Vera Series 12 Episode 5 Recap

The Rising Tide – The Vera Christmas special opens with Rick Kelsall’s (Adrian Mills) trip to a beachside manor on Holy Island to join several other revelers. He admires the festivities while collecting several packages from the trunk of his vehicle. Inside he’s greeted warmly and even gets a welcoming kiss from Annie Laidlore (Clare Holman). The dancing and drinking immediately resume but later lead to a confrontation between Rick and Philip Robson (Phil Cornwell). Although the argument doesn’t get physical, Annie appears to overhear it again before going to bed alone. The following morning, Rick’s absence at the breakfast table leads to the discovery of him hanging in his room.

Elsewhere, DCI Vera Stanhope (Brenda Blethyn) makes her way through the prescient where she joins DC Mark Edwards (Riley Jones) and DC Kenny Lockhart (Jon Morrison). Upon seeing PC Billington “Billy” (Jake Ashton-Nelson), she makes the others aware that he’ll be shadowing their floor for the following month. The announcement doesn’t go much further thanks to an interrupted phone call from Superintendent Watkins (Sam Halpenny). Taking the call in her office, she learns about the suicide and Rick’s national profile. She questions the validity of the suicide before Watkins practically hangs up on her in mid-sentence.

While sharing details of the apparent suicide, Vera is informed by DC Jacqueline “Jac” Williams (Ibinabo Jack) that the Morning Sunrise co-host, Rick, was recently put on administrative leave for claims of sexual harassment. Billy learns his first lesson of never jumping to assumptions when he assumes the death and harassment claims are connected. Noting the time and the fact that the tide is likely in, Vera orders Aiden Healy (Kenny Doughty) to drop her off at the ferry.

After examining the scene, Vera talks through her findings with Aiden. She’s particularly troubled about finding mud on the bedspread when Rick is not only barefoot but doesn’t have any on his sneakers. That and no note throws the whole suicide theory out the window, for Vera. Although traveling separately, Aiden informs her that he and Dr. Paula Bennett (Sarah Kameela Impey) are on their way to the scene.

Having already met Annie on her arrival, Vera is quickly introduced to Sam (Brian Bovell) and Louisa Hampton (Suzette Llewellyn), as well as Philip. It appears that her biggest concern is confirming that no one has been in the room. Philip treats the questioning like a huge inconvenience and even stands throughout most of it. At times he even answers before Vera can finish her questions. His attitude changes once they begin discussing how coming to the manor changed their lives since being first introduced to it by their young, brilliant teacher in the 70s. Vera appears startled when she learns that Rick’s ex-wife is Charlotte Thomas (Kate Isitt) from Heskett.

Paula and Aiden happen to arrive at the manor at the same time. Paula is already dressed to examine the scene and is given directions by Vera. During their brief encounter, Paula appears to be a bit upset about having to miss out on previously scheduled holiday plans. Once Vera pulls Aiden to the side, it becomes clear why Vera was thrown by the mention of Charlotte Thomas. Vera alludes to her father, Isaiah Thomas (Eric Richard), being the head of one of Heskett’s most notorious crime families. Vera also tells him his friends didn’t believe the harassment allegations.

By the time Vera and Aiden join the investigators, Paula has definitive proof that Rick was suffocated. A mixture of saliva and drool along with orange fibers in the victim’s throat and nose indicate a nearby couch cushion to be the murder weapon. Other than the locked windows and the 1 to 4 pm time of death, Paula doesn’t have much else to offer. After ordering Aiden to inform the superintendent and arrange for a team to examine Rick’s friends, Vera discovers Louisa arguing with Billy about being confined to the manor.

Through further interrogation, Vera learns that Philip was the first to arrive on the island, but has been staying with a friend, Sid Sinclair. Annie claims that Rick had been staying in Cleve since Tuesday at his father’s place. Instead of offering his ETA, Sam blames the murder on Charlotte as an act of retribution for Rick’s destroying their marriage with his cheating ways. While learning more about Rick’s finances, Vera and Aiden get an address for Charlotte.

Vera and Aiden’s decision to interview Charlotte in person appears to pay off when they learn that Rick had actually been with her the day before meeting his friends. Charlotte claims that Rick had been “on edge” the entire time he was with her and was scheduled to meet with someone before joining his friends. Although she doesn’t know anything more about the meeting, she does have an extra set of keys to Rick’s father’s house. Further discussion reveals that Annie’s boyfriend, Daniel Rede (Adrian Rawlins), and Louisa’s sister Isobel also attended the first island retreat. A disagreement with Rick would later result in the accidental death of Isobel.

