Following multiple theories, the finale of Happy Valley delivered the epic ending that we all needed after three series. After we had puzzled how our Robocop Catherine could possibly find escaped psychopath Tommy Lee Royce, stop her grandson moving to Marbella with his evil father, bring down mob boss Darius Knezevic and patch things up with her sister Clare, she did all of that on her retirement day. And, as her colleagues celebrated around her, she only went and did it again as the Yorkshire cop coolly solved the murder of Joanna Hepworth while packing up her belongings, with help from her mate Alison who came good for her.
Detective Superintendent Andy Shepherd didn’t need to say a word, his smile said it all. The police may have been saying farewell to tough cookie Catherine after 30 years of service, but grandson Ryan could also be lined up for a bright future in the force after his beloved granny set him on the right path away from a life of crime.
Despite his curiosity about his dad (as Clare explained, he had wanted to visit him in prison to see for himself that he wasn’t like him) it was a triumphant moment when he admitted to police that he had been in touch with Tommy following his escape. And his intuitive dislike of PE teacher Rob - who may not have killed his wife but turned out to be a predatory groomer - proved correct. A curious child has grown up to become an open-minded teen with integrity thanks to Catherine and his aunt Clare.
READ MORE:
Ryan made Catherine realise that, in the times when she was overcome with sudden doubt and fear that the grandson she was raising would become like his dad, Clare had never given up. Despite branding her soft, she'd always been there for the lad and in the times when Catherine couldn’t, such as taking him to visit Tommy in prison.
This dysfunctional family's past was key to the ending as Catherine's final mission was a break-in at her own home, and she found Tommy in her kitchen, attempting to kill himself with a load of painkillers with her treasured photo albums in front of him.
In a gut-wrenching power struggle, Tommy wept as he told Catherine he had loved her late daughter Becky, who tragically took her own life after Ryan was born. But Catherine shut down his tears as she reminded him of the horrific abuse he had subjected both her daughter and Ann Gallagher to.
The child in Tommy emerged as he told Catherine he could see what she had done for Ryan, and what he himself had been deprived of as a child, after viewing his bedroom laden with his favourite things. He forgave her, he told her, for interfering in his and Becky's relationship, and for Catherine this was a step too far.
Our hero, armed with a taser, was then transported back to her ordeal at the end of series one as Tommy doused himself in petrol, but this time he succeeded in setting himself alight. "He's a mess," she told her colleagues with typical bluntness as they arrived on the scene, before collapsing in tears out of view as she was scooped up by her sister.
It was a satisfying ending, but one that will leave a lasting impact and give you trouble sleeping as you're left haunted by the heartbreaking dialogue and brutal imagery of Tommy fighing for life at the hands of Darius' henchman and later in his final showdown with Catherine.
The final scene brought her to her daughter's grave in her restored Lane Rover, and a tired Catherine was finally granted peace as she received a text informing her that 'TLR' had passed away. This might be the end of her crime-fighting days but in Happy Valley there will always be tea in the pot for our Catherine.
READ NEXT:
- Helen Skelton says Gorka Marquez will 'hate her' as she says what he was really like on BBC Strictly
- Rylan Clark sparks concern from fans as he joins Emma Willis for mammoth Comic Relief challenge
- ITV This Morning fans' jaws drop over Alison Hammond's real age as she stuns in pink
- Pregnant Gemma Atkinson shares bed snap with Gorka Marquez after showing off baby bump and making joke about her boobs
- Helen Flanagan says 'I don't need anyone' as she strips to underwear and writes own card ahead of Valentine's Day
