Arguably the biggest talking point of the new series is the fact that Ryan (Rhys Connah) is now a teenager and will likely be causing a bit of a stir. This was hinted to in the final scene of series 2, where we saw an anxious Catherine (Sarah Lancashire) watching pensively as her grandson wielded a large stick and swung repeatedly at his surroundings. At first you make nothing of it, but as the camera lingered on Catherine, we learn her greatest fear- that Ryan will grow up to be like his father. We can only sit and hope that the kid turns out alright, for his sake and the sake of his family, but with six years gone since the last series, who knows what mischief he has already got up to? Either way, an unruly Ryan is most certainly on the cards for the new series.
She is still alive and kicking in the West Yorkshire Police force
Another thing to think about is an end to Catherine's career in the police force. Last series we saw her superiors encouraging her to take a step back from the job and to start considering retirement, to which she of course totally ignored - the rebel that she is. The sneak peek photos show her in police uniform, with a bleeding nose, indicating she is still alive and kicking in the West Yorkshire Police force. But given the fact we have been away from these characters for so many years, is it possible that retirement is looming for Catherine? Well, since this is likely the final series of the show, it seems like an inevitable conclusion for Sarah Lancashire’s character.
But is this really the final rodeo for Sergeant Cawood? We’ve seen it before where writers insist shows are coming to a close, only to leave us on a cliff-hanger and then announce an additional series. Is this possible for Happy Valley? As a fan of the show myself, I sincerely hope the creators consider renewing the show again as I think there is so much more in this story than they can fit into one series. Regardless, I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the new series- let’s hope we don’t have to wait long!