DCI Stanhope may have only made a return to screens earlier this month but time has come for Vera fans to bid adieu once again.
However, this time around, the farewell to Blethyn's hardened yet lovable Detective Chief Inspector comes with an ounce of trepidation as Sunday evening could be the final time Vera dons her iconic hat and mac.
ITV is yet to confirm if Vera will be back for another run and 77-year-old Blethyn has already openly admitted she was ready to call time on her tenure after last year's Christmas special.
But she stayed on following the news David Leon was returning to the drama in place of Kenny Doughty - whose exit left a painful Aiden Healy-shaped hole in the hearts of fans and Blethyn alike.
The reaction to the Aiden Healy star's exit was overwhelmingly one of disappointment and sadness - his farewell post on Instagram has more crying-faced and broken-hearted emojis from fans than it does actual words.
And the return of Leon's Ashworth didn't get off to a unanimously smooth start with some fans still calling for Doughty to return during the series 13 premiere.
Brenda Blethyn and Kenny Doughty were on-screen colleagues for years
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And yet, Doughty's exit and the subsequent reception since has presented ITV with a conundrum unlike many others in the world of TV.
Vera has remained a ratings smash and all-around much-loved drama despite losing arguably its biggest and most treasured star.
For the week of January 1-7, Vera only lost out to groundbreaking drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office's four episodes in the ratings.
Its premiere brought in 6,849,000 viewers and trumped - albeit narrowly - the BBC's long-running Call the Midwife (6,816,000), according to Barb.
Blethyn and co also outperformed the return of The Traitors, Netflix's Fool Me Once, ITV's The Masked Singer and the BBC's Antiques Roadshow in the same week.
Doughty's exit has proven that even without the pulling power of a series stalwart, Vera's appeal is bigger than just one person - or cheeky northern DS.
So what have Blethyn and the returning Leon said about the future of Vera? Well, the latter says responsibility lies with the show's leading woman.
ITV Vera's Brenda Blethyn as DCI Stanhope alongside Kenny Doughty's Aiden Healy
ITV Vera's Brenda Blethyn makes stark admission about quitting show after Kenny Doughty exit"Vera will continue for as long as the demand for it remains and Brenda feels like she can continue to surprise herself and be challenged by it," Leon has said.
"She puts so much into it and it is an exhausting shoot. In the past usually filming four feature films back to back. The fans who come to watch filming are always amazed at the level of detail, craftsmanship and time each scene requires.
"It’s a real challenge to make three or four feature-length films back to back. It requires a level of energy and dedication that means you are just living in that bubble for several months. Your life gets put on hold. That’s what it demands.
"I think one of the reasons Vera has endured is you have these films that usually drop at the beginning of the year and you are left as an audience wanting more. We’ll just have to wait and see if there will be."
Blethyn, on the other hand, hasn't ruled out a return - but also hasn't said it's time to get the bunting out.
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David Leon returned as Joe Ashworth in series 13 of Vera alongside Brenda Blethyn
ITV/SHUTTERSTOCK"After we filmed The Rising Tide at the end of 2022 I didn’t want to do any more without Kenny Doughty, who had decided to leave," Blethyn told ITV. "But I said, 'I’ll think about it if you can see if David Leon is available to return as Joe Ashworth.' And so they did and here I am.
"I was broken-hearted when David left after series four and equally overjoyed when I heard he was coming back as the relationship between Vera and Joe worked so well. They have all of that early history together. I wouldn’t have continued if David had not agreed to come back.
"I just didn’t want to start another board game with somebody else when I know I’m not going to do many more. And who would want to do it anyway?
"At the moment there is nothing planned (for the future). But that’s not to say they’re not talking about it. There might be a winding up. I don’t know. Ann Cleeves is also writing her 11th Vera book. So, there’s also that to consider. But a whole series? I think not. We’ll see.”
With so much uncertainty and the door left open by Blethyn, ITV must do what it takes to ensure she'll be back in more crime-solving films.
After all, the fact Vera has managed to pull off a feat as impressive as DCI Stanhope's detective skills by surviving in the volatile world of TV after losing one of its best-loved stars is something ITV mustn't take for granted.
Here's hoping the green light on a new series comes soon.
