Dept. Q

What’s it about?

Carl, a former renowned detective, is overcome with guilt after an attack left his partner paralysed and another policeman dead. Upon returning to work, Carl is assigned a cold case that will consume his life.

The facts

• Created by Scott Frank and Chandni Lakhani
• Starring Matthew Goode, Kate Dickie, Alexej Manvelov, Leah Byrne, Kelly Macdonald, Catriona Stirling, Chloe Pirrie, Mark Bonnar, and Shirley Henderson
• English language
• 1 season, 9 episodes, 55 minutes each (on average)

Why did it get this rating?

This series was self-rated by Netflix. You can find out more about self-rating by streaming providers here.

Violence and cruelty

This series contains violent scenes and injury detail, including characters being shot and killed, kidnapped, and abused.

Some of the strongest moments of violence include:

• A woman is kidnapped and kept in a chamber cell for a long period of time. She is psychologically abused and physically abused by her captives turning the pressure up in her cell when they don’t get what they want.
• A man smashes someone’s head with a hammer. We see blood and brain matter spraying around in what is a very graphic and shocking scene.
• There is a scene where a man throws a pocketknife into another man’s neck and shoots him in the head with a shotgun, killing him. There is lots of blood spray and this scene is very graphic.
• One character talks about a woman who said her husband tried to kill her, giving her black eyes, broken ribs, and a broken cheekbone. This may be disturbing to hear.
• A man is pushed down a set of stairs, resulting in his knee breaking. We hear bone crushing and briefly see a bloody knee wound with bone protruding. The man who pushed him proceeds to stand on his wound, causing blood to cover the victim's hands.

Suicide

There is a suicide scene where a character shoots herself in the head with a pistol. We do not see it directly, but we see her car from above as her windows are covered with blood and you see minor reactions from other characters before the scene cuts away. This may be shocking for some viewers.

Offensive language

This show contains use of offensive language, with words like “f**k,” “sh*t,” and “b*tch.”

When content stays with you:

We all have our boundaries, and it’s completely okay if something you’ve watched is weighing on your mind. If certain content lingers with you, consider having a chat with friends or whānau to debrief about what you’ve just seen. But if you’re still feeling affected, please reach out to any of the following helplines for support.  

• 1737
• Safe to talk
• Lifeline
• Youthline

Further information

• Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau?
• Brain development – how it works, why it matters