Very well executed

Thanks for the memories!

Simply Perfect

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Vera is brilliant ! Very interesting storylines, great cast of characters, a lot of humanity. However, what used to be even more brilliant (compared to most English detective series where you can bet that while the rich may be portrayed as selfish and with a lot of secrets the murderer will almost always be someone poor )in Vera the criminal could be rich or poor, of high or low social standing..and that was a great antidote. I have watched the first two in this series , and it seems to be reverting to the typical class bias of most english detective series. An update on my previous review. Vera is back on form. Incisive social commentary and a detective series with a real heart to it. Amazing acting, characters with depth and incredible filming. May Vera go on and on!

and since the announced appointment of Cressida Dick as the country's most senior police officer,old - time detectives like her will be looking over their shoulders at the new breed of ambitious female cops,university - educated(Oxford and Cambridge - way to go Cressie),media - savvy,well - groomed and impeccably PC,everything Vera isn't nor would she want to be. But what she can do - which they will never be able to - is look someone in the eye and know if they are lying.That's not on any college curriculum I'm afraid. In last night's episode,as subtle as an enraged bull,Vera crashed her way through an elaborately organised revenge plot and slapped the cuffs on the suspect whilst her hands were still greasy from her fish and chips. No hand - reared calf's liver and drizzled jus for her. It's a one - woman show of course,with the magnificent Miss B.Blethin a Pierre Cardin - free zone with a rainhat permanently on her head and apparently wearing her jammies under her coat,a defiant gesture to the 21st century and it's "progress". If you remember when detectives had major Brylcreem,broken noses and dandruff mixing with the fag -ash(and that was only the women)you'll treasure Vera for her compassion,insight into the human condition and her reliance on the old time values. If you want your coppers peering out from behind a computer screen and frightened to say boo to a goose then watch something else.

Gloomy, shiveringly depressing, "Vera" is beautifully filmed with impressive production values, in low monotones to set a consistent mood. The plots are weirdly desperate, the music lugubrious, and the resolutions formulaic.Critical actors (victims, v.-to-be, suspects etc.) crank their performances to the max emote early on, with nowhere to go. Wiser direction could control this but it happens so regularly it feels intentional. Meanwhile, Vera straggles around the darkly filmed landscape of Yorkshire, with no apparent awareness of basic police protocol (like back up when you're entering a problematic isolated house of a potentially dangerous suspect) and chews the scenery regularly at crisis points, i.e. she freaks out over discovering her sergeant concussed at the bottom of basement stairs while the incarcerated victim seems perfectly calm. Vera doesn't reach for her mobile but babbles uncontrollably slapping Joe around. Hum.I'd call this terribly unprofessional (as an actor AND as her character's status). But wait. She is supposed to be damaged right? Do we forgive this as fiction? Artistic license? Naive assumptions? One wonders: this woman's a walking/stumbling disaster of a burnout case if her out of control emotions are anything to go by. More generous reviewers call her character interpretation "passionate". Only in film I guess. Despite its ambitions, this series ironically has the grime but lacks realistic "realism". Vera's example? I'd call it nightmare leadership and I don't find it particularly entertaining.Too vividly it reminds me of the scarier classic menopause symptoms I've had to deal with in professional life. Were I on her policing 'team', or forced into any association, I'd seriously be steering clear of her at all times. As I will the rest of the series.

Brenda Blethyn is the best. Only in England would they make a terrific mystery series about a frumpy middle aged woman who leads a homicide squad. No romance, no sex, just plain good mystery and terrific acting. I have just finished all 8 episodes and cannot wait for the next season. If you enjoy brainy mysteries and fabulous cinematography then this series is for you. DCI Vera Stanhope is sometimes temperamental, often blunt, rude and then kind and compassionate. She seems so alone and damaged but her work is her therapy and Her relationship with her Sargent (David Leon) is a thing of beauty. It is mother-son, sometimes best friends, and occasionally adversarial though it is obvious they are devoted to one another. These are murder mysteries that are complex, character rich and rooted in the personal histories of those involved. These stories are not dependent on gore and shock value but are smart, intelligent thrilling puzzles that draw you in for the ride. Watch one and I guarantee you will become a fan!