Ep 4. Prodigal Son

Vera season 3 episode 4 named Prodigal Son follows the brilliant and relentless Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope as she investigates the murder of a farmer in a rural and tight-knit community. The victim, Barry Elswick, is found dead in the barn of his farm, and all signs point to a robbery gone wrong. However, Vera senses that something deeper and more sinister is going on.

As Vera delves deeper into the case, she discovers that Elswick had a troubled relationship with his son, Luke, who left the farm years ago and has recently returned. Luke is greeted with suspicion and hostility by the community, who believe that he is responsible for his father's death. Vera soon learns that there are secrets being kept by everyone involved in the case, and that some of those secrets go back many years.

Together with her team, Vera tackles the puzzle of the murder of Barry Elswick, using every tool in her arsenal, from her razor-sharp mind to her innate ability to read people and get to the heart of the matter. As always, she is guided by her intuition and her deep understanding of human nature, which allow her to see connections and patterns that others miss. Along the way, she comes up against the complex dynamics of family and the deep-seated prejudices of a community shaped by its past.

Throughout the episode, we see Vera at her best, using her trademark mix of compassion, intelligence, and determination to solve the case. We also get to witness the evolution of her relationship with her team, as they work together to uncover the truth and deal with their own personal struggles. As the investigation progresses, we see them come together and support each other in their efforts to bring justice to the victim and closure to his loved ones.

Ultimately, Prodigal Son is an intense and engrossing episode of Vera, full of surprising twists and turns, complex characters, and a deep insight into what drives people to do unspeakable things. Fans of the show will no doubt be thrilled by this latest installment in the series, which showcases everything that makes Vera such a compelling and unforgettable character.