Dept. Q Ending Explained: Merritt’s Final Fate, Double-Identity Twist, Season 2, and More

Dept. Q comes from Scott Frank, who also created the Netflix hit, The Queen’s Gambit. It is based on the Danish novel, The Keeper of Lost Causes, by Jussi Adler-Olsen. This show is a nine-episode long detective drama that follows Detective Chief Inspector Carl Morck (Matthew Goode), who has been assigned to the newly created police unit called Department Q that’s supposed to handle cold cases. 

The aim of creating a brand-new department is to ensure that the Edinburgh police department remains in the good graces of the public and media. However, the actual truth is that the department is located in the former shower quarters and has minimal funding to work on the cases. Morck was transferred there after a near-fatal incident left him suffering from PTSD, and his partner, DCI Hardy, paralyzed from the waist down. 

Also, this transfer isn’t a promotion and instead a banishment of sorts. Yet, Morck tries his best with assistant Akram (Alexej Manvelov) and Detective Constable Rose (Leah Byrne) to solve the cold case of Merritt Lingard (Chloe Pirrie), a prosecutor missing for 4 years. So, what happened to her, and is she still alive? In this Dept Q ending explained article, all will be revealed. 

What Happened to Merritt Lingard?

The investigation revealed that Merritt Lingard had been abducted. They found a thread through Sam Haig, who Lingard was in a relationship with. However, Sam Haig wasn’t who he was claiming to be. He was actually Lyle Jennings. 

Lyle was the brother of Harry Jennings, with whom Merritt had been in a relationship before. Lyle was severely abused by his mother, Ailsa, from an early age. She used to punish him by sealing him inside a hyperbaric chamber for long periods. Lyle began thinking that this was normal and something other kids also go through. 

Lyle also displayed psychopathic behavior since his childhood, as he killed animals as a kid and also ended his own father’s life by starting a home fire with lit cigarettes. All this made Harry and Merritt want to elope so that they could start a new life. But living a new life requires funds, and so Harry planned to steal jewelry that belonged to Merritt's late mother. 

However, that robbery went awry when Harry found Merritt's brother, William, at home. This sudden intrusion made William hit Harry over the head. Lyle, who was following Harry, saw this incident and then retaliated by beating William mercilessly. This put Merritt’s brother in a coma, and when he awoke, he was left non-verbal and completely dependent on others to survive. 

Harry ran from this and fled to a ferry. The police were alerted, and local police officer Cunningham gave him chase. Harry died by falling overboard to his death. As expected, Lyle and his mother, Ailsa, blamed Merritt for Harry's death. Lyle was sectioned for his part in William’s almost-death but was let out 6 years before Merritt disappeared. 

When he came out, he began working for the ferry and then abducted Merritt as per his mother’s instructions. Then, they locked her in the hyperbaric chamber. 

Who is Sam Haig and how is he Connected to the case?

Morck and team discover that Merritt was in a relationship with late journalist Sam Haig (Steven Miller). The team tries to figure out where he was before his climbing death and finds out something shocking- he was also having an affair. So, it wouldn’t have been possible for him to be in two places at once. 

Turns out, the Sam Haig Merritt was seeing was a fraud. In reality, Harry’s brother, Lyle Jennings, was dating her. Sam and Lyle had known each other since school days, as both were troubled boys. Jennings then killed Haig and threw him from the local climbing spot. Then, he took Sam's identity and began dating Merritt. Then, ultimately, he kidnapped her. 

Did Merritt get Rescued? 

Yes, Morck and Akram found out the location of the hyperbaric chamber and went to Merritt just in the nick of time. They tried to stabilize the pressure after Lyle and his mother had increased it to ensure that even if she got rescued, the sudden difference in air pressure would kill her. 

However, Lyle found Morck and Akram and fired at them. Morck jumped in front of Akram and took the bullet. But then Akram got the gun and shot Lyle dead. Morck and Akram then stabilized the pressure before taking her to a hyperbaric stretcher where she could slowly recover and adjust to normal pressure. She also reunited with William. As for Ailsa, she shot herself in the head just when she was about to be arrested. 

Was the Shooting that left DCI Hardy paralyzed Solved?

The show begins with an incident that leaves DCI Morck wounded, DCI Hardy paralyzed, and DC Anderson dead. While the main case of the show is Merritt’s disappearance, this mystery was also being investigated on the sidelines. Morck suspects that it could have been an inside job, as DC Anderson had ties to a criminal boss and had called in a wellness check, which led to the shooting. 

Does the Ending set up a Dept Q Season 2? 

Yes, the ending of Department Q does set up a possible season 2. Merritt’s boss, Stephen Burns (Mark Bonnar) was also suspected to be corrupt and involved in her disappearance. It turns out that Burns was indeed culpable and had acquitted a husband accused of killing his wife.

However, his hands were tied as the defendant’s goons had threatened the life of his daughter. Morck uses this leverage over Burns to get more resources for Department Q. He then returns to the department three months after recovering from the bullet wound and saving Merritt.

He is welcomed by Akram and Rose, as well as Hardy, who has begun walking again. They have the next case lined up and all look ready to solve it. However, at the time of writing, Netflix hasn't renewed the show for a second season.

Dept. Q is available to stream on Netflix.