Kelly Macdonald

Kelly Macdonald’s Sheriff Kerry Kane in Lanterns (2026) is unimpressed by visitors and certain she knows her town better than they do. There is pleasure in how little she seems to need their approval. Her dryness gives the authority some humour, and her confidence never feels like an invitation to admire the performance. We want the programme to spend time with her, which is useful in a crime drama whose plot has trouble staying put.

That ability to hold our attention in company runs through a career built largely in supporting parts. After Diane in Trainspotting (1996), there were parts in Robert Altman’s Gosford Park (2001) and the Coen brothers’ No Country for Old Men (2007). The West Texas accent in the latter is a useful reminder of the technical work behind her apparent ease. Playing Margaret Thompson in Boardwalk Empire (2010–2014) gave her a sustained leading role in television.

We warmed to Dept. Q (2025) when Macdonald’s Dr Rachel Irving was given space alongside the ensemble, because their awkward exchanges made us care before the writing pressed for sympathy. Her assurance is welcome in a series that can become too occupied with complicating its case. Alexej Manvelov and Leah Byrne contribute to that pleasure too; these actors are worth watching together. Macdonald does not need to dominate the group to make her presence count.

There is a limit to what such steadiness can do. Dept. Q lets its middle episodes drag and occasionally insists on feelings the actors have already earned. In Lanterns, Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre make a compelling pair, and even a supporting cast this good cannot excuse how often the programme cuts away from them. We would start with Dept. Q, with some patience for an investigation that takes longer than it needs.