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Episode two: Protected
Sunday 4 May at 8pm on ITV
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D.C.I. Vera Stanhope (Brenda Blethyn) and D.S. Joe Ashworth (David Leon) examine the suspicious murder of David Kenworthy found dead on the beach at Whitley Bay.
Local arcade owner, Larry Crowe (Dave Hill) has a direct link to the family. His son Paddy died in a botched robbery at the Kenworthy home forty years ago. A witness saw him arguing with David on the night of the killing and a search of his property uncovers a bloodied baseball bat. But Larry has a watertight alibi and it's clear he wasn't the only person David met that night.
Convinced the answer lies within the family, Vera begins to dig into the Kenworthy past. Much to the frustration of David's father, it's not long before Vera discovers the long shadow Alan Kenworthy (John Woodvine) casts over his children's lives. Daughter Lorna (Teresa Banham) has been estranged from the family for many years and elder son Thomas (Michael Hodgson) is missing, his car keys found abandoned on the coastal path.
A second death leaves Vera faced with mounting pressure to crack the case. Why was David Kenworthy drawn to Whitley Bay seafront on the evening of his father's retirement? What is the corruption underpinning the family fortune?
Supported by her team Vera must use all her tenacity and instinct to expose the deep rift at the heart of this fractured family and ultimately solve two murder mysteries.
Written by Martha Hillier and directed by Daikin Marsh
Series overview
International award winning actress Brenda Blethyn reprises her leading role as the brilliantly perceptive D.C.I. Vera Stanhope for a fourth series of the popular crime drama produced by ITV Studios.
Actor, director and writer David Leon also returns to his role as Vera's trusted sidekick, Detective Sergeant Joe Ashworth, and relished the opportunity to return to his native home in the North East to film four new stand alone films.
Q & A with Brenda Blethyn on playing D.C.I Vera Stanhope
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