Netflix’s newest crime series,Dept. Qhas made quite an impression on audiences, but it is not the only great crime drama available on streaming. Released on July 06, 2025,Dept. Qhas already become a huge hit on Netflix. The series follows detective Carl Morck in the aftermath of a shooting during a routine wellness check. Morck is moved to the basement of his department and relegated to cold cases that his superiors believe he will not be able to solve, but one case quickly catches his eye.
With the help of his team, Akram and Rose, Morck sets out to uncover what truly happened to Merritt Lingard, a woman who disappeared four years earlier.Dept. Q’s cast of charactersare incredibly entertaining to watch, especially as Matthew Goode’s Morck loses some of his gruff attitude as he becomes determined to find Merritt. ByDept. Q’s ending, the team makes a shocking discovery and eventually closes the case. The series leaves ample opportunity for the characters to return in season 2, but with no confirmation yet, there are a few other shows to enjoy in the meantime.
While there is no shortage of crime shows, British crime shows in particular have long been very good, andThe Victimis just one example of that.The BBC series follows Anna Dean, the mother of a young boy who was murdered 14 years earlier, as she faces trial for revealing the hypothetical identity of her son’s killer, leading the accused to be attacked. As the series progresses, it explores the true identity of her son’s killer and the constant emotions that Anna still faces regarding her son’s death.
What makes the show so compelling is the constant question of whether the man who was attacked truly was the same man who killed Anna’s son all those years ago. While Anna and the case’s investigators seek to uncover the truth and whether Anna can be held responsible for his recent attack, audiences are able to gain a deeper understanding of why people do the things they do. On top of the gripping plot, fans ofDept. Qmay also enjoyThe Victimasthe series is led by Kelly Macdonald, who appears as Morck’s therapist, Dr. Rachel Irving.
Just a few weeks before the release ofDept. Q, Netflix also released another crime thriller that received high ratings from critics and audiences.Secrets We Keepis a Danish series that explores the class, race, and gendered divides of a wealthy Copenhagen neighborhood.The series follows the disappearance of Ruby, the au pair for a wealthy familywho seemingly couldn’t care less that she has left. While her employers are unbothered by Ruby’s disappearance, their neighbor, Cecilie, begins to suspect the worst.
LikeDept. Q, Secrets We Keepslowly unravels Ruby’s disappearance across its episodes, allowing viewers to formulate their own opinions on who could have been involved in her sudden departure. Though the series focuses far more on Cecilie’s own investigation into Ruby’s disappearance, the audience does get to see her case from a police perspective as well, which highlights the problems that the investigators encounter in questioning upper-class secretive suspects. The gripping series is easy to binge and is sure to leave viewers shocked.
Like their TV counterparts, crime thriller books are incredibly popular, so it makes complete sense that many of the most popular crime shows are based on books, and this is true for bothDept. QandCross.Crossis based on James Patterson’sAlex Crossnovel series, which has long been a hit with readers and has been adapted several other times, but Prime Video’s new series sheds new light on the character.Crosssees the legendary forensic psychologist and detective take on the case of a missing woman kidnapped by a serial killer.
The series arguably has a slightly darker tone thanDept. Q, but its basic structure and the detectives' search for their missing person do have some clear similarities.
Crossis a thrilling watch, especially for fans of true crime. The series arguably has a slightly darker tone thanDept. Q, but its basic structure and the detectives' search for their missing person do have some clear similarities. The shows both let viewers know from the outset that their missing characters are alive, making the hunt for them intriguing thanks to the discovery of new evidence, rather than the reveal of the missing characters' fates. This format allows the performances to stand out quite strongly and creates an exciting race against time.
Just asDept. Qbegins with a disappearance, so too, in a way, doesMissing You.Missing Youcenters on Kat Donovan, a detective who has struggled to move forward with her life since the mysterious disappearance of her fiancé and the death of her father 11 years earlier. However,everything comes crashing back into her mind when she matches with her ex-fiance, Josh, on a dating app, forcing her to reconsider all the inconsistencies in her father’s case and Josh’s disappearance.
The five-episode miniseries covers the plot of Harlan Coben’s book of the same name, and it is perfectly twisty. Kat’s journey through her own past helps viewers understand the character and everything that she has been through. What’s even better, though, is that nothing is what it seems.Missing You’s endingwill leave viewers shocked by the big revelations and Kat’s final moments with her former fiancé. Though it is just one of several Harlan Coben adaptations available to stream,Missing Youis a good place to start afterDept. Q.
The Gillian Anderson-led crime seriesThe Fallis another great crime series that has a very similar tone toDept. Q. The series follows DSU Stella Gibson, who is called to Belfast to supervise the investigation of a murder but soon finds that what seemed like one individual case is linked to several other deaths. At the same time, serial killer Paul Spector continues looking for new victims, forcing the two closer to a confrontation.
Much likeDept. Q, The Fallbenefits from a somewhat somber tone and tight pacing that allows the series to examine who its characters are as imperfect people and what motivated Spector’s actions.
The Fallran for three seasons from 2013 to 2016, with Anderson and Dornan reprising their roles for each season.The cat-and-mouse game that develops between the detective and the killer is very grippingand hard to look away from, even when the series becomes quite intense. Much likeDept. Q, The Fallbenefits from a somewhat somber tone and tight pacing that allows the series to examine who its characters are as imperfect people and what motivated Spector’s actions.
Netflix’s Nordic noir seriesThe Breakthroughis a good follow-up,thanks toDept. Q’s origins as a Nordic crime series itself. Despite the show’s setting being changed to Edinburgh, theDepartment Qbook series originally took place in Denmark and has a very similar tone to many Nordic noir shows and novel series.The Breakthrough, in turn, takes place in Sweden and blends a real criminal case with enhanced drama. In particular,the series focuses on the unsolved case of a stabbing that took place in broad daylight.
The deaths of the two victims went unsolved for 15 years, but one detective is determined to change that. The series recounts the events of the stabbing, and it also explores how Linköping police used new DNA identification technology to solve a crime that previously seemed impossible. The story is gripping, but it also feels a bit educational for fans of true crime because it so neatly explores the real crime and how the police were finally able to solve it over a decade later.
Slow Horses
Cast
Slow Horses follows a dysfunctional team of MI5 agents led by the notorious Jackson Lamb. Set against the backdrop of the espionage world, the agents must navigate complex operations and defend England from sinister forces, all while dealing with internal struggles and their abrasive boss.
Dept. Qhad a very successful first installment and many are already hoping to see the characters return for season 2, but for audiences who want a glimpse at whatDept. Qcould become in time, that show would beSlow Horses.Slow Horsescenters on MI5 rejects in London who work in Slough House, where unwanted agents and cases go to flounder. Thoughthe agency wants the Slough House agents to stay out of the way, similar to Moira’s plans for Morck, they continually get involved in important cases.
Slow Horseshas been renewed by Apple TV+ for seasons 5 and 6, and season 5 is slated to premiere on June 06, 2025.
Across its four seasons so far,Slow Horseshas been incredibly well-received by critics and audiences alike. The cast’s performances are stellar, impressively blending the more serious moments of their investigations with the characters' more emotional moments. Also likeDept. Q, Slow Horsessees its cases often overlap with the personal lives of the agents, prompting them, much like Morck, to become overly involved. AlthoughDept. Qhas yet to be renewed for season 2,Slow Horsesprovides a great replacement with even more on the way.
Dept. Q
Dept. Q follows a brash yet brilliant cop who is appointed head of a new police department in Edinburgh. Leading a team of misfits, he tackles cold cases, uncovering old mysteries and long-buried secrets.