Returning to the prescient, Vera switches the focus of the investigation towards the sexual harassment charges, which reveals very little. Jac was only to find one article where Eliza Jones claims that Rick lured her into his office but didn’t get much further than hugging and kissing her. While Vera tasks Jac with tracking down the journalist who authored the article, Aiden fields a call from Billy who reports overhearing an argument between Philip and Annie.

Vera becomes frustrated when she returns to the island to find that Billy has let the group go to the chapel. Joining them, Vera finds Annie crying over her argument with Philip. Annie claims the argument was about the confrontation she overheard the night Rick arrived at the manor. Vera brings up Rick’s night with Charlotte and her mention of Rick being “on edge.” Annie confirms that Rick was acting strange when he arrived at the manor but thought it had to do with his celebrating being cleared of the harassment charges and writing his first chapter.

The following morning, Vera sets out to question Philip about the argument, but she and Billy have a hard time finding him. After what appears to be several hours and a visit to his house, she finds him at the beach, skinny-dipping with the others. Philip appears to be stunned when Vera brings up Rick’s book and her knowledge of Isobel’s death. Despite his shock, he admits that his argument with Rick was about his exploiting the death. Vera’s attention is soon drawn to a call from Aiden, who shares his meeting with Rick’s agent Cecilia Bertrand (Felicity Dean). Apparently, Cecilia didn’t know of Rick’s death. Vera orders him to get what he can of the book. As the call ends, Louisa arrives and expresses her desire to return home. Vera gives them approval to return home. As she reminds them to keep available, she learns that Philip is staying on the island with Sid. Before returning to the prescient, Vera hands out several assignments to Kenny, Mark, and Jac, which involve checking out Charlotte’s finances and confirming who was and wasn’t at the local pubs on Friday.

By the time Vera returns to the office, Jac has the bar patrons accounted for except for one and Aiden is waiting on the first chapter of the book. A call from Paula leads Vera and Aiden to the morgue where they learn that a lone hair from Louisa Hampton was found on Rick’s body. Other than narrowing the time of death to 1 to 3 am, that’s all she learns.

Before questioning Louisa, Kenny reports someone near the causeway hearing a vehicle leave the island around 1 in the morning, while another returned 10 minutes later. Vera tasks him with tracking the drivers while Jac still hasn’t heard anything about the mysterious lady at the pub. Isobellla’s autopsy report doesn’t shed any light on the case and there’s nothing more to report about the harassment case.

Louisa is extremely forthcoming during the interrogation. She not only admits to hugging Rick in his room, but she also admits to asking for financial assistance with Sam’s dementia. According to her, Rick was more than happy to help. When she’s questioned about not revealing her sister’s death during the initial questioning, she says it was because the event happened so long ago. Louisa is unable to shed any more light on Rick and Isobel’s argument on the night of her death. Things get interesting when Louisa says that Sam has some information to share. He claims to have seen Charlotte outside the window just right before 10:00 pm.

Vera immediately updates her team with the discovery while also providing some background on her father’s criminal exploits. Despite being one of the most influential crime families in the area, Kenny reveals that Charlotte’s yoga studio is bleeding money. Apparently, she’s turned to Rick for financial assistance several times.  Vera and Aiden’s next stop is Rede’s Holiday Park when the GPS report puts Rick there on Friday.

Daniel claims his meeting with Rick was merely a catching up between two longtime friends. He does admit that Rick appeared to be anxious but Daniel attributes it to the book. Both Vera and Aiden are left speechless when the new police and crime commissioner, Katherine Willmore (Sara Powell), emerges from one of the backrooms, with the announcement that she and Daniel have dinner plans. As they are leaving, Vera notices they are being closely watched by Eliza Willmore (Cora Kirk). Aiden also receives a call from Kenny, who has just spoken with Rick’s solicitor, regarding recent changes he made to his will.

A meeting with Rick’s solicitor, Gordon Stanwick (Martin Turner) shines a new possible financial motive on the case when Vera learns that Charlotte, Annie, and a charity (Angels Too Soon) were the other 2/3s. After suggesting looking into Annie’s finances, Vera’s next move is to revisit Charlotte. She doesn’t get the chance due to Charlotte already being dead by the time they arrive. Although the scene is staged to look like Charlotte got drunk and fell off the railing, Paula finds evidence indicating that Charlotte was forced over the railing.

Vera returns to the prescient to task the team with confirming alibies for Charlotte’s expected time of death. When Billy mentions Philip still being on the island, Vera suggests running his friend, Sid, through the system. This uncovers that Sid has been dead for nearly 2 years. Vera barely has time to process this thanks to an urgent call from Superintendent Watkins, who reprimands her for the visit to the PCC’s home.

