Dept. Q Finale: Shocking Twists and the Fate of Morck’s Team Revealed!

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*Warning – contains full spoilers for all episodes of Dept. Q*

Audience members are swiftly moving forward with the nine-episode series Department Q, tracking detective Matthew Goode (as Karl Morck) and his dedicated investigative team as they delve into an old case that holds significant modern-day relevance.

By the close of the initial episode, it became clear to the audience that the narrative thread involving Chloe Pirrie’s character Merritt, which they had been following, was set four years earlier. This revelation also indicated that Merritt had been in captivity throughout this entire period.

In my perspective as a film critic, Morck and his dedicated crew embark on an intense pursuit to rescue her, apprehend her kidnappers, and ensure justice is served. The suspenseful climax of this season leaves us questioning whether they achieve their goal. As for our central characters, the final scenes hint at intriguing developments that could potentially unfold in future seasons.

Read on for everything you need to know about the ending of Dept. Q.

Who was Merritt abducted by and why?

During their investigation, Morck and the Dept. Q team discovered that the individual who had presented himself as Sam Haig, whom Merritt had been in a relationship with, turned out to be someone else altogether.

In reality, the man turned out to be Lyle Jennings, the sibling of Harry Jennings – the person Merritt had been romantically involved with during her youth.

From a young age, Lyle often experienced harsh treatment at the hands of his mother, who would confine him in a high-pressure oxygen chamber for extended durations as a form of discipline for misbehavior. To him, such actions seemed completely standard and justifiable.

In his youth, he was recognized for having taken the lives of animals, and tragically, when he was 14 years old, he ended his father’s life in a house fire. It was during this time that he carelessly ignited fires by tossing lit cigarettes near his sleeping father at home.

Merritt and Harry conspired to flee together, seeking escape from Merritt’s father and Harry’s mom. They discussed the idea of secretly taking some of Merritt’s late mother’s rings from her dad as a means to finance their shared future. However, despite Merritt asking him not to proceed, he went ahead with the plan anyway.

One evening, unaware that William was there, he attempted to enter their residence. However, to his surprise, it was Merritt’s brother William who was at home. Startled, William struck Harry on the head in shock.

Lyle, who had discreetly trailed Harry, witnessed the incident, and retaliated harshly against William, inflicting severe injuries upon him. This resulted in a comatose state from which he never fully recovered, leaving him speechless and incapable of self-care moving forward.

Initially, Harry made a hasty escape, with Merrit maintaining that he was involved in the assault all along. Pursued by Officer Cunningham, Harry found himself aboard a ferry; however, during the chase, he tragically lost his footing and plunged into the water, ultimately meeting his demise.

Lyle and his mom, Ailsa, held Merritt responsible for Harry’s passing. As time went on, Lyle started experiencing hallucinations, thinking that Harry was still present. He spent a period in confinement, but was released around six years before Merritt vanished.

He accepted a position working for the ferry service, but under his mother’s orders, he kidnapped Merritt after persuading her to depart town and join him on the boat with William. Subsequently, they confined her in a hyperbaric chamber, attempting to make her comprehend why she was there, disclose information, and confess to whatever secrets she may have had.

Was Merritt saved?

At the close of the season, it became clear that Lyle had murdered both Cunningham and the true Sam Haig. Given this evidence, it would not be surprising if he could have also killed Merritt, despite his apparent affection for her.

They significantly increased the pressure within the chamber, so if Ailsa managed to escape, she would likely perish due to the abrupt shift in atmospheric conditions.

Fortunately, Morck and Akram managed to pinpoint the chamber’s location at the last moment and worked frantically to balance the pressure for Merritt’s safety. While they were engaged, Lyle appeared and wounded Morck with a gunshot to the shoulder.

Just before he killed them, Akram managed to get hold of the gun and shoot Lyle dead with it.

Afterwards, Morck and Akram managed to rescue Merritt, effectively controlling the pressure levels first, before carefully moving her onto a hyperbaric stretcher for recuperation under high pressure conditions. Later on, she was found in good health again, having fully recovered. Eventually, she was reunited with her brother William.

Meanwhile, as she was about to be arrested, Ailsa shot herself in the head.

Where did we leave Morck and the team?

Morck, along with his roommate Martin, stepson Jasper, and counselor Rachel, were observed enjoying each other’s company and strengthening their relationships.

Morck informed Stephen Burns, the Lord Advocate, that he wouldn’t disclose the means by which he prevented the Graham Finch prosecution from succeeding, knowing it was to safeguard his daughter, who had been threatened by Finch. Had Merritt testified about Burns’s actions, he might have faced complications.

Instead, Morck coerced him into providing the department with its rightful budget, all the while ensuring Akram’s swift promotion to the rank of Detective Inspector.

After regaining mobility with crutches, Hardy made his way back to the department. Upon his arrival, Moira shared a case for him to investigate. Subsequently, he linked up with Morck, Akram, and Rose in the department’s basement.

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2025-05-29 20:34