Image Credit: Netflix
Acclaimed British noir crime thriller Department. Why is preparing for its highly anticipated second season on Netflix. Production is currently underway in Scotland, and we’ve exclusively learned about the first major new cast members joining the series, with more expected to be unveiled soon.
Based on the beloved Danish crime novels by Jussi Adler-Olsen, an English-language adaptation was developed for Netflix by Scott Frank.queen’s stake, Atheist) and Chandni Lakhani. The first season premiered in May 2025 to rave reviews and massive viewership, leading to a rapid renewal for season 2 in August of the same year.
Now, we can confirm the first new addition to the season 2 cast: the Scottish actor Ross Anderson.
Anderson will play the role ricky daddario In the upcoming season. Anderson is no stranger to Netflix audiences, having previously starred as Domhnall last empire and its follow-up feature film seven kings must dieAlso starred in the Kevin Hart heist film Raise.
His other credits include des, shetlandAnd crawl. He also has several high-profile upcoming projects, including Amazon apollo has fallenchannel 4 siegeand playing Ser Humphrey Hardinge in HBO’s Game of Thrones spin-off, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: Hedge Knight.
Image Credit: The Artists Partnership
Anderson joins a stellar returning cast led by Matthew Goode, who will reprise his role as the brilliant, guilt-ridden and eccentric detective Karl Mork. Hoping for his return is also a team of cold-case misfits: Alexei Manvelov as Akram, Leah Byrne as Rose, and Jamie Sieves as Hardy.
Scott Frank is confirmed to return to the director’s chair. Left Bank Pictures and Sony Pictures are producing the television series.
What is the production status of Department Q Season 2?
We’re told the production is shifting gears in Edinburgh, Scotland, and has been since the beginning of June. Earlier this year, we received production listings stating that filming would begin in mid-July, but it looks like things have changed a bit. As we stress all the time, production starts and, indeed, completions are subject to extreme change. This was the second shift, given that production was once scheduled to begin in April.
According to Screen Scotland’s recent training initiative in partnership with Netflix and Sony Pictures Television, trainees from various production departments began their on-site placements in mid to late May 2026, which is when pre-production got underway.
DOP David Ungaro posted a photo of preparations on set on May 28:
The latest casting call reveals that filming began on June 1 and will continue until October 11, 2026, and confirms that we will be getting 8 episodes again.
What to Expect in Department Q Season 2
In Season 1, Karl Mork and his newly formed Department Q successfully rescue Merritt Lingard, but the broader mystery of the Leith Park shooting – which left a fellow officer dead and Mork’s partner paralyzed – remains unsolved. Season 2 will likely see the team tackle another brutal cold case from Adler-Olsen’s extensive backlog of novels, while the conspiracy surrounding gangster Eugene Arrington continues to unravel.
With filming running until the end of 2026, fans shouldn’t expect to see season 2 on their screens until at least 2027.
Are you excited to see Ross Anderson join in? Department Q season 2? Let us know in the comments below!
