Against The Tide – The episode opens with DCI Vera Stanhope (Brenda Blethyn) investigating a crime scene. Dr. Malcolm Donahue (Paul Kaye) complains about police officers contaminating the crime scene. The victim’s lying near the companionway of a boat. Donahue suggests the victim was murdered within the last 48 or 72 hours because there is no rigor mortis. He says an injury to the cheekbone occurred before death but he isn’t sure about the injury to the back of the head. She pleads with him to provide her with more information. He points out that an unknown pattern on the left side of the face originates from something the victim had been lying on after death. She asks if the victim was moved. He tells her that the item could’ve fallen into the ocean.

DC Jacqueline “Jac” Williams (Ibinabo Jack) informs Vera that the victim, Frank Channing (Harvey Smith) is from Tritlington. DS Aiden Healy (Kenny Doughty) says the next of kin is Julia Channing (Amanda Horlock).

Vera informs Julia of Frank’s death. Julia questions what she’ll say to their 18-year-old son, Lyle Channing (Flynn Allen). Glynn Allen (Paul Bown) says Frank and Lyle were really close. Vera asks when was the last time she saw Frank. She says before 1pm on Friday but he left immediately. Frank’s a Northumberland and City Council licensing officer. Vera asks why she waited until Sunday to report Frank missing. She claims to have received a text from him Friday saying he was going sailing until Sunday. Glynn says Frank and Lyle have a boat that they’re restoring at the Hauxley Sailing Club which he’s a member.

Northumberland City Council – Belinda Rayford (Samantha Spiro) claims Frank took Friday afternoon off for a sailing trip. Aiden is searching Frank’s desk when Leonie Becker (Ade Ajibade) approaches. The computer system doesn’t show an emergency on Friday. Belinda was chosen over Frank for the head of licensing position. Vera says it must have been difficult to be looked over. Belinda assures her that Frank never appeared to be upset. Vera threatens to get a warrant for all the computers to convince Belinda to give her access to Frank’s.

Aiden and Vera believe Frank may have been involved with someone.

Hauxley Sailing Club – Surveillance footage shows Frank pulling up at the front at 2:40pm and leaves with his sailboat at 4:30pm. Jason Hewley (Theo Solomon) tells Vera and Aiden that the boats are accessible on foot but by car, a keyfob is needed. CCTV doesn’t cover the area where Frank’s boat was stored. Jason tells her that experienced boats can load up their boats in 30 or 35 minutes. Vera points out that Frank was there for over two hours.

Frank’s vehicle is discovered near River Kern. Donahue informs Vera of blood being detected inside the vehicle. Vera asks if there is any evidence of him being attacked there. He says no but a rubber mat inside the boot matches the pattern on Frank’s face. Vera suggests he was placed in the boot after being murdered.

Jac tells Vera that ANPR detected Frank’s vehicle at 7:33am at Menton Road. She says it was 9:15am when he returned to his vehicle. DC Mark Edwards (Riley Jones) informs her of someone who looked like Frank at a local bus station at 7:44am. After identifying the man as Frank, Vera says his bag is missing. Edwards tells her that Frank purchased a new laptop a month ago. DC Kenny Lockhart (Jon Morrison) suggests he picked someone up at the bus station. Vera asks why would he lie to Julia about an emergency at work. Aiden says marital issues. There were 20 minutes from the time he received an urgent text from someone in Acklington at 1:17pm and when his phone pinged off a tower there. Frank and Cal Wallace (Robert Wilfort) spoke on the phone at 3:15pm for 20 seconds which may’ve been a “butt dial.”

Donahue determines the cause of death to be blunt force trauma to the chest from a potential kick that collapsed his lung. He tells Vera that he’s taking a job in Copenhagen. Aiden says blood has been discovered in Lyle’s boat. He becomes irate when he encounters the police. He claims to have left school to have lunch at home where he saw Frank. Vera asks what came between him and his father. Lyle says he did nothing when people walked all over him. Julia denies any knowledge of Frank’s new laptop.

