Dept. Q Episode 5 recap: The mystery behind Sam Haig's rock-climbing accident

Dept. Q Episode 5 was intense, filled with many twists and turns. Netflix's Scottish thriller drama series uncovered many secrets about Merritt Lingard's disappearance and Carl Morck's team in the fifth episode.

As Carl and Akram moved forward in their investigation for Merritt's disappearance, they learned that the last person she talked to all those years ago was Sam Haig, a journalist who died a day before Merritt went missing (which was highly suspicious).

Another secret unveiled in Dept. Q Episode 5 was about William Lingard, who was locked away in a mental facility under Dr. Wallace's care. After Carl's team learned that William and Merritt's mother came from old money, they realised that William would be the money's sole owner after Merritt's disappearance.

This also led them to uncover that Dr. Wallace was an embezzler who was using her rich patients' money for herself. Carl and Akram took William out of her facility and placed him with Claire.

Here's a complete recap for Dept. Q Episode 5.

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Dept. Q Episode 5 recap: Carl and Akram discover Merritt's relationship with Sam Haig and Atkins

While Carl's encounter with The Scottish Telegraph's reporter Dennis was unpleasant, it led his team directly to Sam Haig, another The Scottish Telegraph.

Merritt Lingard not only spoke to Sam right before her disappearance, but Sam also died during a rock climbing accident, a day before Merritt went missing, making it highly suspicious.

Carl and Akram learned that Sam Haig was working on the Graham Finch case and looking for possible cover-ups regarding Merritt's department. In Dept. Q Episode 5, it was revealed that while Merritt wanted to investigate Kirsty Atkins, an important witness in the Finch case, her boss (Stephen Burns) had ordered her not to follow that lead.

This made Kirsty Atkins an important witness for the Q squad and Rose diligently searched for Atkins' whereabouts. The team learned that Atkins was just out of a coma, with one of her eyes permanently shut because of the beatings she endured in prison.

Atkins told Carl and his team that she had a history with Graham's wife, Andrea, with whom she met in a refugee center for domestically abused women. Andrea confided in Atkins that her husband had tried to kill her, but she left the centre because she was scared for her life.

Atkins only learned about Andrea's death when her face was all over the news. While Atkins became one of the key witnesses for Merritt in Dept. Q Episode 5, the latter changed her mind at the last moment (because of her boss), which led to Atkins' coma.

After Merritt learned about Atkins' condition, she was guilt-stricken and decided to talk to Sam Haig about the Finch case.

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Dept. Q Episode 5 recap: Carl and Akram investigated Sam Haig's murder

Since Sam Haig was one of the last people Merritt talked to before her disappearance, his death was an important lead for the team in Dept. Q Episode 5.

Carl and his team decided to question Sam's editor, who was clueless about the journalist and had no details about the case he was working on. Akram also got suspicious about Sam's 'accident' after he discovered that he was a frequent visitor to the rock climbing place and was a champion in the sport.

There were many things about Sam Haig's death that did not make sense in Dept. Q Episode 5, which pointed out that Sam's murder likely had a connection with Merritt's disappearance.

Akram could not understand why Sam would go against his instructor's order and climb alone when it was prohibited. He was also confused as to why he would start climbing when the place was about to close.

All these discrepancies in Sam's accident pointed to the fact that it was somehow related to Merritt's disappearance in Dept. Q Episode 5.

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