Still a huge fan, but struggles with the "new" Joe Impressively, Brenda Blethyn is back as Vera Stanhope, season 13. This series has a lot of fans, myself included. Although the episodes and cases have varied in tension, the series is always worth watching, quality crime.
Since last DC Kenny is out. Ahead of this series being released, it was announced that David Leon will return in the series as Joe Ashworth. I was really looking forward to it, the character Joe was deeply missed after he disappeared after season 5.
To start with the best first; the series is back with a new, exciting crime mystery for Vera. Good characters, classic investigation and both I and many others keep us entertained. Vera is as sharp and persistent as we know her. But, there is a big BUT.
I can't appreciate the way Joe is written into the series. He is not on the team with Vera, but comes in as an ex-investigator of Vera and her staff. That's not the only thing that's new. During the period he has been absent, according to the episode, he has become arrogant, condescending and a person who is in the way of the investigation. During the episode, he suddenly assumes the role of an investigator. In the end of the episode the "Old" Joe si back, sort of. So that's also weird.
Sorry, I don't buy this. I think the way this character has both changed and the purpose he is used in this episode is too implausible. I don't like it, and in sum it becomes unlikely that this would have happened in reality. Such an audit would have been carried out by someone external, not a former employee. I can't get this to work.
I hope we get rid of more of this in the subsequent new episodes.
Couldn't they just take him back like good old Joe?