Vera asks Julia if Frank was a “weak” man. Julia describes him as being “diplomatic.” Vera asks if it was normal for Frank to spend the weekends away from home.

Oonagh Wallace (Patricia Potter) tells Vera that she and Frank are Lyle’s godparents. Cal claims Frank called him at 3:15pm Friday to confirm a night out. Oonagh says Frank moved into a rental a few weeks ago because his and Julia’s relationship was flat. Vera tells them that Lyle claimed they were holding hands on Friday. Cal admits to seeing things differently.

Lockhart informs Vera that the surveillance footage from the sailing club isn’t complete. She orders him to get a warrant to obtain the hard drive. Mark says had a rental at Brigant Security. Lockhart tells her that Frank was having long conversations with Alison Ayad (Jasmine Kerr) from Acklington. Alison’s husband, Nitesh “Tesh” Ayad (Dharmesh Patel) was the bus driver involved in a collision that claimed the life of Kyle Summerley. Frank was a witness for the prosecution in his case. Vera questions why Frank and Alison were talking when he help send Nitesh to prison for six years.

Tesh says Frank made good on his promise. Vera informs him of Frank’s death. He tells Alison that it’s over. She reminds him that he fell asleep at the wheel. Alison claims Frank was working with them to prove Through-Bus was endangering lives by forcing drivers to work illegal hours. He says it only stopped after the collision but Carmen Harris (Rachel Morris) told them that it started back. They were in Morpeth on Friday because the local shops refuse to serve them.

Vera asks Aiden if it’s possible had turned whistleblower to make up for what happened to Tesh. Frank’s job was to inspect Through-Bus buses. Mark says there was no Through-Bus inspection data on Frank’s computer. She suggests the inspections were off the book. Jac tells her that Frank and his union representative, Sue Ronsel in Blyth were in touch before his death.

Vera confronts Glynn about his criminal record. He claims to have straightened himself up when Lyle was born. She suggests he wouldn’t have been pleased with Frank leaving Julia. He says Frank was coming back home before he died.

Lyle lied about returning to school after lunch on Friday. He claims to have been on the beach at about 2:30pm when he saw Frank on his boat before going to the Black Horse for a few drinks. Vera asks if he knew where Frank was living. He says at Oonagh and Cal’s flat in Bedlington.

Vera threatens to arrest Cal and Oonagh for withholding vital information from the police. Cal claims Oonagh didn’t know Frank was staying at the flat. Vera asks if Frank was having problems at work. He says Frank’s boss wanted him gone. She suggests Belinda may have a connection with Through-Bus. Jac calls to tell her about a formal complaint filed against Frank by Leonie Becker (Ade Ajibade).

Vera confronts Belinda about the formal complaint. Belinda says Frank was dead so there was no sense mentioning it. Vera asks if she was aware Frank was investigating the crash involving a Through-Bus bus. She denies any knowledge of the investigation. Vera says Frank believed the driver may not have been at fault for the accident.

Leonie tells Aiden that Frank started finding faults in her work. Her boyfriend, Jason Hewley encouraged her to file the formal complaint.

Vera and Aiden question Jason about the missing CCTV footage. The missing footage shows Jason punching Frank outside the sailing club. He tells them that he wanted Frank to leave Leonie alone. He claims to have been with Belinda on Friday. Belinda and Jason were intimately involved since Christmas. Vera suggests Belinda was playing him. He assures her that she cares about him.

Vera accuses Belinda of wanting to get rid of Frank because he was investigating Through-Bus. Aiden assures her that Leonie could handle Frank. Vera suggests she got Jason wound up so he’d attack Frank and not knowing his strength, he killed him. Mark informs Vera that Frank’s laptop has been found. Jac says Frank took a bus driven by Carmen to Alnwick Friday.

Carmen claims to have removed Frank from her bus because he was recording her. Vera suggests it was part of the Through-Bus investigation. Carmen says Through-Bus gives drivers two tachographs (a driving record) so they can operate the business illegally. Frank collected the information from her tachographs for the investigation. She says Tesh was upset about the investigation being prolonged while Frank gathered evidence to take to Health and Safety and the Commission.

