Shetland star’s ‘addictive’ thriller Departure is your Netflix must-watch tonight

If you’re looking for a gripping new thriller, Netflix might just have the answer. Departure, starring Shetland‘s Archie Panjabi, is a suspenseful Canadian series set to leave Netflix UK on 30 June, so you’ll need to act fast if you want to watch it.

Spanning three seasons, the show follows investigator Kendra Malley (Panjabi) as she leads a high-stakes search for a passenger plane that vanishes over the Atlantic, unraveling a dangerous web of conspiracies along the way. 

Before you press play, here is everything you need to know before you start streaming.

What is Departure about?

The story begins with the puzzling disappearance of Flight 716, a passenger plane that vanishes over the Atlantic Ocean. Brilliant investigator Kendra Malley (Panjabi) is brought in by her mentor Howard Lawson (Plummer) to lead the team looking into the crash. 

The synopsis continues: “Still devastated by the recent death of her husband and struggling to parent her troubled stepson, Kendra isn’t sure she’s up to the task. With the whole world watching, Kendra and her team must race to find the missing aircraft and rescue possible survivors. 

“Each new discovery only deepens the mystery surrounding the disaster, revealing a host of suspects and motives: pilot suicide, terrorism, systems failure, politically motivated murder. Battling forces conspiring to undermine the investigation, Kendra must find the truth of what really happened to Flight 716… and stop it from happening again.”

Who stars in Departure? 

Archie Panjabi (Shetland, The Good Wife) leads the cast as Kendra Malley, alongside Christopher Plummer (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) as Howard Lawson and Kris Holden-Ried (Lost Girl) as Dominic Hayes.

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Other cast members include Rebecca Liddiar, Tamara Duarte, Mark Rendall, Peter Mansah, Claire Forlani, Alexandre Bourgeois, Shazad Latif, Evan Buliung, Sydney Meyer, Sasha Roiz, Paris Jefferson, Allan Hawco and Dougray Scott.

What have viewers and critics said about Departure? 

The series has received high praise from audiences, with fans describing it as a “very entertaining crime thriller” and “addictive,” with some viewers even binge-watching the first two seasons in less than a day. Others said they were completely “hooked” on its twists and turns.

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Critics also responded positively. The Guardian described it as a “great whodunnit,” despite some “clunky dialogue,” while Variety praised it as “a drama that will hook those who seek from their viewing a charge of adrenaline.”

Departure is available to watch on Netflix now. The last day to watch is 30 June.