Vera star Brenda Blethyn reveals finale scene that broke her heart
"It broke my heart when I read the script and it was emotional to film."
It's almost time to bid farewell to Vera once and for all as the hit ITV drama gears up to conclude in the new year.
But as well as saying goodbye to the crime drama, fans will of course also be left to anticipate the departure of Brenda Blethyn on our screens as the titular detective.
As well as the final episodes set to take us on quite the journey into Vera's psyche, Blethyn has also teased that some of the scenes in the finale were very emotional to film.
Blethyn revealed: "One scene involved Vera and DC Kenny Lockhart, played by Jon Morrison. It broke my heart when I read the script and it was emotional to film.
"Jon Morrison rang me up after it was all over. And he said, 'I just wanted to thank you for giving us 14 years of work.' What a gentleman. But I thanked him and told him I certainly wasn’t going to do any episodes without him. Which is true."
The final episodes will air on the 1st and 2nd January 2025 but just because they're the last ones of the show, it doesn't mean they won't be jam-packed full of drama.
According to the synopsis: "In the first episode, DCI Vera Stanhope is called to the banks of the Tyne where the body of a young man has been discovered by some anglers.
"A tangled web of a broken relationship, secret love, grudges, regret, and fraud begins to emerge – has our former inmate been served cold justice, or does his death run deeper?"
Read more:
- Vera's childhood explored in final episode, says executive producer
- Vera star David Leon says it was an "honour" returning to direct episode
The synopsis continues: "The final episode brings Vera back to a familiar place when a body is found at the foot of legendary local stones The Dark Wives – with memories of childhood in the background, Vera must work hard to uncover the mystery of why a bright young student would be violently attacked and left so far from home.
"This poignant episode weaves together past and present and makes for a compelling and emotional farewell."
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Blethyn will be joined in the final episodes by David Leon as DI Joe Ashworth, Jon Morrison as DC Kenny Lockhart and Riley Jones as DC Mark Edwards, as well as Sarah Kameela Impey as pathologist Dr Paula Bennett and Rhiannon Clements as DC Steph Duncan.
Guest stars for season 14 also include Amanda Root (Persuasion), William Houston (Wednesday), Shobna Gulati (Coronation Street) and Clinton Blake (Skins), to name a few.
Vera season 14 will arrive on Wednesday 1st January at 8pm on ITV1. Previous episodes are available to watch on ITVX.
You can also purchase instalments from any series on Amazon Prime Video. You can buy the first of Ann Cleeves's Vera novels now.
To find out what else is on, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide or visit our dedicated Drama hub. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.
