Department Q star shares hopes for character as Netflix yet to announce season 2

Department Q has proved a hit with Netflix viewers, and now its stars are keeping their fingers crossed for a second season. While Netflix is yet to renew the show for season 2, it has so far been a hit with critics and fans alike.

The gripping new mystery crime drama, which boasts a star-studded cast, follows the brilliant but troubled DCI Carl Morck (Matthew Goode) as he heads up a new Cold Case unit for the Edinburgh police department.

In an exclusive interview with Reach, Department Q stars Alexej Manvelov, who plays Akram, and Leah Byrne, who portrays Rose, discussed their hopes for where the story could go next.

During the course of the show, we learn that both these characters are a lot more layered than they first appear to be. The first season also leaves us with plenty of unanswered questions about Akram and his life back in Syria.

Asked about their biggest hopes for a second season of Department Q, Alexej simply said: “Just for it to happen!”

Department Q has a star-studded cast (Image: NETFLIX)

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“Yeah, absolutely,” Leah agreed enthusiastically.

Alexej then added: “I look forward to unpacking a bit more about Akram because I feel there is a lot more to tell.”

Department Q is based on author Jussi Adler-Olsen’s Danish Nordic noir crime novels of the same name.

Commenting on this, Leah added: “For sure, we’ve got so many books worth of stuff waiting for us there to mine.”

There are 10 books in the series together so, theoretically, Netflix would have enough material to keep the show going for quite some time if they choose to renew it.

Without giving anything away, both actors spoke about the joys of playing such complex characters in the new detective series.

Alexej Manvelov plays Akram in Department Q (Image: NETFLIX)

“I think it’s just how incredible Scott writes that character,” Leah enthused. “And I think something we see throughout the series is that we’ve got these people who are so multifaceted who appear one thing one level but then are hiding or have so much going on and it’s such a joy as an actor to get to play someone like that because there’s so much to explore with her.”

While Alexej added: “For an actor, it’s such a perk to do a multifaceted character but also not to just reveal it. But just to do a little bit at a time and all these subtle things and stuff.

“And we worked on the backstory quite a lot on paper and references and stuff like that but then Scott let me do my thing and then he directed me, you know. And to maintain that mystery is also a trick of the trade that I really appreciate.”