Vera’s David Leon on Joe and Vera’s relationship at the end of season 13

Athough Vera Stanhope (played by Brenda Blethyn) initially struggled to cope with the fact her former colleague is now on her level, there's been a thawing between the pair and a greater understanding of how they can best work together.

According to Leon, their relationship will continue to grow into the third and final episode of Vera season 13.

Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com, Leon explained: "From a personal point of view, I think there's an element of procedural to these kinds of shows, but really I believe what the audience tunes in for is the dynamic between the characters.

"The thing that's most interesting to me is the progression of the relationship between Joe and Vera over the course of these three episodes. In a subtle and nuanced way, there's an ebb and flow, and a desire to garner one another's respect."

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Leon added: "When you find them at the end of the series – I don't want to give too much away – but there's a lot of hard work to reach a place where their dynamic has been reframed. That journey's really exciting to watch."

Vera season 13 continues at 8pm on Sunday 21st January 2024 on ITV and ITVX. Previous episodes are available to watch on ITVX while seasons are also available on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free BritBox trial here.

You can also purchase instalments from any series on Amazon Prime Video. You can buy the first of Ann Cleeves's Vera novels here.

To find out what else is on, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide or visit our dedicated Drama hub.

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