It's as if this season opener was deliberately stripped of any of the charm for which the series is renowned. The focus was purely on the case at hand with Vera tromping toward one red herring after another. There was no development provided for any of the other characters; in fact, it resembled an episode of. The Closer: a squad room of detectives scratching their asses, providing random updates as if they're expecting a gold star from their boss, and asking dull-witted questions which Vera duly answers. I felt embarrassed for the supporting cast. Hope it improves.