After entering the Northumberland and City Council facility, an irate Tesh tells Belinda that she’s a “killer.” Security guards apprehend him.

Aiden accuses Tesh of lying about his alibi when Frank was killed. He admits to sending Frank a text on Friday from Acklington because Kyle Summerley’s children were harassing his children. He was at Kyle’s home when Frank showed up. Frank convinced him to go home.

Tabuk Holdings and Strieber Holdings own a combined 92% stake in Through-Bus. Mark says Belinda Sandown and her husband, William Patrick Sandown, Tabuk Holdings director, resided in Newcastle. She asks the detectives to find out how many contracts Belinda cleared for William. Aiden tells her that William knew his competitors’ bids so he could undercut them and share the money with Belinda.

Vera informs Belinda of Tesh violating his probation. Through-Bus decreased the drivers’ wages and increased their hours. Drivers took uppers to stay awake. Belinda admits to giving William details of rival tenders. She says Frank kept pressuring her so there was no time to fix it. Vera warns her that Health and Safety and CPS will receive Frank’s files.

Lockhart informs Vera of Belinda’s vehicle pinging en route to Alnwick at 1pm Friday. She questions who killed Frank if it wasn’t Belinda.

Leonie is asked to step in for Belinda temporarily. Frank did away with Glynn’s closure order for his business. Vera asks Glynn why his phone pinged in Bedlington near Cal’s flat. Lyle admits to telling Julia where Frank was living. Julia punched Lyle in the eye during a meltdown over Oonagh delivering flowers to her house.

Oonagh denies having an affair with Frank. She claims Frank sustained a fractured wrist about 18 months ago.

Glynn claims Julia beat Frank badly when he did something she didn’t like.

Julia says Frank never explained why he was moving out. Vera asks if it had anything to do with her beating him. Julia admits to finding Frank at the sailing club where they got into an altercation. He sustained a head injury when she shoved him but he was alive when she left. Vera suggests Cal who’s a nurse went to the sailing club to check on Frank.

Oonagh says Cal has been staying at the hospital for several weeks. Frank tells Vera that he left the hospital when Frank called him from the sailing club. He admits to loving him for 25 years. He describes Julia as “evil” for what she did to Frank. He says after they kissed, Frank pretended it never happened. Frank’s plans to leave didn’t include him. Vera asks if he thought Frank left Julia for him. He claims to have accidentally hit him with his elbow before intentionally kicking him. Frank was alive when he left but when he returned a short time later, he was dead. Vera informs him of the kick collapsing Frank’s lung. He assures her that it was an accident. She reminds him of his putting Frank’s body in the boot of his car.

Frank’s arrested for Frank’s murder.

Lyle and Glynn work on his boat. Vera drops Frank’s fleece off for Lyle as the episode comes to an end.

 

Vera Review

The investigation is overwhelming with way too much evidence. The timeframe of Frank’s death was far too in-depth to remember all the details. If anything, it was at times confusing. The show could have utilized flashbacks to amp up the intensity.

The “Love” and “Pet” nicknames are inappropriate for a senior detective. They were definitely overused throughout the entire episode.

The acting is good while the cinematography could use some improvement. The off-center camera shots with part of a head or body are subpar. It appears as if you’re standing behind the character as the conversation takes place.

Overall, an enjoyable episode that deserves a 6.5. Get more Vera recaps here. Support Reel Mockery by clicking the link. Ask about our advertising packages.

 

Vera Season 12 Cast

• DC Kenny Lockhart (Jon Morrison)
• Malcolm Donahue (Paul Kaye)
• DCI Vera Stanhope (Brenda Blethyn)
• DC Jacqueline “Jac” Williams (Ibinabo Jack)
• DS Aiden Healy (Kenny Doughty)
• DC Mark Edwards (Riley Jones)

Where Was Season 12 Of Vera Filmed

Filming locations include Northumberland, Newcastle, Hartlepool Railway Station, Darlington, and Amble.

Where To Watch Vera Season 12

Season 12 of Vera premiered on Sunday, January 29, 2023, at 8pm on ITV1.