Questions

What is the plot?

The episode opens with Merritt Lingard trapped inside a hyperbaric chamber. An older woman overseeing her captivity tells Merritt they will increase the air pressure to motivate her compliance. She turns a dial, causing Merritt visible discomfort, and warns that if anyone opens the vents above her, Merritt will die. This sets a tense atmosphere of Merritt’s dire situation.

The scene shifts to Detective Carl Morck on a ferry. Akram, his assistant, is on the phone informing Carl that William Lingard, Merritt’s brother, has gone missing. Carl questions where William might have gone. They discuss the recent fight between Merritt and William on the ferry. Carl picks up Akram’s hat and tosses it off the ferry, but it unexpectedly lands back near the parked cars instead of the sea. This discovery leads them to retrieve the hat and speculate that if Merritt had done the same, it might have allowed whoever abducted her to seize the opportunity. Akram suggests it would be lucky since Merritt hadn’t planned the trip, but Carl counters that whoever took her must have been watching closely. They notice a ferry worker carrying a cap with a distinctive logo, which becomes a key clue.

Carl and Akram then travel to Mhòr, the Scottish island where Merritt and William grew up, to investigate Merritt’s past. They meet the local constable, who is uncooperative and with whom Carl has a personality clash. The constable withholds information, especially about Harry Jennings, a young man who attacked William years ago and later died trying to escape by jumping off the ferry. This incident adds complexity to the investigation.

At Merritt’s father Jamie Lingard’s house, Carl and Akram find photos of William but none of Merritt. Jamie expresses resentment toward Merritt, accusing her of stealing their late mother’s necklace and abandoning William when he needed her most. This reveals family tensions and suggests that Merritt’s disappearance may be connected to unresolved resentments.

William Lingard, who has returned to Mhòr, helps the investigation by identifying a man wearing a cap with the same bird logo they saw earlier. William says he saw this man both in the house and on the ferry. This logo also appears on a paper stuck to the wall inside Merritt’s hyperbaric chamber cell. When Merritt peels off the paper, she finds inscriptions indicating that the chamber had at least one other occupant before her.

Rose, a new member of Carl’s team, joins the investigation. Despite Carl’s complaints about her habits, he trusts her. He confides in Rose a suspicion he has not shared with others: that the original investigation into Merritt’s disappearance was deliberately sabotaged. He instructs his team to investigate the prior investigation itself.

Back on Mhòr, Carl and Akram search the Jennings family property, where they find the body of Harry Jennings and the hyperbaric chamber. Suddenly, they are ambushed by Lyle, a deeply disturbed man connected to the case. During the confrontation, Carl is shot while protecting Akram. Akram manages to disarm and kill Lyle, ending the immediate threat.

Merritt is rescued from the chamber and reunited with William. Meanwhile, Ailsa, another character involved in the ferry events, shoots herself to avoid capture by the police.

Three months later, Carl blackmails his superior Burns into funding Department Q, securing a new car and official detective status for Akram. Carl returns to work with Akram, Rose, and James, who is now walking on crutches. Moira, another official, considers assigning James to the still unsolved Leith Park shooting, indicating ongoing investigations beyond Merritt’s case.

What is the ending?

⚠ Spoiler – click to reveal

At the end of Dept. Q Season 1 Episode 3, Merritt Lingard is revealed to be alive and has returned to the police station to thank those who reopened the investigation into her disappearance. Carl Morck, the lead detective, is taking time off work but remains involved behind the scenes. The episode closes with Carl and his team continuing their work on cold cases, signaling ongoing investigations ahead.

Expanded narrative of the ending scene by scene:

The episode concludes with Merritt Lingard visiting the police station three months after her disappearance. She expresses gratitude to Moira Jacobson, Carl Morck’s superior, for reopening the case that led to her rescue. Merritt mentions she has not yet met Carl in person but wishes to thank him directly. Moira informs Merritt that Carl is currently on an indefinite leave from the police force.

Merritt shares her plans to return to Mhòr, her hometown, to reconnect with her brother William and their estranged father, indicating a desire to heal family wounds after the traumatic events.

