Vera - TV review

There's something about Vera that warms the cockles of your heart.

Maybe it's Brenda Blethyn's totally unglamorous portrayal of the detective. Or maybe it's the gritty and rugged northern backdrop. Or perhaps it's her fine-looking sidekick Joe Ashworth played by David Leon.

Whatever it is, this is one crime drama that is a little bit quirky. It isn't all about scandalising the characters' personal lives in a soap-style either. It tackles the more emotive side of their lives and how they handle the job.

In this two-hour offering we see the scruffy but sharp Vera Stanhope, reunited with her first sergeant, Stuart Macken. It seems his life has taken a turn for the worse after his house is petrol-bombed leaving him burned and his daughter Stella badly injured.

Vera is on the case to find out who is holding a grudge against her old friend. But in doing so it seems she's opened a big old can of worms. Some unpleasant revelations about Stuart leave Vera face-to-face with some memories she'd rather have left buried. Let the finger-pointing begin.

After Stuart flings himself over the balcony at the hospital to his death, Vera is forced to delve into his murky past. It seems he's been harassing his ex which immediately puts the new husband Brian in the frame. But another member of the team, goody-two-shoes Holly (Wunmi Mosaku), soon picks out another likely suspect. Some guy called Dougie who Stuart arrested at a protest rally where a petrol bomb was thrown. The man hunt is on for bad boy Dougie.

Throughout the programme other issues rumble along like lonely Vera, who shuns social situations, choosing a life of solitude. She is forced to have dinner with happily married sergeant Joe, and his wife. It almost leaves you squirming watching the awkward silences and when Joe's wife persists on congratulating Vera about her all-clear from the doctor, the tortured soul has to 'fess up; she's got angina. Then there's Holly rubbing Vera up the wrong way when in fact she's just doing her job.

After too many cruel and caustic comments, Holly's had enough and requests a transfer. Once again we see the kinder side of Vera as she attempts to patch things up, eventually.

At times it's hard to keep up with who's who and who's done what. I have to admit I got a bit lost.

We find out Stella and Dougie were hanging out together playing 'let's make petrol bombs'. And it went wrong. Dougie set fire to himself and died and Stuart stepped in to protect Stella by covering it up and burying him.

Stella was also at the rally with Dougie, coincidentally throwing petrol bombs at police (namely her dad). Dougie's pregnant fiancee Lena who plays innocent and looks like she wouldn't say boo to a goose, yes you've guessed it, she was into petrol bombs as well.

There are plenty of twists and turns and it was at times a little confusing. But Vera's awkwardness and Joe's likeability will keep you interested and by the end you feel like you're part of the team.

Lisa Broom