{"product_id":"vera-series-2","title":"VERA SERIES 2 DVD","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eAnn Cleeves’ Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope (BAFTA winning Brenda Blethyn) returns with more grisly cases to solve in Series 2.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eThe Ghost Position\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003eVera's reunited with her first mentor and colleague after his home is firebombed and his teenage daughter badly injured.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eSilent Voices\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA well-respected social worker has been drowned, and in her most famous case a child was drowned by his mother. What exactly is the connection?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eA Certain Samaritan\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA young man is found dead with heroin in his blood and a stolen credit card in his wallet. But only when Vera learns details of his mother's life does a motive for murder emerge.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eSandancers\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe authorities at a local army base are in an ungodly hurry to declare the death of a decorated Afghanistan War veteran a suicide. But Vera doubts it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe first series of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eVera\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e may have left the show a little bit of work to do, but this follow-up run of stories improves things with considerable skill. The basic premise remains similar. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eVera\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e follows the work of Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope, a woman driven to solve crime, whilst battling a catalogue of problems of her own. So far, so conventional. Television is hardly short of detectives, after all. But \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eVera\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e has a trump card, and her name is Brenda Blethyn. The Oscar-nominated actress gives a considered performance in the title role, and the lends the show the gravitas it needs to keep us hooked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBlethyn is front and centre for much of the four episodes collected together here, and it's a complex collection of cases she's presented with. For instance, she has to face the mysterious suicide of a former colleague, and the odd murder of a social worker, each of which comes with a labyrinthine backstory that Vera needs to get to grips with.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere are still problems with \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eVera\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e that this second series doesn't completely solve. Based once more on Ann Cleeves' novels, the wonderful Blethyn has proven to be a divisive choice amongst hardened fans of the books, and whilst her character is deepened here, more work on the writing and less reliance on the leading actress would serve the show well.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThat said, her adventures here are fleshed out, interesting, and intriguing to watch. And \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eVera\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e continues, as it did in the second half of its maiden series, to improve. Well worth a look. --\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eJon Foster\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ITV","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46886437585070,"sku":"3711535183","price":16.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0583\/4614\/3918\/files\/VERA-LIME-LIGHT_d42d6ab6-1d7c-4ecb-8ee1-aba161bcd063.jpg?v=1758276229","url":"https:\/\/limelightcollection.co.uk\/en-us\/products\/vera-series-2","provider":"Limelight Collection","version":"1.0","type":"link"}