BBC's 'Happy Valley' ends on a high

Our time in the Calder Valley has come to an end, but what does that mean for Catherine Cawood's long-running feud with Tommy Lee Royce?

Carly Horne
24th February 2023
Image Credit: IMDb

warning: spoilers ahead

After nine long years, hit series Happy Valley has come to an end. With the series finale bringing a satisfying conclusion to Sgt. Catherine Cawood's story, Sally Wainwright once again proves herself to be a masterclass in writing crime drama.

The third and final series of Happy Valley centred around the fallout of now 16-year-old Ryan's (Rhys Connah) decision to visit his father, Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) in prison. Viewers of the previous series will recall Tommy's penchant for creating chaos and his violent tendencies - which have only grown over time - as well as the devastation his actions have caused to those Catherine holds dear.

Sally Wainwright once again proves herself to be a masterclass in writing crime drama

Tommy manages to bring chaos from start to finish, and even as he bides his time in HMP Sheffield for much of the series, the character's actions put an immense strain on the Cawood-Cartwright-Gallagher unit.

For much of the third series, Catherine (Sarah Lancashire) is at odds with those around her. She's fending off bullying allegations on her final week as a police officer, she's coping with the emotional fallout of Clare (Siobhan Finneran) and Neil (Con O'Neill)'s deception, and once again, Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) has her in his sights.

But one way or another, their feud was to come to an end and Sally Wainwright did not disappoint.

Many of the fan predictions (the Cartwrights trying to prove themselves to Catherine and meeting an unfortunate end, of Catherine falling victim to Tommy once more or of Ryan following in his father's violent and murderous footsteps) did not come true. Instead, the ending is rather bittersweet.

For Catherine Cawood, the end of Happy Valley finally brings closure from the trail of destruction Tommy has left in his wake. It brings the long overdue opportunity for healing that the family so desperately needs, but also the chance to move forward without the shadow of their collective past trauma.

The performance across the cast was BAFTA-worthy, but Sarah Lancashire and Siobhan Finneran shone as the sisters at odds throughout the series. James Norton was outstanding as usual, and his scenes with Rhys Connah were particularly notable as Connah's character tries to navigate his own conflicted feelings regarding his father.

Sally Wainwright, however, has worked hard to bring this story to life over the last nine years and thus, it was only right that 7.5 million viewers tuned in to watch the story conclude. This makes Happy Valley the most-watched TV programme in 2023 so far.

To see Catherine retiring from the Police Service at long last, to see Ann Gallagher beginning her new career and of course, the end of Tommy Lee Royce - it seems a satisfying conclusion to such a drama-filled series.

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