Dept. Q will be looking a little different when it makes its long-awaited return to Netflix.
After becoming a sleeper hit for the streaming platform last year, Dept. Q was finally renewed for a second season in August 2025, three months after its debut.
However, not all of the cast will be back for the next run of episodes.
Back in June, the full list of actors returning for season two was revealed – with many fans quick to spot that Kelly MacDonald’s name was not on the list.
The Line Of Duty star played Dr Rachel Irving in Dept. Q’s first outing, with her character growing close to Matthew Goode’s on-screen counterpart as the story unfolded.
Why won’t Kelly MacDonald be returning for Dept. Q season 2?
At a Bloody Scotland panel event, What’s On Netflix reported that showrunner Scott Frank was asked about Kelly’s absence from season two, which he put down to a scheduling issue.
“She’s making another show. She’s doing Lanterns,” he pointed out. “So, our show and their show couldn’t make it work.”
He did add, however, that the door was being left open for Kelly’s character to return in a future season.
“She may come back. We never know,” he insisted, commenting: “It depends on how her career is going on the other show.”
Who is in the new and returning cast of Dept. Q season 2?
Meanwhile, earlier this month, Netflix confirmed rumours that Bafta winner James Corden was joining the cast of Dept. Q in its next iteration, playing a new character, Dr Ben Smith, who was described in the press an “eccentric but brilliant forensic psychologist”.
Other returning faces include leading actor Matthew Goode, as well as the likes of Mark Bonnar, Kate Dickie, Alexej Manvelov and Sanjeev Kohli.
Greg Wise is also set to join the cast for season two, alongside Aisling Franciosi, Nicholas Rowe, Tony Curran, Hamish Clark, Alex Ferns, Rebecca Root and Isla Johnston.
Season one of Dept. Q is streaming now on Netflix.
