Technologies

I Live in the City Where Netflix’s Thrilling New Crime Drama Is Set. I Barely Recognize It

Commentary: This bingeworthy detective show cast my hometown in a noirish light.

Any well-reviewed crime drama that draws numerous comparisons to Apple TV’s brilliant Slow Horses will easily earn a place on my to-watch list, but as soon as Dept. Q hit Netflix last week, I hit play without hesitation. The reason I was in such a hurry to dive in is that I live in Edinburgh — the city where the new detective show is set.

Edinburgh is often used as a filming location, but most of the time it simply provides a picturesque and/or historical backdrop for a TV show or film — it’s more about the aesthetic effect rather than playing a pivotal role in the plot.

Dept. Q is different. Jaded detective Carl Morck, played by a grizzled Matthew Goode, who is recovering from a shooting that killed one police officer, nearly killed him and paralysed his partner on a call-out, has been tasked with running a new department delving into Edinburgh’s cold cases. The case that Goode picks out, along with the circumstances surrounding his shooting, has complex, knotty links to Edinburgh’s justice system and criminal underworld.

Here, the city provides more than just a pretty skyline — it’s pulled into the foreground, with the key players moving between the grand courts on Edinburgh’s famous Royal Mile and the grimier parts of the city that tourists never see. As someone who calls Edinburgh home, I’m more than familiar with the landmarks, but I don’t recognize the side of the city I see in the show at all. That’s not to say it’s not accurate.

Sure, Edinburgh isn’t exactly a hotbed of violent crime compared with other cities in the UK and definitely compared with cities in the US. In the five years I’ve lived here, I can remember only one fatal shooting making the news. But I also fully acknowledge that the majority of organized crime is often hidden from the view of those not immersed in that world.

Occasionally, violent incidents, police raids or trials spill over, sending ripples of anxiety through neighborhoods and cropping up in headlines. But artistic portrayals, while often exaggerated for dramatic effect, can expose us to versions of places that otherwise might remain hidden from view.

As a city famed for its beauty, often thought of as genteel and rather sedate, it’s interesting to see Edinburgh portrayed as a place that is so much more than the tourist ideal. Not since the 1996 film Trainspotting has a less romanticized vision of the city been seen on screen.

Dept. Q even wasn’t originally set in Edinburgh — it’s actually adapted from a Danish novel of the same name — but as a resident, I appreciated the way it provided a different perspective on the place that I know and love. It was also fun to spot parts of town I’m intimately familiar with appear in a relatively high-production show — the castle view from outside my favorite indie record store, for example.

There are many flaws with Dept Q, from little niggles (what local journalist can afford to drive a Porsche?) to pacing issues — especially in the first episode. The plot is so meaty that at times it becomes convoluted. But in spite of all of this, I found myself staying up past my bedtime to watch «just one more episode» — as my husband and I would tell each other with a sideways glance, fully aware that we were succumbing to a full-on binge.

Is it perfect? No. Am I already hankering after season 2? Absolutely. Am I hoping Edinburgh will loom even larger in future episodes? I’m asking nicely — yes, please.

Technologies

The Most Exciting Video Game Rumors and Leaks Ahead of 2026

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, Dec. 17

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Dec. 17.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Nod (off)
Answer: DOZE

5A clue: Naval submarine in W.W. II
Answer: UBOAT

7A clue: Tricky thing to do on a busy highway
Answer: MERGE

8A clue: Heat-resistant glassware for cooking
Answer: PYREX

9A clue: Put into groups
Answer: SORT

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Break up with
Answer: DUMP

2D clue: Falls in line, so to speak
Answer: OBEYS

3D clue: Legendary vigilante who cuts a «Z» with his sword
Answer: ZORRO

4D clue: Rarin’ to go
Answer: EAGER

6D clue: Common reminder for an upcoming appointment
Answer: TEXT

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Technologies

You Can Watch an Exclusive Avatar: Fire and Ash Scene on TikTok Right Now

Disney and TikTok partner on an immersive content hub for James Cameron’s latest movie about the alien Na’vi.

If you’re not quite ready to head to the theater to watch Avatar: Fire and Ash, an exclusive scene preview might sell you on the visual spectacle. As part of a new collaboration with the social media giant, Disney is posting snippets of its new movie to its TikTok account.

This scene isn’t part of any trailer and won’t be posted to other social media accounts, making TikTok the only place you can view it — unless you buy a movie ticket. A first look at the new movie’s scenes isn’t the only Avatar-related bonus on the social media platform right now, either. TikTok has partnered with the house of mouse to bring an entire «immersive content hub» to the app.

A special section of TikTok includes quizzes and educational videos that explore the alien world of Pandora shown off in the movies. On TikTok, you can take a personality quiz to find out what Na’vi clan you most closely align with and unlock a special profile picture border to use on your account.

Science and fiction blend together with a series of videos from real doctors who explain the basis for some of Avatar’s world-building. If you want to learn about exoplanets or how realistic the anatomy of the movie’s alien animals is, these videos will feed your brain while still providing entertainment value.

Perhaps the most enticing part of Disney’s latest social media collaboration is the opportunity for fans to win prizes and trips. TikTok creators who make edits with the #TikTokAvatarContest hashtag are entered into a competition to win Avatar merchandise. The biggest winners will be able to take a trip to visual effects studio Wētā Workshop in New Zealand or visit Avatar director James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment Studio in Los Angeles.

Avatar: Fire and Ash is the third installment in director Cameron’s cinematic passion project. While the first Avatar movie was released in 2009, Cameron didn’t release another entry in the franchise until 2022. In total, there is a five-movie arc planned for the indigo alien Na’vi on the moon of Pandora.

The Avatar movies are known for pushing the boundaries of CGI visual effects in cinema. They are also historically big winners at the box office: the original Avatar is the highest-grossing film of all time, earning $2.9 billion across its theatrical releases. Its sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, is the third-highest-grossing film of all time, trailing Avengers: Endgame. You can stream those movies on Disney Plus.

It remains to be seen whether Avatar: Fire and Ash will financially live up to its predecessors. The film currently has mixed reviews from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.