Vera (TV Series) Death of a Family Man (2014) User Reviews

A great way conclusion to Series 4.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 9/10 · 4 October 2020]

Businessman John Shearwood is found floating in the water, his doting family believe he was working away, Vera and Joe are on the case.

It's a great way to end the fourth series, it's an excellent episode. I love the twist, it's a deep mystery, but straightforward enough to follow.

I was excited to see Robert Glenister's name in the credits, but he didn't get the biggest of parts, I thought Billy Howle who played Billy was awesome, Colin Tierney was great also.

The usual high quality production, it looks and sounds terrific.

I appreciated the reference to a previous episode, not something the show generally does, we see Joe's daughter still feeling the effects of the death of the woman on the train.

Vera wears some truly hideous outfits here, she gets away with them of course.

Notable for being the final episode to feature Joe, David Leon moved on, a shame he wasn't given some sort of send off.

Excellent, 9/10.

A new fan for Vera

[michelvega · 9/10 · 16 October 2015]

I haven't seen many of these shows yet but this one is definitely the best for me, so far. Lots of new facts springing up along the way makes it enjoyable. English is much easier to understand for me in this episode. Being from Quebec with an excellent grasp of spoken and written English, I have had some trouble with the Geordie dialect. But who knows, maybe I'm getting better at it. This episode is well written, full of twists and turns, so much so that we really can't guess who done it until the end. Actors do an excellent job and I love to see Vera's team busying around doing competent work. In many cop shows, there are often lose ends left dangling. But not here. Everything is tied up pretty well at the end. Definitely becoming a fan of Vera.

Classic Vera

[epacrisimpressa · 9/10 · 8 September 2020]

Very good episode, mysterious, well-acted and well-written, though as usual it's hard to understand some bits of dialogue in thick local dialect. Vera doesn't tear strips off her colleagues in this one - something must be wrong! LOL. I thought Billy Howle, who played the son, also called Billy, was outstanding, revealing the deep anguish of this troubled young man.

Vera and Joe on the case

[blanche-2 · 8/10 · 4 June 2015]

When John Shearwood, a self-employed man, is found floating in the river with his shoes tied together, Vera (Brenda Blethyn) and Joe (David Leon) are brought in on the case.

They find that his hands have bruised knuckles, so they know a struggle took place. Investigating his family, they find nothing -- the family lives in the country, though the victim also had a flat in town. Vera learns that John's son Billy, a recovering drug addict, was in the vicinity at the time of the murder.

A customs officer visits Vera and informs her that Shearwood was working as a confidential informant to uncover a smuggling ring headed by Shearwood's boss, Mark Donovan. Donovan, however, was not near the murder scene at the time of the crime.

She then finds out that Shearwood is leading a double life with a woman named Gemma; but Gemma is in fact the mother of a little boy John's son accidentally ran over and killed.

It's up to Vera and Joe to unravel the various clues and happenings and figure out who killed Shearwood and why.

Interesting episode, with enough story to keep the viewer involved. As I have said before, Vera seems to have lightened up a little this season. I'm sure this is an acting choice by Blethyn as time has passed since the character's father died, and she's coming out of her dark feelings a little.

This may have been Leon's last episode, as I understand he left the show. I hope I heard wrong. He and Vera make a good team, and he's nice on the eyes as well.

Season 4 finale

[winopaul · 24 September 2016]

John Shearwood-- dead floater. Luke-- brother. Stella-- wife. Mark Donovan-- friend and manager employee. Owen-- mystery idiot in car, tax man. Cleaner girl-- Agata Jarosz more Page 6 material, wow. Billy-- son. Ethan-- little kid killed by Billy. Gemma-- fiancé, mom of Ethan.

Total implausible that the murderer would not have just called police when it happened-- but OK episode. If binge watching do this one first then rest of season 4.

I hope PBS keeps showing season 6. I know now to keep these notes so I can understand whats going on with the first viewing. Watch the "exposition" (ha haa haaa) of the cleaner girl to see why this show is so hard to follow. They drive by her talking to Shep, then she is inside the house-- poor character introduction on top of implausible event- some producer got a hummer and the pretty Polish girl gets some gratuitous screen time.

Thank gosh for Vera, whose talent heals all sins.

Owen

[hazangel-89910 · 8/10 · 17 January 2024]

I enjoyed the banter between Vera and Owen. He would have been a good love interest for her. Vera needs some excitement in her life other than her murder cases. Vera really is a loner.

Celine was funny. Joe's family always tells on Joe and how much he talks about Vera at home.

I'm so sad that Joe is leaving. They make such a great team. I did see that he returns in coming episodes. It will be interesting to see if the chemistry will still be there. I often wondered if he put up with her just to learn from her or if he really cared for her.

I enjoyed this episode although a little complicated and unbelievable.