426. Web-series Reviews – 234

More web-series reviews…

Dept Q – Came in 2025. DCI Carl Morck is a brilliant cop but a terrible colleague. His razor-sharp sarcasm has made him no friends in Edinburgh police. After a shooting that leaves a young pc dead, and his partner paralysed, he finds himself exiled to the basement and the sole member of Department Q; a newly formed cold case unit. The department is a PR stunt, there to distract the public from the failures of an under-resourced, failing police force that is glad to see the back of him. But more by accident than design, Carl starts to build a gang of waifs and strays who have everything to prove. So, when the stone-cold trail of a prominent civil servant who disappeared several years ago starts to heat up, Carl is back doing what he does best - rattling cages and refusing to take no for an answer.

Adapted from Danish crime novels by Jussi Adler Olsen. Previously the same novels were adapted for 6 Danish movies.

A review from IMDB...

I haven't read the books, so I'm not here to police fidelity to source material. I'm judging Dept. Q on its own terms-and it absolutely holds its own. In fact, it's one of the more emotionally intelligent crime dramas I've seen in a while.

Carl Mørck and Akram Salim are the core of this show, and what makes it sing. Their relationship is neither flashy nor sentimental-it's tense, layered, and quietly magnetic. There's a clear echo of the classic Sherlock-Watson structure, but inverted and humanized. Mørck is a brilliant but emotionally broken detective-not a quirky genius, but a man hollowed out by trauma, leaning into detachment as a survival mechanism. Salim, like Watson, appears at first to be just the grounding presence-but there's more beneath the surface. He gives off a very specific "ex-military intelligence" vibe-composed, perceptive, precise. You can feel that he's been trained to watch, not just speak.

Even more compelling, though, is how closely their dynamic mirrors Disco Elysium's Du Bois and Kitsuragi. Mørck is the Du Bois figure: emotionally adrift, steeped in failure and regret, piecing himself together through the process of the investigation. Salim, like Kitsuragi, is measured, observant, and unfailingly competent-the quiet counterweight to Mørck's mess. Their relationship is not about dominance, but mutual orbit. Salim isn't just the "sidekick." He's the moral compass, the tether to reality, the one with dignity. And unlike many genre pairings, their mutual respect grows rather than being taken for granted.

As for the complaints floating around:

"It's too stylized." What does that even mean? The green-tinged grading gives the world a sickly, bureaucratic decay-it's a choice, and it serves the mood. This isn't meant to look "real." It's meant to feel wrong, like something's festering under the surface. Mission accomplished. (Also, what's that about criticizing a show because the color grading doesn't look real, is that a thing now?)

"The office is an old toilet." Yes. That's the point. Dept. Q is dumped-literally-into society's waste bin, abandoned and forgotten. It's metaphor, not bad set design.

"Characters are unlikable." Not everyone has to be likable. They need to be believable. These people have been scraped raw by loss and guilt. Their walls are up. Watch long enough, and you'll see the cracks-and the humanity.

In the end, Dept. Q isn't here to dazzle with twists or cater to nostalgia-it's here to sit with the mess. It's a show about grief, institutional neglect, and two men learning how to function while carrying unbearable weight. It's slow, yes-but deliberately so. The silences speak. The spaces between the action matter. If you're looking for a slick procedural with one-liners and gunfights, look elsewhere. But if you want something moody, character-rich, and quietly devastating, this series doesn't just deserve a watch-it deserves to be felt.

My Take – An excellent series!

 

Department Q: Series – Set of 6 movies from the novels – The Keepers of Lost Causes, The Absent One, A Conspiracy of Faith, The Purity of Vengeance, The Marco Effect and Boundless.

A review from IMDB for the 6th one.

Detective Carl Mork (Ulrich Thomsen) and his cold case department are back in action in this sixth installment for the big screen of the successful novels by Jussi Adler-Olsen and script written by Jakob Weis. The department has to investigate the death of a young girl who was hit by a car, named Alberte. The case that was falsely closed as a traffic accident is reopened when Christian Haabersat (Peter Mygind) , an old friend and colleague of Carl Morck from his years at the police academy, commits suicide in front of the guests at his farewell party, haunted by the memory of Alberte. The killing, officially written up as a traffic accident, has connections to both the local Police precinct and a cult of sun worshipers from where young women have vanished without trace for years. Mørck must solve the case and confront his past to move forward with his fiancée. Along the way, Rose (Sofie Torp) is tasked with finding the connection of some murders to a weird cult. It's not long before she's on the run from those who intend to kill her because of what she knows.

Police thriller in the purest Nordic style with strong suspense, emotion, plot twists, action enough, and including a dark photography. Ulric Thomsen gives a decent acting , he's a prestigious actor with a long career that includes both cinema and TV, such as: The good traitor, Ambassador Kauffman, Face to face series,Brothers, Celebration, , Blacklist and Banshee series, he once again plays the tough investigator Carl Morck. Ulric was already the protagonist of the fifth installment of the saga, on this occasion he has to investigate the death of a girl who was found hit by a car and dead on a tree.

