It’s always hard to tell if a Netflix series is rated TV-MA because of gory content or just due to the language used. Well, with Dept. Q, the earlier episodes make it clear that this is more about the language use than anything else. However, there are some gorier moments.
The series follows Matthew Goode as Carl Morck, returning to work after being shot and almost killed during a homicide investigation. It’s clear that nobody wants him around due to his gruff and grumpy nature, but it’s not like they can force him out of his job. So, he’s pushed to the basement, where he is set to investigate cold cases.
One cold case catches the attention of Akram Salim, a Syrian-born employee who used to work with the police back in his home country. He doesn’t think a missing girl is dead, while Carl does, and the two set out on a hunt to see who is right about the case.
Dept. Q age rating: Explaining the TV-MA rating
Netflix has given this series a TV-MA rating, and it’s clear why from the beginning. There is a lot of heavy language throughout, and there is some gore. It’s nothing on the level of Saw or Game of Thrones, but it can be a little heavy for some of the younger minds out there.
Sex & nudity: There is no sex or nudity shown graphically throughout the series. However, there is a scene where a teenage boy has porn showing on his laptop screen, and there are mentions of relationships here and there.
Violence & gore: The opening scene includes a man with a knife stabbed through his head, with the blood visibly all over his head and neck. After that, we see a shooting in the home, with clear injuries on various victims.
One of the characters is mentally disabled, and this leads to him lashing out now and again. The force of the hits can be enough to knock a person down, with bruises on show after this.
Language: The F-bomb is dropped multiple times from the very first episode of Dept. Q. Other swear words such as the S-word and the B-words are also mentioned. There are also popular British swear words that won’t stand out as much for North American viewers, such as “p***k.”
Alcohol & Drugs: Some of the characters do drink when they’re off duty or struggling with the workday. One of the female characters spends time drinking beer while she is looking through files on her laptop, and there is a message that references her getting drunk while she stares at her computer screen.
Another character asks for a beer while in a hospital bed, and there is the indication that he fell over and landed in the hospital because he was drunk. Alcohol is used in moderation throughout the first season.
Overall verdict: Who is Dept. Q appropriate for?
The series is officially aimed at those over 18, but I could see this series working for some 16 and 17-year-olds. It’s an intriguing series with multiple mysteries happening at the same time. Plus, fans of Matthew Goode from Downton Abbey and A Discovery of Witches are going to want to see him play this new character.
It’s going to depend on your comfort when it comes to the language that your teenagers hear. There is a lot of harsh language used, though, and I’d say that this is worse than the violence depicted.
Dept. Q is now available to stream on Netflix.