Netflix's Dept. Q arrived in 2025 as a stylish, brooding crime noir that quickly won over critics and subscribers alike. Based on Jussi Adler-Olsen's bestselling novels, the series follows Matthew Goode's haunted Detective Carl Morck as he navigates Edinburgh's gray streets and his own guilt. The show's tightly wound plotting, misfit team chemistry, and Goode's grizzled charisma made it a sleeper hit. But as Season 2 approaches, one key piece is missing — and it could change everything.
Rachel Irving Was More Than a Therapist
Kelly Macdonald's Dr. Rachel Irving served as Morck's mandated therapist in Season 1, but she was never just a sounding board. Rachel brought an outsider's clarity to the investigation and added a psychological richness that elevated the entire series. She pushed back against Morck's toxic reflexes, called him out on his nonsense, and refused to be intimidated by his hostility. At the same time, she showed genuine empathy for his PTSD — all while maintaining firm boundaries as a professional.
Macdonald's performance blended dry humor, jaded weariness, and real warmth, turning Rachel into a character with her own storied inner life. She wasn't a passive love interest or a plot device; she was a fully realized person with cynicism, past hurt, and future goals. Her dynamic with Morck — part accountability, part reluctant connection — became one of the show's most compelling threads.
Why Macdonald Isn't Returning
At this year's Bloody Scotland crime-writing festival, co-creator Scott Frank confirmed that Macdonald won't be back for Season 2 due to scheduling conflicts with her role on HBO's Lanterns. It's a standard industry situation, but the loss is significant. Rachel may have hovered on the sidelines compared to Morck and his colleagues, but her presence kept the series' emotional equilibrium intact.
Frank noted that the door remains open for Macdonald to return in the future, depending on her availability and whether both shows get renewed. For now, though, Dept. Q must move forward without her.
What Rachel's Absence Means for Morck
Without Rachel, Morck could regress. She was the closest thing he had to reliable solace, and her combination of comfort and challenge helped him take baby steps toward healing. Season 2 might show him emotionally stranded, refusing to connect with a new therapist, or self-sabotaging in familiar ways. The show's creative team seems aware of the gap: comedian James Corden has reportedly been cast as forensic psychologist Dr. Ben Smith, a role that occupies similar narrative space but won't fully replace Rachel.
Rachel's absence also leaves dangling threads — her past marriage, her professional burnout, and the will-they-won't-they tension with Morck. Season 1's finale positioned her as a character ready for deeper exploration, and losing that potential is a blow. Macdonald's caliber as an actor, from Trainspotting to Boardwalk Empire, makes her departure sting even more.
The Bigger Picture
Dept. Q remains one of the most gripping crime thrillers on Netflix, and Season 2 still has plenty to offer. But Rachel Irving was a secret weapon — a character who grounded the show's psychological depth and gave Morck a worthy foil. Her exit raises compelling questions about how the series will evolve. Will Morck find a new anchor, or will he spiral? Fans will have to tune in to find out.
For more standout crime dramas, check out our list of top Netflix thrillers or revisit the most suspenseful thrillers since 2000. And if you're looking for another binge-worthy detective series, don't miss Ballard.