In this sixth installment, the people in charge of giving life to the brave and surly Carl Morck is Ulrich Thomsen and his faithful assistants change, being now played by the unknown: Sofie Torp as Rose and Afshin Firouzi as Assad. This film adapts a successful novel, ¨Den Grænseløse¨, the sixth and best-selling book written by Jussi Adler-Olsen, to the big screen. This procedural thriller is uneven but professionally directed by Ole Christian Madsen and has a script by Jakob Weis, replacing Nikolaj Arcel, who had written the storyline for the four previous novels and adapted the first installment of 'Milennium', another of the most important Nordic sagas in history. Director does it European way, showing sharply in the dark cinematographic approach within the story.

This is the sixth adaptation, most of them concerning a relentless search and murder investigations carried out by the members of the Q Deapartment that take them deep into the undercurrent of corruption, abuse, ambition, greed and malice that hides beneath the surface of the prosperous Scandinavia. The first of sextet starred by the great protagonists Nikolaj Lie Kaas and Fares Fares who signed a four-film deal, matching the number of Department Q novels written by Jussi Adler-Olsen that had been published at the time of filming. The saga is as follows: ¨Kvinden i buret¨ or ¨The Guardian of Lost Causes¨ (2013) by Mikkel Nørgaard with Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Fares Fares, Sonja Richter. ¨Fasandreperne¨ or ¨Pheasant Killers¨ (2014) by Mikkel Norgaard with Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Fares Fares, Pilou Asbæk. ¨Flaskepost fra P¨ or ¨A Conspiracy of Faith¨ (2016) by Hans Petter with Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Fares Fares, Pål Sverre Hagen, Amanda Collin. ¨Diario 64¨ or ¨The Purity of Revenge¨ (2018) by Christoffer Boe with Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Fares Fares, Johanne Louise Schmidt, Søren Pilmark. Despite being extremely succesful both critic and public, author Jussi Adler-Olsen was unhappy with the adaptations of the first four novels of the series and thus entrusted the film rights to the next books to another production company, resulting in the change of cast in this latter: ¨Marco effekten¨ or "The marco effect¨ (2021) by Martin Zandvliet with Ulrich Thomsen as Carl Mørck and Zaki Youssef as Assad.

My Take – Excellent movies. But I liked the series better that the movie.  The series is based on the first movie.

Kankhajura – Came out in 2025. After 14 years of imprisonment for a crime he committed in his youth, Ashu returns to his brother Max's life, determined to make amends and rebuild their relationship. However, Ashu's manipulative past and present entanglements threaten to disrupt Max's life and business. As the brothers navigate their complicated relationship, they face dark secrets, ruthless adversaries, and personal demons. The stakes are high, and the line between right and wrong is constantly blurred. Dark and intense, with moments of suspense and intrigue, this gripping tale explores the complexities of family, loyalty, and redemption.

A review from IMDB...

"Kankhajura" is a Hindi web series adapted from the Israeli series "Magpie." The series is set in Goa, utilizing the local environment as more than just a backdrop, potentially weaving it into the narrative's atmosphere...

Roshan Mathew's portrayal of Ashu is widely praised for its intensity and nuance, capturing the character's manipulative yet vulnerable side...He is often praised for his versatile and nuanced performances, seamlessly slipping into different roles... He pays attention to detail in his roles, as evident in his preparation for "Kankhajura," where he plays a character who stammers and focused on an authentic portrayal...

Mohit Raina provides a strong and emotionally stern performance as Max. Sarah Jane Dias as Nisha provides an ample support...While rest of the characters does a limited exceptional job...

The series effectively uses Goa as a living, breathing space, going beyond the typical beaches to incorporate the local real estate dynamics and power structures. The gritty theme track for Ashu's character enhances the unsettling atmosphere...

The initial episodes build suspense effectively, drawing viewers into the twisted tale of revenge and morality. The series delves into the complexities of the characters and their motivations...

The screenplay of "Kankhajura" is credited to Chandan Arora, who also directed the series, along with Sandeep Jain and Upendra Sidhaye...The screenplay pays attention to the nuances of the relationships and the unfolding secrets, aiming for a psychological thriller experience...

Overall "Kankhajura" is a gripping thriller with strong performances, particularly from Roshan Mathew...However, the pacing might be slow at times, and the ending could have had a greater impact.

In conclusion, "Kankhajura" appears to be a compelling psychological thriller that delves into intricate family dynamics and the consequences of past actions. The performances and the unique setting contribute to what seems to be a noteworthy addition to the Hindi web series landscape on SonyLIV...

My Take – An excellent series.

Adios till next time😊