A passenger plane disappears without warning over the Atlantic Ocean, leaving investigators with an urgent question: was it a catastrophic accident, or did someone deliberately bring the aircraft down?
That mystery launches Departure, the three-season Canadian suspense thriller led by Shetland and The Good Wife star Archie Panjabi. The series follows investigator Kendra Malley as a search for a missing aircraft develops into a far more complicated investigation involving multiple suspects, competing theories and forces determined to obstruct the truth.
For Netflix UK viewers, however, there is limited time to finish the series. Departure is scheduled to leave the platform on June 30.
Flight 716 disappears over the Atlantic
The story begins when passenger aircraft Flight 716 mysteriously vanishes over the Atlantic.
Kendra Malley, played by Panjabi, is called upon by her mentor Howard Lawson, portrayed by Christopher Plummer, to lead the investigation.
The assignment arrives during an already difficult period in Kendra’s life. She is grieving the recent death of her husband while struggling to care for her troubled stepson, leaving her uncertain whether she is ready to take responsibility for such a demanding investigation.
There is little time for hesitation.
With international attention focused on the disappearance, Kendra and her team must locate the aircraft while determining whether anyone could have survived.
But each piece of evidence seems to create more questions.
Investigators are forced to consider several possible explanations, ranging from pilot suicide and terrorism to mechanical failure and politically motivated murder.
As different motives and suspects emerge, Kendra also discovers that there are forces working against the investigation.
Finding Flight 716 therefore becomes only part of her challenge. She must establish what actually happened to the aircraft — and determine how to prevent another similar disaster.
Archie Panjabi leads an extensive cast
Panjabi takes the central role as Kendra Malley after performances in series including Shetland and The Good Wife.
Christopher Plummer, known for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, portrays her mentor Howard Lawson, while Lost Girl star Kris Holden-Ried plays Dominic Hayes.
The wider ensemble includes Rebecca Liddiard, Tamara Duarte, Mark Rendall, Peter Mensah, Claire Forlani, Alexandre Bourgeois, Shazad Latif, Evan Buliung, Sydney Meyer, Sasha Roiz, Paris Jefferson, Allan Hawco and Dougray Scott.
Across three seasons, the series expands beyond its initial aviation mystery while retaining its focus on major investigations, conspiracy and high-pressure searches for answers.
Viewers describe Departure as addictive
Departure has attracted particularly enthusiastic reactions from viewers drawn to fast-moving crime and conspiracy thrillers.
Audience members have described the series as both “addictive” and a “very entertaining crime thriller,” with some saying they became so invested that they watched the first two seasons in less than a day.
Others highlighted the twists and turns as the reason they remained hooked on the story.
Critical reaction was also positive.
The Guardian called Departure a “great whodunnit,” although it noted some “clunky dialogue.” Variety, meanwhile, praised its ability to deliver suspense, describing it as “a drama that will hook those who seek from their viewing a charge of adrenaline.”
A mystery built around constantly changing possibilities
Much of Departure’s appeal comes from the uncertainty surrounding its central investigation.
The disappearance of Flight 716 initially appears to present a single mystery, but every discovery introduces another possible explanation. Investigators must work through competing theories while dealing with the possibility that somebody is actively trying to prevent them from uncovering the truth.
That combination of disaster mystery, crime investigation and conspiracy gives the series its momentum, while Kendra’s personal struggles add another layer of pressure to an already demanding case.
Departure spans three seasons and is currently available on Netflix UK, with June 30 listed as the final day to watch the series on the platform.