Dark Road
- Episode aired Jan 31, 2016
- Not Rated
- 1h 28m
Vera investigates the murder of a 56-year-old grandmother discovered by a young girl on the wild and desolate Northumberland moors.Vera investigates the murder of a 56-year-old grandmother discovered by a young girl on the wild and desolate Northumberland moors.Vera investigates the murder of a 56-year-old grandmother discovered by a young girl on the wild and desolate Northumberland moors.
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaIn the previous episode, Shadows in the Sky (2015), the restaurant overlooking the "tilt bridge," AKA the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, crossing the River Tyne between Gateshead and Newcastle upon Tyne was featured. It is featured again here, but has become an Asian/Chinese establishment, owned/managed by Huang (Paul Courtenay Hyu). Note, however, that some Chinese hanging lamps and red table cloths have been added.
- Quotes
[Bethany has been turned down for promotion. She had earlier accused Vera of being responsible for the decision]
DCI Vera Stanhope: Just to clear the air, I did *not* bad-mouth you.
DC Bethany Whelan: I know you didn't. They probably found somebody better.
DCI Vera Stanhope: Not someone better. Just someone more experienced. You've just got to get back on the horse and try harder.
DC Bethany Whelan: I will.
[Vera starts to get into her Land Rover]
DCI Vera Stanhope: You keep at it. One day, all this could be yours. The hat, the mac, the wheels.
[Vera chuckles]
- ConnectionsReferences One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
Vera is eccentric but sharp, with her floppy hat and formless coat. She's a bit like Columbo, but Columbo always acted simple to throw off the criminal; Vera may dress like hin, but she acts sharp.
This case revolves around the discovery by a girl of a woman, Anne-Marie Richards, shoeless on the moors. Vera realizes that she wasn't killed there, just dumped.
Richards has two daughters, who claim their mother had no boyfriend, though the pathologist notes sexual activity. Vera learns that the victim spent a lot of time at a guest house, working part-time as a bartender and entertaining gentleman callers. It seems she was also dealing drugs for one of her daughters.
Vera soon learns the inner workings of this family -- but will it be too late to save another person from being murdered?
This is a sad episode, with Blethyn teasing her new partner (Kenny Doughty) about his impending fatherhood and explaining to DC Bethany that she isn't ready for a promotion, thus upsetting her. Later Vera's frantic behavior and outpouring of emotion is staggering as we watch her heart break. It is a masterful performance, particularly the interview scene at the end.
Filmed in the stunning North England locations, this is perhaps the best episode of Vera thus far. Blethyn's performance will stay with you long afterward.
- blanche-2
- Sep 3, 2016
Details
- Runtime1 hour 28 minutes
- Color