Vera fans 'broken' and 'sobbing' as ITV crime drama comes to an end

What did you miss?

Vera fans were left sobbing as the crime drama ended after 14 years, calling it “the end of an era.”

The Northumberland-set series starring Brenda Blethyn has been on air since 2011 and has been a huge hit but last year the actor confirmed it was time to hang up DCI Vera Stanhope’s floppy hat and rain mac. The final instalment aired on ITV on Thursday, 2 January and saw Vera looking into the case of a missing girl and a student who had been killed and dumped at the foot of three monoliths she visited as a child.

Viewers posted messages on social media saying they were gripped by the last episode but sad to see the straight-talking detective bow out. “Wishing @ITV would say it's all a lie and it will be back,” one person admitted on X.

What, how and why?

The episode saw DCI Stanhope investigating after a man was found dead, having been stabbed. The investigation became more complicated when the detective discovered that a local girl was also missing.

There was a special twist as the spot the man’s body was discovered was somewhere that Vera visited as a child with her dad. And the episode featured flashbacks to her when she was young, as she told her father she wanted to enter the police force when she grew up.

During the moving final instalment there was talk of a promotion for DCI Stanhope but in the end she decided to resign and move on. “It's more about making way ma’am, for others to fly,” she said as she handed her boss her resignation letter.

What did Vera fans say?

Viewers were upset that Vera’s adventures were coming to an end, with several posting messages on X saying they didn’t want to believe it was true.

“Saying a tearful goodbye to another consistently brilliant TV show and an iconic British character tonight is so sad,” said one. “There is no other like Vera. The best of the best and it is going to be missed so much in my house.”

Someone else posted: “The end of Vera is truly the end of an era. Fantastic show and cast. Will miss that show.” "I can't believe it's over," said another.

Read more: Vera

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“Starting the year feeling broken because Vera has officially ended, can’t seem to grip shows anymore but what an unbelievable series,” said another.

Someone else wrote: “Sobbed at the end of Vera. End of an era. And what a great one it was.”

Another commented: “I never thought I’d see the day when an episode of Vera would make me cry. What a fabulous last episode. ‘Fond farewell pet…’”

One person pleaded: "Please can Vera get bored in retirement and be some sort of private detective for a few years, with her dog."

Others suggested ITV could make a spin-off about Vera's colleague DI Joe Ashworth (David Leon).

One wrote on X: "DCI Joe? ITV can't just let go one of the best crime dramas ever." "Could we have a series called Joe??" asked another.

"I know it won’t be the same but after Morse we had Lewis," pointed out somebody else. "Could we have Joe or Ashworth maybe?"

Vera, based on the Vera Stanhope series of novels by Ann Cleeves, started in May 2011 and there have been 14 series. Announcing it was ending in April last year, Blethyn said in a statement that “working on Vera has been a joy from beginning to end”. “I'm sad to be saying cheerio,” she said. “But I am so proud of our achievements over the last 14 years.”