Is Akram Salim the real heart of Dept. Q? Here’s what we think

Dept. Q might be marketed around Carl Morck's tortured brilliance, but it is Akram Salim who sneaks in and quietly redefines the show's soul. Carl is brooding and deeply flawed — however, Akram enters as someone entirely different. He is calm and haunted, competent, still emotionally layaerd. He could build quiet connections, and his presence adds another dimension to the show.

Akram comes with a mysterious past suggesting trauma and exile. Though he carries the pain of violence and displacement, the show has not reduced his character to being a sob story, but someone who can counterbalance Carl and challenge his worldview.

Here is how Akram is no less than the heart of the show.

Here is how Akram Salim is the real heart of Dept. Q

As mentioned, Akram Salim in the Dept. Q adds a different energy. He is not just there to support Carl, but stabilises the entire team in Dept. Q. He is silent, but his silence is not empty. The character has impeccable manners and polished style.

There are tiny breadcrumbs throughout the season that gradually unfold Akram's past. What is he running from? What cost has his survival exacted? His reaction towards a certain kind of violence, the military efficiency, and the ease with morally grey tactics, suggests a past we have only begun to uncover.

Akram was in the police in Syria and wanted to move to the UK with his wife and two daughters for their better education. But before that could happen, his wife died.

Akram is someone with a presence without posture. He could easily steal a scene with a glance. In a genre that thrives on unravelling the loudest minds in the room, Dept. Q dares to say the quiet ones matter just as much — maybe even more. And that’s why Akram Salim may very well be the real heart of this moody, broody, and brilliant crime saga

By the end of the finale, Akram and Carl are not friends but reluctant allies who understand and respect each other. The dynamics come with a lot of potential for the new season. Therefore, cutting it off would rob the viewers of witnessing the most intriguing partnership in television.

Akram is not a character Dept. Q would want to miss in season 2

Akram isn’t just a well-written side character. He is pivotal to the plot. His introduction shifts the energy of the investigation and brings with it geopolitical tension, personal stakes, and moral ambiguity. When he disappears or is sidelined, Dept. Q loses a core part of what makes its mystery feel urgent and human.

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Secondly, Akram perfectly complements Carl. While Carl spirals emotionally, Akram maintains unshakable control — a steady counterweight to Carl’s chaos. He never accepts Carl's arrogance and sets firm boundaries, notably defending his prayer time with authority and not guilt. Akram challenges Carl's behaviour when needed and states when enough is enough.

Akram is also a significant addition to the team as he is a keen observer. His belief in Merritt Lingard’s survival isn’t naive — it is rooted in seasoned experience. His decision to escalate the case saves her life.

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