Meeting with Isaiah and Ellie Thomas (Phillippa Wilson) to inform them of Charlotte’s death reveals that their relationship with Charlotte was strained. Isaiah even jokes about there being a bright side to the death when Vera mentions Rick’s will. Annie doesn’t take the notification as well, although she claims they were never very close. Annie appears shocked to learn that she’s named in Rick’s will, but sheds light on him gifting a third of his will to the charity when she admits to having a three-month-old, Freya, that passed in 1982. The father was Daniel and they were living in a cramped caravan at the park at the time. It was the couple’s depression that inspired Rick to invite them along to the retreat.

Vera shares the discovery with the team back at the prescient when Billy interrupts with the news that Philip has been spending time on the island with Judith Sinclair (Liz Crowther), maiden name Marshall. Vera immediately recognizes the name and ties it to the teacher who inspired Rick to attend the retreat.

On their way to question Philip, Aiden and Vera learn that DNA was found under Charlotte’s fingernails but is yet to be identified. Upon arrival, Vera questions Philip alone, who is fuming by this point. He reveals this time that his and Rick’s argument on the night of his death was about false allegations that Judith was begging to sleep with him. As Judith confirms Philip’s claims while Vera learns that Isobel was a relentless flirt.

Jac has managed to track down the journalist who wrote the harassment piece on Rick. He admits that he hoped to bring more attention to his piece by mentioning Eliza because of being the Police Commissioner’s daughter. Vera is upset to learn that Katherine purposely withheld this information but only gets angrier when she learns that Katherine used police resources to cover up Eliza’s lying. It turns out that Rick was only attempting to console her after a bad day on set and lied about it when an intern saw them. The discovery sends Vera to the commissioner’s office where she gives her a tongue-lashing before demanding an alibi. Her anger carries over with her at the prescient when she learns that Billy hasn’t followed through with looking for more keys for the Pilgrim’s house.

When Vera learns that Dr. Kelsall didn’t perform an autopsy on Freya, which was common for the time, she sends Mark and Kenny to look through his personal journal to see if he left any notes regarding the procedure. The discussion is over when an outraged Watkins arrives and demands to speak with Vera in her office about her confronting Katherine. In her office, Vera sticks to her guns about following the evidence of the case and the Superintendent appears to leave even angrier than when he arrived.

Vera returns to the Commissioner’s house where she informs Daniel of Charlotte’s death and asks about her business proposal. Daniel apparently didn’t know Charlotte was murdered and as for the business proposal, he was going to turn it down. Vera leads the questioning towards Freya’s death and why he didn’t request an autopsy. Daniel claims that Dr. Kelsall said the procedure would only mean damaging the body.

En route to question Annie, Vera gets word that Dr. Kelsall’s notes for 1982 are missing. They are later found at Charlotte’s house. Despite Louisa refusing to leave Annie’s side during Vera’s interrogation, the encounter doesn’t last long once Freya’s autopsy arises. Annie practically uses the same excuse as Daniel and storms off with Vera’s persistence.

After learning about the Willmores and Daniel’s alibis, Vera takes a call from Billy confirming that there is a third set of keys for the reunion manor. That set is, however, missing. A copy of Charlotte’s business proposal is waiting in her office and appears to be filled with typos and errors. Vera doesn’t get far into it when Jac and Mark return with Dr. Kelsall’s journal, which apparently suggests that Daniel accidentally killed Freya. Another call from Billy that sounds like a mixture of static and pleas for help sends Vera racing back to the island with backup. They are greeted by the caretaker, Jacob (Peter Peverley), at the manor. Although Billy is missing, his vehicle is there and so is the missing set of missing keys that Jacob claims was made specifically for the sale of the manor.

The search for Billy is cut short with a call from Kenny, announcing that Daniel had an offer on the manor. The discovery sends her to Daniel and Annie’s old caravan where he is chopping wood. Despite being alone, Vera doesn’t waste a second laying out the evidence against him. The most damning is Kelsall’s journal which documents Daniel accidentally giving overmedicating Freya. Although Rick never spoke of the incident, he planned on writing about it in his book. Charlotte had to go because she saw him leaving the island on the night of the murder. Daniel mistakenly assumes that Vera is alone and when he attempts to assault her, Katherine emerges and arrests him.

 

Vera Review

I don’t know if anyone could rightfully say the first Vera Christmas special was a success or not. I guess that will be later determined by the views. I’ll have to admit that I enjoyed it and would give it a 5 out of 10 based on the time and effort that was likely spent researching the case. The acting didn’t seem too bad, although there were some bad parts. The worst is the drug out content. The episode could have easily been 30 to 45 and had the same impact.

I don’t know if the special will win any favor in the eyes of new viewers simply because of its format, but it should be right at home with its regular viewing audience. Despite the content not really being classified as “filler,” I felt the investigation was far too detailed.

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