Spoilers Alert: This article contains potential spoilers for Netflix's Dept. Q.Throughout Netflix's new series, Dept. Q, the character of Sam Haig, portrayed by Steven Miller, played a critical part in the criminal investigation through his dark connection to Merritt Lingard. Created by Scott Frank, the director of Godless (2017) and The Queen's Gambit (2020), Netflix's new crime thriller series follows Carl Mørck, a former highly rated detective, who is struggling to move on from a horrific attack that left an officer dead and his partner paralyzed. The cast of Dept. Q includes Matthew Goode, Alexej Manvelov, and Kelly Macdonald, as of a team investigating the disappearance of a prosecutor.

Dept. Q is adapted from the Danish noir series by Jussi Adler-Olsen and is the first English-language television adaptation of Adler-Olsen's thriller. In a significant change from the original novels, the Netflix series moves the story from Denmark, to Edinburgh, Scotland. Matthew Goode's character, Carl Mørck, leads the investigation into the mysterious disappearance of Merritt Lingard, who vanished without a trace more than four years ago. As the series progresses, the group discovers that there is more about Merritt Lingard than what they were initially led to believe, and they uncover her surprising connections to another person named Sam Haig.

Lyle Jennings Killed Sam Haig & Stole His Identity In Dept. Q

Jennings Made Haig's Death Look Like An Accident

At the beginning of Dept. Q, Carl Mørck and his team lead the investigation into Merritt Lingard, a prosecutor who has been missing for four years. In episode 5, the team discovers that Merritt had an alleged connection to a young man named Sam Haig and was having a sexual relationship with him before she vanished. But as the team investigates Sam Haig further, they discover that he was with another person when he was allegedly seen with Merritt at a hotel, two days before she vanished. It was also revealed that the man Merritt had been in a relationship with was Lyle Jennings.

Lyle Jennings was responsible for Merritt's abduction four years prior, and murdered Sam Haig to steal his identity and forge a relationship with Merritt to make her vulnerable and ensure his plan would go smoothly. In a flashback in episode nine, Lyle attacks Sam at a rock climbing center and beats him to death with a rock, before rubbing Sam's hands with climbing chalk and pushing his body off the edge to make it look like an accident. Lyle made his escape from the scene, taking Sam's keys and bag to steal his identity and pursue Merritt.

Why Lyle Pretended To Be Sam Haig Before Kidnapping Merritt

He Has A Past Connection To Merritt Through Their Families

Throughout Dept. Q, the connections between Lyle and Sam Haig are explored, and the circumstances that led to Lyle kidnapping Merritt. In episode 7, the team learn that Sam Haig spent his younger years at Godhaven, a corrections institute, and had recently been visiting the area to write a book about his experiences. In episode 9, it is revealed that Lyle went to the same institution as Sam, and they had a connection with Lyle referring to Sam as a brother. Lyle saw Sam as an easy target for identity theft in his plot against Merritt.

Through flashbacks, Merritt's life before her disappearance is explored, showing that she had a close bond with Lyle's brother, Harry, and the two had planned to run away from the town together. Harry broke into the Lingard family home to steal Merritt's mother's jewelry to fund their escape and was attacked by William, who mistook him for an intruder. While it was originally believed that Harry was responsible for assaulting William, it was eventually revealed that Lyle attacked William in revenge for Harry's assault. This attack resulted in William falling into a coma and suffering disabling injuries.

What Happens To Lyle Jennings In Dept. Q

His Misdeeds Finally Catch Up To Him

As the investigation into Merritt Lingard's disappearance progresses, she is shown to be held captive in a hyperbaric chamber where Lyle and his mother, Ailsa, closely monitor her every movement. Both Lyle and Ailsa kidnapped Merritt as they blamed her for Harry's death; while on the run from the police for breaking into Merritt's house, Harry jumped from a ferry to his death. It's revealed that Ailsa used the same hyperbaric chamber that Merritt is locked in as a way to punish her two sons when they were younger.

While Lyle and Ailsa escaped justice, the team were able to rescue Merritt.

However, by the final episode of Dept. Q, Lyle and Ailsa's plans are exposed as Mørck and his team uncover their involvement in Merritt's disappearance. The duo attempt to escape and leave Merritt to die of suffocation in the hyperbaric chamber, but they are thwarted by Mørck and Akram. Finding her path blocked by the authorities, Ailsa commits suicide while Lyle is shot after an intense fight between Mørck and Akram. While Lyle and Ailsa escaped justice, the team were able to rescue Merritt, bringing Carl Mørck's investigation in Dept. Q to a thrilling conclusion.