played this role in Dept Q was so similar to how she played it in Giri/Haji, and also similar to how she was in Black Mirror - wry, world-weary, occasionally cutting but still compassionate at heart, etc. Maybe she was different in Line of Duty, I never saw that.

The original State Of Play TV Series (forget the terrible film) with David Morrisey and John Simm is phenomenal. I rewatch it often. Bill Night is glorious in it also.

I can't remember her in Line of Duty, for some reason. Maybe she was unmemorable

I've yet to start Dept Q, so I'm reserving judgement,