Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Dept. Q.Dept. Q's Edinburgh detective, Morck, is struggling to emotionally recover from being shot as he takes on the case of Merritt Lingard (Chloe Pirrie), a young lawyer who disappeared four years earlier.

Though the investigation into his own shooting moves very slowly over the course of the season, Morck and his team quickly begin to make important discoveries concerning Merritt's disappearance. They go through a whole list of potential suspects and witnesses, and eventually, they are able to find Merritt herself in Dept. Q's characters never got any ending at all, making me question what became of them.

What Happened to Dr. Fiona Wallace?

This Dept. Q Character Just Disappeared

Dr. Wallace talking in Dept. Q

Morck and his team investigate several different suspects in their search for Merritt Lingard, ruling each one out as they go. While some, like Sam's (Steven Miller) rock-climbing friends, are always assumed to be innocent and others, like Merritt's boss, have committed an unrelated crime, their stories are all definitively wrapped up. The only character who never gets a full resolution is Dr. Fiona Wallace (Michelle Duncan), Merritt's brother's caretaker, who serves as his legal guardian.

Dr. Wallace is introduced early in the season, while Morck attempts to look into who might have financially benefited from Merritt's disappearance. Dept. Q reveals that Merritt and William's (Tom Bulpett) mother had a fair amount of money in her family that got ed down to the children after her death. Because of William's attack and mental condition, his money was overseen by his guardian, Merritt, but after she went missing Dr. Wallace moved William into her facility and became William's legal guardian in order to access his money.

Even if only very briefly, it would have been nice to see the other patients also be rescued and Dr. Wallace and her staff arrested for their actions.

Dept. Q lays out what Morck believes her plan to have been, but, frustratingly, audiences never actually see what happens to Dr. Wallace. While it can be assumed that she truly did use William for his money rather than caring about his well-being, especially given that Rose (Leah Byrne) and Akram (Alexej Manvelov) find all her patients sedated, it's strange that Dept. Q never shows the aftermath of that. Even if only very briefly, it would have been nice to see the other patients also be rescued and Dr. Wallace and her staff arrested for their actions.

At Least The Team Got William Out

Merritt's Brother Was Saved From Dr. Wallace

Despite Dr. Wallace's ultimate fate being left unresolved, at least the series did see William get rescued. Merritt's brother had been placed there completely against his will and was being taken advantage of. Especially because he has aphasia and is unable to communicate his own wishes, I was glad to see Morck, his team, and William's previous carer, Claire Marsh (Shirley Henderson), attempt to truly understand William and his needs.

Related
Who Sam Haig Is In Dept. Q & How He Connects To Merritt Lingard

Throughout Netflix's Dept. Q, the disappearance of Merritt Lingard is explored, alongside her past connections to a character named Sam Haig.

After learning he is being sedated by Dr. Wallace, Morck brings William back to Claire, who genuinely seems to care for him like a son. This allowed William to feel safe for the first time in years. Part of what makes Dr. Wallace's actions so terrible is that they could have had a long-term adverse effect on her patients, so it is good that Morck, Akram, and Rose rescued him when they did. What's even better is that Dept. Q's ending finally sees William have the reunion that he truly deserves.

Both Merritt and William went through a lot both as teenagers and adults, so Dept. Q ending with them being reunited is very heartwarming, even if the series does leave a few questions unanswered.

The series never reveals whether William and Merritt are able to get justice for Dr. Wallace's actions, but it does not entirely even matter, because their reunion after four years provides the series with the happy ending it needs. Both Merritt and William went through a lot both as teenagers and adults, so Dept. Q ending with them being reunited is very heartwarming, even if the series does leave a few questions unanswered.

Dept. Q - Poster

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Dept. Q
Release Date
May 29, 2025
Network
Netflix
  • Headshot Of Matthew Goode
    Matthew Goode
    DCI Carl Morck
  • Headshot Of Chloe Pirrie
    Chloe Pirrie
    Merritt Lingard

WHERE TO WATCH

Streaming

Creator(s)
Scott Frank