Vera (TV Series) On Harbour Street (2014) User Reviews

murder on a train

[blanche-2 · 8/10 · 15 May 2015]

Joe Ashworth, Vera's partner, and his daughter Jessie (Olivia Armstrong) board a train in "On Harbour Street," from "Vera" to begin its fourth season.

I just learned that Joe (David Leon) is not returning next season. It's such a great partnership, I hope the series doesn't suffer.

In this episode, an elderly woman boards a train and looks over at Ashworth's daughter, Jessie. She sits down. When Joe and Jessie leave the train, Jessie notices the lady is still there, seemingly asleep, and asks if she can wake her up. Joe says okay. When Jessie tries, she sees a bloody wound and screams. The woman is dead.

Very interesting episode as Vera and Joe endeavor to find out why anyone would want to kill this old lady, whom they learn is named Margaret. It turns out that she has quite a past, and also a friendship with another woman, Dee (Tilly Vosburgh), an alcoholic Margaret helps.

There's the discovery of a body, there's another murder, and an old mystery solved as Vera and Joe dig deeper.

Joe probably leaves for family reasons - his wife calls him upset because he's apparently forgotten about a counseling session for one of their children. Unlike Vera, he has a life outside of the department.

Very seemed more cheerful in this, as if she's lightening up. I think losing Joe will be very sad for her, as she seems fond of his family as well. Brenda Blethyn is wonderful as Vera, with her sly smile, her way of questioning a suspect, and the stories she tells.

Good episode.

A strong series opener.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 18 September 2020]

This is very strong episode, a fine start to the new series, a great opening scene, as you watch you just know something is going to happen, you don't know what.

The story is intriguing, and develops well, it's multi layered, and quite heavy, there are no shortage of suspects here.

Great dynamic between Vera and Joe, nice to see more of his family, it's also good to see how much Vera cares for Kenny, despite always shouting at him.

Some great scenes, a dramatic climax, and a real twist.

I thought they introduced Marcus very well, a shame he would have a more passive part later on.

Great guest cast, Paul Copley, Tilly Vorsburgh, Eva Birthistle etc, though the standout for me was Lynn Farleigh, I thought she was outstanding.

The scenery was breathtaking, real picture postcard stuff.

All in all a fine episode, 8/10.

Different Pacing

[isarakia · 7/10 · 6 June 2014]

First of all- I love this show. I love it for the dynamics between Vera and Joe Ashworth. I love the play-out of evidence and even the red herrings. I love the little tidbits revealed about Joe's wife and kids. So I was excited that this episode involved Jessie. It's a different actress playing her. (I was a little distracted by that.) This episode needed better editing. A tighter script. It was an interesting synopsis on IMDb, but the actors involved in the murder were very weak, especially the murderer. The scene of confession was forced and not convincing. Vera laughed more that usual. Joe - who is not returning next year - seemed even more quiet and in the background. :( Missed the medical examiner Billy. I'm not sure if they explained what happened to him. New guy is okay but the flirting with DC Rebecca (last name?)seems so Hollywood forensic shows(CASTLE, BONES, MENTALIST). And there's no chemistry between them. But that never stopped the the flirtatious exchanges. It's not the best but not the worst. It's always a good watch, except maybe next season when Joe is replaced. Just my humble opinion.

Episode with depth and drama

[dakjets · 9/10 · 30 July 2022]

Of the 46 episodes so far (2022) made in this series, there are many highlights. This episode is one of my favorites. It differs from the others in that the side characters are given more scope and depth. Here it is Joe's (played by David Leon) family that is woven into the story in an exciting way. We get to see the consequences of this up close. In contrast to most other episodes, it is a brilliant Vera who (of course) is the dominant party. In most of the episodes, the other characters are only almost backdrops that assist Vera with various tasks. That doesn't happen here, but events mean that Joe and his family are present when a suspicious death occurs. The episode also has fantastic outdoor scenes, and several exciting characters appear, making this one of the highlights of one of my favorite crime series. And as in many, many episodes - you never guess who the killer is until Vera pulls it all ashore!

Good solid episode of a great show getting only better.

[winopaul · 23 September 2016]

Well, do get it on DVD, this is my second watch, since it was typically difficult to keep things straight. So lets start right off with the character roundup for your little girl to write on the 4'x8' white board rolled up next to your recliner.

