Picture Credit: Netflix
Department Q fans got a treasure trove of updates during the show’s recent panel at the Bloody Scotland festival. As we covered in our full breakdown of the Season 2 teases, creator Scott Frank and the cast revealed that the hit Netflix crime thriller is currently deep into production on its highly anticipated sophomore outing. But amid all the exciting news, there was one major mystery that finally got solved: the whereabouts of Kelly Macdonald.
When Netflix officially announced the massive wave of returning and new cast members for Season 2 back in June, fans immediately noticed a glaring omission. While series mainstays like Matthew Goode, Kate Dickie, Alexej Manvelov, and Leah Byrne were all confirmed to return alongside high-profile newcomers Ross Anderson (The Last Kingdom), and Amy Brenneman (and more recently James Corden), Macdonald’s name was conspicuously absent.
Macdonald was a standout in Season 1, playing Dr. Rachel Irving, the blunt, no-nonsense police therapist tasked with evaluating DCI Carl Morck (Matthew Goode) after a traumatic on-duty ambush left him wounded, his partner paralyzed, and a rookie cop dead.
If you need a refresher, Dr. Irving wasn’t your typical sympathetic TV therapist. Weary of her difficult client, she famously ate her packed lunch during their sessions and called him out on his arrogant, “doolally” behavior. However, beneath the snark and the hostility, a palpable—and highly unprofessional—chemistry began to brew between the two.
Fans of Jussi Adler-Olsen’s original novels know that Carl and his therapist eventually cross the professional line in the source material. Given the heavy sexual tension and emotional groundwork laid in Season 1, viewers fully expected Season 2 to dive deeper into their complicated dynamic as Carl continues to battle his severe PTSD and survivor’s guilt.
So, why the sudden departure?
During the Q&A segment of the Bloody Scotland panel, an online fan asked point-blank if Macdonald would be making a return. Creator and director Scott Frank revealed that her absence from the casting announcements simply came down to a logistical nightmare regarding scheduling conflicts.
“She’s making another show,” Frank explained to the audience. “She’s doing Lanterns, so our show and their show couldn’t make it work.”
Late last year, it was announced that Macdonald had joined the cast of HBO and DC Studios’ massive superhero crime drama Lanterns. With Department Q currently shooting in and around Edinburgh for a grueling 20-week schedule that will stretch through October, juggling both high-profile series simply became impossible for the Scottish actress.
But is Dr. Irving gone for good? Thankfully, Frank left the door wide open for a potential Season 3 return.
“But she may come back. We never know,” Frank teased. “Depends on how her career is going on the other show.”
Picture: DC Studios
With Dr. Irving out of the picture for now, it begs the question: Who will serve as Carl Morck’s psychological sounding board this season?
It seems we already have our answer. As we exclusively reported earlier this month, James Corden has officially joined the Season 2 cast in his first major serious drama role. Corden will be playing Dr. Ben Smith, described as an “eccentric but brilliant forensic psychologist.” While he might not share the same romantic tension with Carl that Dr. Irving did, it’s highly likely that Corden will be filling the psychological void left by Macdonald’s exit, forcing Carl to confront his demons in an entirely new (and likely highly unorthodox) way.
Are you disappointed that Kelly Macdonald won’t be in Department Q Season 2? Are you excited to see James Corden step into the psychological fray? Let us know in the comments down below, and keep it locked on What’s on Netflix for more updates!