Meanwhile, Carl surprises Lord Advocate Stephen Burns, Merritt’s boss, by requesting official permission for Akram, a Syrian refugee and member of Carl’s investigative team, to become a police detective. Carl offers to keep Stephen’s involvement in witness tampering during Merritt’s last case confidential in exchange for this favor, showing Carl’s strategic and protective nature.

In the final moments, Merritt enters the basement office where Dept. Q operates but finds it empty. She nearly encounters Carl exiting the elevator but he does not reveal himself, maintaining a low profile. The episode closes with Carl carrying a box of cold case files to his desk, joined by Akram, Rose, and Hardy, his investigative team, ready to continue their work.

Regarding the fate of main characters at the end:

  • Merritt Lingard is alive, free, and planning to reconnect with her family.
  • Carl Morck is on leave but remains engaged with his team and cases.
  • Akram Salim, Rose Dickson, and James Hardy continue as part of Dept. Q’s investigative unit.
  • Lord Advocate Stephen Burns remains a figure with a complicated role, involved in witness tampering but cooperating with Carl.

This ending scene ties up Merritt’s disappearance storyline while setting the stage for ongoing investigations and character developments in the series.

Is there a post-credit scene?

⚠ Spoiler – click to reveal

For Dept. Q, Season 1, Episode 3 (2025), there is no indication of a post-credit scene in the available detailed recaps and reviews. The episode concludes with significant developments in the investigation into Merritt's disappearance, including the discovery of clues and character interactions, but none of the sources mention any additional scene after the credits.

The episode ends on narrative points such as Carl and Akram retracing Merritt and William’s ferry journey, uncovering clues like the logo on a cap, and Rose joining the department, but no post-credit content is described or noted by reviewers or recappers.

What new clues about Merritt Lingard's disappearance are uncovered in Episode 3?

In Episode 3, Carl and Akram discover a circular logo with a bird on a cap worn by a man seen both in Merritt's house and on the ferry. Merritt finds inscriptions behind a paper in her hyperbaric chamber, indicating it had at least one previous occupant. These clues suggest someone has been watching Merritt and that her disappearance was not random but planned.

How does the investigation in Episode 3 connect to Merritt's past and family?

Carl and Akram travel to Merritt's hometown, Mhòr, where they meet local police and Merritt's father, who harbors resentment toward her. They learn about a violent incident involving William Lingard and a young man named Harry Jennings, who attacked William and later died trying to escape. This background sheds light on tensions in Merritt's family and possible motives related to her disappearance.

What role does the ferry and the hat play in the investigation in Episode 3?

The ferry is the location where Merritt was last seen. Carl throws Akram's hat off the ferry to replicate the conditions of the day Merritt disappeared, but the hat flies back toward the parking lot instead of into the sea. This suggests that if Merritt had done the same, it could have given her captors an opportunity to grab her, indicating the disappearance was likely orchestrated by someone watching her closely.

What new characters or team dynamics are introduced in Episode 3?

Rose joins Carl's Department Q team in Episode 3. Despite Carl's complaints about her chewing and drinking habits, he immediately trusts her. Carl shares with Rose a suspicion that the original investigation into Merritt's disappearance was deliberately mishandled, and he wants the team to investigate the investigation itself.

What is revealed about the previous occupant of the hyperbaric chamber where Merritt is held?

Merritt discovers inscriptions behind a paper stuck to the wall of the hyperbaric chamber, indicating that the chamber had at least one other occupant before her. This chilling clue suggests a history of similar kidnappings or imprisonments, deepening the mystery of Merritt's situation and the intentions of her captors.

Is this family friendly?

The TV show Dept. Q, Season 1 Episode 3 (2025) is not family friendly and is rated TV-MA, indicating it is intended for mature audiences. It contains several potentially objectionable or upsetting elements for children or sensitive viewers, including:

  • Graphic violence such as shootings with blood and death.
  • Scenes involving a dead body with a knife in the head.
  • Threatening and disturbing dialogue, including threats of extreme violence.
  • Depictions of physical assault and abuse.
  • Brief nudity (a woman’s naked rear briefly shown).
  • Themes involving murder, kidnapping, rape, and assault as part of the cold cases investigated.
  • Emotional trauma and psychological distress related to violent crimes and police trauma.

These aspects make the episode unsuitable for children and potentially distressing for sensitive viewers. The show is a dark crime thriller with intense and mature content consistent with Nordic noir style.