The essential episodes of Vera
Watch these 25 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
DCI Vera Stanhope and DS Joe Ashworth investigate a suspicious death in an army barracks. Although the scene has been made to look like a suicide, Vera quickly establishes that Staff Sgt "Dev" Deverson was murdered. Sensing a connection to a soldier named Ollie who was killed in Afghanistan, Vera interviews Dev's loyal comrades and Ollie's grieving family, exposing a deeply concealed trauma at the heart of the crime.
- 03
DCI Vera Stanhope investigates the brutal murder of young physiotherapist, Lizzie Faulkner, gunned down at a luxury country retreat. For DS Joe Ashworth, the case brings him face to face with a part of his past he would rather forget. Local man, Robert Doran, was in the area shooting badgers at the time but denies any part in the killing, despite having a connection to Lizzie. In a story of betrayal, guilt and the need for atonement, Vera must move quickly to avoid another tragedy while Joe finally makes amends with the demons from his own past.
- 04
Teenagers Sassi and Louis Barnes discover Shane Thurgood, dead from a single gunshot wound on the moors of the Northumberland countryside. An abandoned truck is found burnt out a mile away, containing the remains of a deer. DS Joe Ashworth is convinced this is a poacher's war gone wrong but for DCI Vera Stanhope, the truth is never that straightforward.
- 05
The discovery of skeletal remains in Hollowthorp Woods leads to Vera re-opening the case of a seventeen-year-old school girl, Carrie Telling, who went missing some thirty years earlier. Found with the body's remains were a camera, a company credit card, and a telephone number for an abortion clinic. When another murder occurs, it becomes apparent to Vera that the killer is somebody who had something to hide thirty years ago, and is still prepared to kill to ensure their secret stays safe.
- 06
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.
- 07
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.
- 08
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.
- 09
DCI Vera Stanhope investigates the murder of a trainee forensic psychologist found dead on a Northumberland landfill site.
- 10
Based on the eighth novel in Ann Cleeves' DCI Stanhope series, The Seagull sees Vera (Brenda Blethyn) opening up a cold case when a skeleton is discovered buried in Whitley Bay. Robbie Marshburn was a notorious criminal who went missing over 20 years ago never to be seen again.But this isn't a typical case for Vera as Robbie, and those connected to him, were friends of her father. And to make matters worse, Robbie's remains are found underneath the burnt-out site of the infamous nightclub where they all used to meet. But, just as Robbie's remains are identified, the team come across another murder nearby. Vera investigates the possibility of the victim's connections to a local crime family and whether this led to the brutal killing. Elaine and Leonard Sidden (Claire Higgins and Michael Feast) ran The Seagull in its heyday and Vera learns that they haven't quite severed ties with the past as their son Alec (Daniel Ryan) is now developing the site where the burnt-out nightclub stands.In a case that's often too close to home, Vera must uncover a web of secrets and corruption to understand the circumstances that led to both murders.
- 11
DCI Vera Stanhope must unravel a tangled web of deceit between two wildly different families when the body of a teenage boy is discovered floating near a Northumberland salmon farm.
- 12
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.
- 13
When the body of well-respected local builder, Jim Tullman, is found beaten to death on the steps of the Collingwood Monument, DCI Vera Stanhope questions how such a seemingly beloved and imposing figure could be attacked so viciously.
- 14
The discovery of a deceased addiction support worker sets Vera the challenge of investigating a deeply private woman's life.
- 15
When security foreman Gary Mallon is fatally wounded during a robbery at a Blyth container port the evidence points to an audacious heist that went awry. Vera begins to suspect an inside job. But the investigation takes an unexpected turn when Gary's ex-wife contacts police with the news that their 13-year-old son is missing.Gary Mallon was acting under duress - the victim of a tiger kidnapping. His son was being held as collateral - but where is he now?
- 16
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.
- 17
Vera is called to a remote lighthouse where a body of a local council enforcement officer has been discovered lashed to a sailboat.
- 18
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.
- 19
When a respected officer is found dead, floating in a park lake, Vera finds herself investigating both sides of the thin blue line in order to find his killer.
- 20
During a massive storm, Vera comes across an abandoned car with a baby inside. With no cell signal and blocked roads at every turn, Vera is forced to seek refuge somewhere she'd rather not be.
- 21
DCI Vera Stanhope is called to a quiet country lane where a young man has been found dead following a collision with a car. On closer inspection, it becomes clear that this is not an accident and is way more than a hit and run. Vera discovers that the victim is a popular market trader so heads down to his pitch to start to put together an idea of who our man is and ascertain why anyone would want him dead.As the investigation gathers pace, Vera learns that our cheeky chappy was a complex character. Antagonistic, arrogant and able to get what he wants, but did all of this come at a price? Secrets. Lies. Betrayal. Fractious relationships and intense rivalries but who would want our barrow boy buried.
- 22
DCI Vera Stanhope is on track to uncover an intriguing yet puzzling case when the body of a sickly young girl is discovered in a railway siding.Found in the middle of nowhere she could be anyone but the investigation soon turns up twists and turns that makes Vera question who this girl actually was. A vulnerable young person with a serious health condition, has her weakened state allowed someone to take advantage of her? And how does the family dynamic work when she's not truly part of the family? A tale of intrigue, betrayal and blurred lines, Vera's investigation questions the meaning of family, care and accountability. And with eroding trust, does care come at a cost?
- 23
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?
- 24
DCI Vera Stanhope is called to the banks of the Tyne where the body of a young man has been discovered by some anglers. A tangled web of a broken relationship, secret love, grudges, regret, and fraud begins to emerge - has our former inmate been served cold justice, or does his death run deeper?
- 25
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.
