Vera Season 8 – UK Region

DVD Wholesale Quick Overview:

This is the 8th Vera series with Brenda Blethyn playing the titular character. Relentless as ever, this female Columbo with the aid of an excellent staff always manages to catch her man or woman. A key positive for this series, consisting of 4 episodes each(detailed below), are the twists and turns along with the “red herrings” that really test one’s detective skills. However, one problem I found with this particular series (and I have thoroughly enjoyed them all) is the pacing – which feels too rushed and frenetic as well as being too convoluted. (That is why I gave #8 only 4 stars instead of 5). Just keeping track of all the suspects can be problematic. Sub-titles (which are available are ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL) and a review or second viewing of an episode may be necessary in order to fully appreciate and understand the final outcome. The acting is uniformly excellent and totally credible despite the complexity of plot which requires overly attentive watching.

The Episodes are as follow (NO Spoilers here): 1) Blood and Bone – the body of a policeman is discovered in a commercial abattoir incinerator (furnace for meat disposal of unwanted parts). How and why it got there is problem No. 1. Who is he and who put him there is problem No. 2. Ending is a big surprise but story is not for the squeamish. 20) Black Ice – a woman is hit from behind while driving her car on a lonely road and killed. Is it an accident or murder? Who would have wanted to hit her and why? In my opinion, this is the strongest and most surprising episode.
3) Home – a woman with a family is found dead in her backyard after being hit over the head with a heavy object. This happened in the wee hours of the morning. Why was she in her backyard at that time? Who would have wanted to kill her and why? Another brain twister with a surprise ending.
4) Darkwater – a young man’s body is discovered washed up from a reservoir lake but was killed before he wound up in the water. How he got there, who did it, and why are the mystery factors that comprise this episode. Perhaps the most convoluted episode of all, I also felt that it was the weakest. However, in a VERA series, a “weak” episode is only a relative term and far better than most murder mystery stories. Her “sweet” truculence and hard working effective sidekicks are always a pleasure to watch. Bits of humor and double-meaning banter are occasionally interspersed in the various episodes which helps to relieve some of the seriousness and dark side that are an inevitable part of this subject matter. Once again, I highly recommend this VERA installment. And anyone who hasn’t seen the earlier ones should get on board. You will assuredly never be bored! As an aside: David Leon, who was Vera’s primary associate and leg man in the first three Series, directed Episode 2 in this series.

-Critical Mass

Brenda Blethyn is one of the great modern screen actresses. I have many of her movies and all of the Vera series. She is in a class of her own. I actually pity other actors who have to work with her. She is so good that the eye is drawn to her even if unintended. Jane Horrocks, that superb comedic actress, did hold her own in Little Voice, as did Marianne Baptiste in Secrets and Lies. In Vera, Brenda continues to entertain us with her Colombo style raincoat and her signature green hat. Brenda is my age and that she is able to be so brilliant an actress in her seventies is a testament to her genius. Absolutely amazing!! I also love the character she plays, an independent woman who likes her own company; an intelligent woman who can delve into a mystery and sweep away the cobwebs to reveal the bare walls of the truth. The country of Northumberland is also a character in itself. Don’t miss this series!!-J. Gabrielson

DVD Wholesale Main Features:

Actors: Brenda Blethyn, Kenny Doughty, Jon Morrison, Riley Jones, Lisa Hammond
Writers: Ann Cleeves, Paul Matthew Thompson
Format: PAL
Language: English
Subtitles For The Hearing Impaired: English
Region: Region 2
Number of discs: 2
Classification: To be announced
Studio: ITV Studios Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: 26 Feb. 2018
Run Time: 480 minutes
ASIN: B077V5Q7JJ