One thing that Dept. Q season 1 does incredibly well is showing change by juxtaposing beginning vs. end in an incredibly meaningful way. There are many such examples, and one is this:
Carl getting on the lift to go down to the basement.
1×01 – Carl is a 100% done. With everything. His life is fucked, he’s convinced it’s his fault that his partner and best friend is paralysed and wants to kill himself and he wants to while away his remaining days as a detective by doing as little actual work as possible. He is despised and eschewed by everyone and he just… doesn’t give a fuck. About anything. (Well, except Hardy and Jasper.)
The sigh says it all.
1×09 – Carl has just solved a major case, saved a life no one thought possible, has rekindled his best friend’s will to live, despite all odds has assembled a team he actually likes and cares about, has acquired newfound respect with colleagues and has found meaning in his work again.
The tiny little hopeful smile says it all.
I love this show so much. ♥️
The lift was quite an important metaphor – when I think of him meeting Rachel, and the way he puts his foot out to stop the lift door closing. She quite literally stopped him in his tracks. And the fact that his department is below ground, so to get to work he has to go deeper.
I love it, too – so many layers in this programme!