Jessie-- daughter of Vera's sidekick (with the 3-day growth), played by a different actress than previous shows. Margaret (aka Mary Ann)-- murdered lady on train, nondescript old white lady #1 (NOWL#1). Sidekick's wife-- wow, just wow, Page 6 for sure. Marcus-- black guy (gasp) that replaced Billy the CSI nerd. Kate-- woman at house of murdered lady, (NOWL#2), inherited house from dead husband, murdered lady was tenant, that stayed and made it into room rental house, Kate plays guitar (as Katie). Ryan-- son of NOWL#2. Chloe-- daughter of NOWL#2, older, not to be confused with Jesse. {To$$er is like w@nker, a guy who masturbates}. Stuart-- fiancé of NOWL#2, drags stand-up bass around, music teacher. George-- goofball guest at house, publisher rep, a little less nondescript than average ITV employee. Dee (aka Deirdre)-- drunk lady at pub, drunk lady on roof, drunk lady on sidewalk, drunk lady on escort card (NOWL#3). Shep (aka Rebecca)-- she knows the word enigma, the Vera employee that is the most nondescript human on Earth, be sure to use her if you knock over a bank. Kenny, the nondescript white Vera employee. Some IT patrol kid-- less nondescript than most, and younger. Jane Robinson-- manager of some shelter for women, murdered lady's job I guess, no word on how she supported herself (NOWL#4). Emily-- willowy blond anorexic that looks much older in subsequent scene in field NOWL#5). Malcolm--White boat guy with beard-- beats me why he exists, may or may not be the boat guy riding the "Mary Ann", and why is he hanging around Ryan anyway (gets explained but should have been Vera's first question). Val-- former pub owner, both in picture and as mean old woman, (NOWL#6). Ricky-- son of Val. Walter-- brother of Pavel, who was abusive husband of dead lady. {"On her tod" is on her own}.

OK, am a doofus that can't follow things, but there are some structural problems, like Vera talking to Dee on the roof, and poof, Vera is walking by Dee at a bus station. The writer does not make clear the names of characters and gosh almighty, they could use Vera's whiteboard to help explain things instead of a backdrop prop. It just seems there is some deficiency in the way things are played out, or I would not have such trouble that I have to watch most shows two or three times. Perhaps they feel the need to keep the entire cast of the books, and there are just too darn many people to keep track of in a 90-minute show. Why have the boat guy drive two similar but different boats? Why spread the scene out over three or four different setups, do they have to waste money at ITV? They show that %&^% picture and talk about Dee, but there are TWO girls in the shot, and which is which and who is the one that is NOT Dee? Was it the aspect ratio that made you frame a 2-up? Hitchcock and Milos Forman would puke. Maybe its Margaret, but I sure don't remember seeing that, after two viewings. Does Kate have to have 15 dresses and 4 hairstyles? And lets give everybody multiple names, Dee and Deirdre, Margaret and Mary Ann, Shep and Rebecca, Kate and Katie. Aren't things convoluted enough already?

Thank heaven for the linear opening, instead of 5 disjointed incoherent events like Law and Order Criminal Intent. The season 6 Vera I see on PBS are veering towards this lack of storytelling abomination. Teasing instead of storytelling.

SPOILER: And like almost all Vera episodes, there is always some bat-shiat crazy woman or two to cause all the trouble. I can't wait to see the rest of season 4, to see if its always a crazy woman.

Fie on the house of Acorn for putting ads and other show previews on the DVD that auto-play. You have to go to Playback>Title>DVD Menu to get the start-- there you can select subtitles, which really help keeping things straight, and then start the show. The Season 1-3 DVDs did not start with ads and may whatever mid-level incompetent buffoon middle manager that made this decision burn in hell. If you want to give previews let me select them or put them after the show. Pigs.

A mess of an episode

[babstoyfish · 4/10 · 27 December 2021]

I love Vera, but this episode was a mess. Confusing plot and characters, absurd murder where a woman is stabbed in the back and somehow doesn't notice? The ages of the actors seemed all wrong for their supposed history and timeline. And the worst is boring pretty boy Joe with his dreary, humorless family and their lugubrious drama. I'm eager to get to the episodes where he's replaced as I find him vapid and his wife and family insufferable.

Vera

[atrickyone · 5/10 · 19 April 2020]

Brenda Blethyn is always great, but her sergeant, Joe, has no presence on the screen. A ciphers. This episode is terribly weak unless you believe that someone can be fatally wounded and not realize anything has happened ... and after a while, they're dead. The peripheries to the plot were good as usual, but the confession was a washout, because the perpetrator undercut their own motivation by claiming that they had no motive to kill anyone. I know that sounds cryptic but I don't want to spoil it. So on balance, five stars.

We couldn't make heads nor tails of this episode.

[GoodErsatz · 3/10 · 2 August 2022]

We've loved every single episode of Vera so far, but this one was a train wreck. So many characters were shown, almost all of them meant absolutely nothing to the story. Also, pretty sure if I had a knife stuck in my back I would notice. It's not like a mosquito bite!

I didn't like how they badmouthed the former Medical Examiner either. I liked that fella. Overall, writing wise a very poor episode. I hope S4 doesn't continue down this path as we've enjoyed the series up til now.