Vera's Joe Ashworth returns – David Leon explains why and where he's been

In quotes provided exclusively to RadioTimes.com, Leon revealed how Joe has changed since viewers last saw him, saying: "Joe has been following his ambition, working for the Metropolitan Police in London. Working in a higher pressure and corporate environment.

"There’s something very human about him now coming back to the place he feels grounded by. That he regards as being home. Working alongside this woman who is unconventional but brilliant at what she does and is a huge inspiration. And the complete opposite of everything he has learned and been taught in a much more rigid system in London."

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He continued: "It sparks something in him. At the same time as life is throwing other challenges at him. He’s entering the middle stage of life, where his kids are starting to get to a point where they don’t need him, while at the same time facing another family challenge. It’s Vera who keeps him going through this difficult time."

You can re-watch the scene in which Joe makes his first appearance in the new season right here now.

On why Joe returned, Leon said: "Joe is now a detective inspector working for the College of Policing, and turns up to oversee Vera and her team and her ways of working, without any intention of sticking around. There’s a real conflict as a result of that.

"But he gets sucked in to the thrill of working alongside Vera, feeling inspired by the maverick nature in which she works. Vera works very much on instinct and doesn’t play by the rules. That lights a fire under him that he hasn’t experienced for a while.

"Previously, when Joe was working alongside Vera, it felt like a maternal relationship on her part. Now he has come back and demands to be seen as an equal. Which doesn’t go down very well to start with. Vera pushes back. On both sides, it takes a little while to reframe the dynamic of that relationship.

"It was very reflective and symbolic of the relationship you have with your parents and the relationship parents have with their children. As you grow up, the parents have to reframe that view of you as a child. As you become an adult in your own right.

"Joe’s return is a shock to Vera, and she’s not best pleased when she finds out why he is back. There’s always been conflict there. But there’s also a real mutual respect between two very different characters. Joe is a family-driven man while Vera is solely focused on the work and doesn’t understand when someone cannot live up to her expectations and standards.

"The tension in their relationship is exacerbated in that he has come back, very respectfully, but is stepping on toes. One of the things Vera cannot abide from anyone is being told what to do. There’s also a certain suspicion that comes with Joe’s reappearance. But his return also reignites a nostalgia and a sentimentality for them both."

Viewers will get to see more of Vera and Joe's new working partnership in the second episode of the season, which will air on 14th January.

Vera season 13 continues at 8pm on Sunday 14th January 2024. 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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