The essential episodes of Vera
Watch these 10 in order and you've got Vera — each pick states its reason.
- 01
After two young people are killed in the same way - placed in water and surrounded by flowers - DCI Vera Stanhope knows that she must catch the murderer before they strike again. Aided by her team, especially her trusted right-hand man DS Joe Ashworth, she unpicks the complex and dysfunctional relationships amongst a group of bird-watching friends. As the friends' loyalty turns to betrayal, Vera finds that a small act of teenage blackmail and an illicit affair may have driven someone to kill.
- 02
A mysterious death of a fisherman is investigated by Vera. The fisherman's sons believe the answer may lie within a long-running feud between their Dad and the owner of a local fish market.
- 03
When the body of 18-year-old Mia Hinkin is discovered buried on the moors, DCI Vera Stanhope is forced to delve into the life and the secrets of the victim. Vera has to deliver the terrible news of her death to her family. Mia had left home against their wishes to attend the Eastbury music festival. Vera must retrace the vulnerable young woman's footsteps from her isolated rural life and into a dark and tangled web of deceit to track down her killer.
- 04
When charred remains are discovered in an abattoir furnace, DCI Vera Stanhope is called to investigate the horrific circumstances and uncover the mystery that led to the murder.
- 05
DCI Vera Stanhope investigates the murder of a trainee forensic psychologist found dead on a Northumberland landfill site.
- 06
When wealthy betting shop magnate Alun Wilmott is shot and killed after returning home early amid a terrifying home invasion, it's assumed that he is the unlucky victim of a burglary gone wrong. The culprits abscond with a huge amount of cash from Alun's personal safe, leaving his wife and daughter traumatised in their wake. Vera suspects an inside job and immediately targets the affluent neighbourhood's shady head of private security, Ciaran Duggan, whose history of violent crime calls his reformed character into question.
- 07
Primary school teacher Lizzy Swann is found dead at the bottom of a cliffside coastal walkway, but what appears at first to be a terrible accident, quickly becomes a murder investigation as Vera discovers evidence the body has been tampered with. Interviews with those who knew Lizzy paint a troubling picture of a guarded and paranoid woman who seemed to be burning bridges with friends and family alike in the days leading up to her death.
- 08
Struggling to adapt to civilian life, a decorated soldier attempts to get his life back on track. But a dark secret from his past, and betrayal in the present, left his future looking uncertain and deadly.
- 09
DCI Vera Stanhope investigates when the body of the co-owner of a chip shop is found in his own freezer. A seemingly successful entrepreneur and dedicated family man, Vera uncovers secrets, lies and some unforgivable behaviour as she tries to unwrap the case. Once the investigation begins, it soon becomes apparent that our enigmatic entrepreneur has left behind debts, broken promises, ruined lives and seriously interfered in family business that was not his own. Who is responsible for this unsavoury chip shop assault and battery?
- 10
The final episode brings Vera back to a familiar place when a body is found at the foot of legendary local stones The Dark Wives - with memories of childhood in the background, Vera must work hard to uncover the mystery of why a bright young student would be violently attacked and left so far from home. This poignant episode weaves together past and present and makes for a compelling and emotional farewell.
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He's smart, he's good looking, and he's got a great sense of humor.
