User Reviews

Wonderful to see Vera back strong from worldwide events that have hit Northumbra, Newcastle and the rest of the world over the past two years.

This season 11 was intriguing for sure, and I kind of got whiplash because of all the suspects. The only one not under suspicion was the prosecutor.

Still, a worthy episode for sure and I'm thrilled Vera is back healthier than ever.

Well now we know why Vera is always the last one to show up. She is coming from her home which is far away and has to wait for the tide to be just right.

The story was good. However, certain parts did not flow so well. The story about how the windshield got shattered was told in 2 different ways. Why would the guy who died bring up the "fig tree" restaurant to Doug?

Boy one could really see the social distancing that was happening there. And boy does Mark ever looks good!

I was thrilled to learn season 11 was ready for release, so I was excited to be able to view Episode 1: Witness

I'm not going to do a plot review, you can find that elsewhere readily enough. This episode is just missing what I've loved about Vera Series. That it's not just about solving a tricky murder. It's also about the relationships between Vera and other supporting cast members. .

I found this episode sorely wanting in this respect. In the past, Vera has found herself becoming increasingly involved in the personal and family life of DS Aiden Healy. (Kenny Doughty). No so this time! Here we find DS Healy spending nights sleeping at the station due to some unexplained marital issue. Vera responds with a few token adages. No tension is built nor any real sense of feeling You have to wonder why this was even included, unless the writers now consider it part of the script recipe. (Sigh) In fact, the Healy character doesn't even play a really useful role anywhere in this episode.

Another point, twists and turns regarding suspects, which I've come to expect. However, this time, the twists felt very contrived. "Let's have 'em think this guy's guilty, ok, now twist again, she's the one! It's just TWIST for twist's sake, Even the character's dialog seems to be inconsistent with the turns -- like even they don't believe it.

And finally, when we do find out who committed the murder, we are left rather stunned. Because nothing we've been led to believe about this character can support the particularly violent brutality of the crime. Come on, now...the script writing should include audience believability! You know, the ah-hah! Moment.

Ok, these are just a few sore points, definitely won't stop me from watching Episode 2. I just hope this episode was an anomaly -- the series will revert to it's higher standard of writing expected from this series.

Witness is the first episode of the eleventh series of Vera.

The suspects mount up quickly after Jim Turnbull is killed late at night on the steps of the Collingwood Monument in Tynemouth.

Turnbull was due to give evidence in court. He saw a promising young footballer beat up another man and leave him with serious injuries.

The footballer's brother seems to be the sort who might have intimidated witnesses. However they all seem to have alibis for the night of Turnbull's death.

Vera then thinks Turnbull had second thoughts about giving evidence in court. Maybe the injured man's family might have intended to harm Turnbull.

When Turnbull's son is later hospitalised. Vera looks closely into the dead man's estranged wife.

I thought at one point, half the people in the north east were going to be hauled into the police station.

If it was not for that ring found inside the throat of Turnbull. It might have happened!

The ring is the key. It had to be as Vera eventually eventually finds the culprit. Maybe that was a bit too convenient, a silly thing for the killer to do.

Until then this was a complex story and a good one. The young footballer's family were too obvious to be the killers. Maybe Vera and her team should had probed more just what kind of guy Turnbull was and if he did turn violent.