Vera- Set Eight
DVD Wholesale Quick Overview:
This show is really brilliant, one of my absolute favorites. I believe there is a marked difference between UK crime dramas and American crime dramas; the former having more story development, less action, less gore, and (generally speaking) far more talented actors. I much prefer the UK style and Vera is a shining example of why.- V Walker
Every new season of “Vera” is a joy, because you don’t know if it will be the last one. Brenda Blethyn, who plays Vera, is in her 70’s, and after season 7 she said she didn’t know if she’d be able to continue. The schedule for making a series can be brutal.
So sit back and enjoy another set of murders in Northumberland. The “Vera” mystery series has been overall serious, almost grim, from its very first season. But also excellently plotted, with good supporting staff. D.C. Kenny Lockhart (older and tired) and D.S. Aiden Healy (young and married) have had their own conflicts over the years. But they are loyal to DCI Vera Stanhope, who can be a curmudgeon but knows her stuff. As Healy says in episode 3, “You’ve got a tendency to think the worst of people, you do know that.”
Vera: “Yeah? Well, it stops me from being disappointed.”
…1… “Blood & Bone” The incinerator at the Brenkley Abattoir (butcher shop) is meant to burn body parts and did a good job on the last batch. Except the wedding ring didn’t melt. Vera: “Right. Meantime, I want your team all over this. Prints, bloodstains, the lot.”
Marcus, the pathologist: “Uh, ma’am, it’s an abattoir.”
Vera: “Think of it as a challenge, Marcus.”
…2… “Black Ice” Roderick “Roddy” Maplin, once a taxi driver, is being laid to rest. His equally gray-haired buddies give him a proper send-off. Has somebody got it in for taxi drivers?
..3… “Home” Ten year-old Elliot Glenn hops out of bed in his neat and tidy house in a neat and tidy suburb. Except this morning, his mom, still dressed in her robe and pajamas, is lying in the back yard. Not alive.
…4… “Darkwater” Up at Byre Crag, a lake formed by a dam, the sluice gates are opened to drain excess water. There’s a problem with one gate, though. It’s a body, of someone who’s been dead less than 24 hours, even though he was reported missing 3 days ago.
The four episodes of Set 8 total 350 minutes. That’s over 80 minutes each, which is just one reason why people like me love British mysteries. English subtitles are available. There are no Bonus Features, which is just a shame for a long-running series.
-Happy Reader
The only thing I dislike is there are too few episodes (4) in a typical season of Vera but I think it is still one of the best British crime dramas on the planet. The British do these things well. When you first start watching Vera you might be a bit turned off by the character but she grows on you pretty quickly. There’s a fairly high turnover rate for some of the characters that make up some of her “squad” members; I suspect some actors want more screen time than their character is given so they are “killed off” or are just not there when the new season begins.
This is not a “shoot ’em up” police drama so if you want that kind of thing then Vera is not for you.
– Edward Carter
DVD Wholesale Main Features:
Actors: Brenda Blethyn, Jon Morrison
Directors: Various
Format: NTSC
Language: English
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only.)
Number of discs: 2
Rated: NR-Not Rated
Studio: BBC
DVD Release Date: December 4, 2018
Run Time: 360 minutes
ASIN: B07CV2BLFJ
