Happy Valley fans are trying to work out clues about what will happen in the finale.
The BBC drama, created by Sally Wainwright, will air its last ever episode on Sunday (5 February) as the third series draws to a close.
Fans are hoping that Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire), who is days away from retirement, will make it out of the series alive despite the fact that newly escaped prisoner Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) is after her.
They are also hoping that her grandson, Ryan (Rhys Connah), will do the right thing and reject his murderous father’s attempts to lure him to Spain.
Whatever happens, some fans believe that there’s one character who could play an instrumental part in how things play out.
This character is Alison Garrs (Susan Lynch).
Alison first appeared in series two as the mother of serial killer Daryl (Robert Emms). After he confessed to his mother, she shot him dead, wanting him to avoid jail time, and took an overdose. Alison survived and Catherine, appreciating the mercy she took on her son, reluctantly arrested her.
In series three, it’s revealed Alison has been released on probation, and Catherine has struck up something of a friendship with her. Alison even lends Catherine the car she uses to follow her sister (Siobhan Finneran) as she escorts Ryan to see Tommy in prison.
The last we saw of Alison, she was helping fix up the vehicle Catherine’s hoping to drive to the Himalayas post-retirement.
However, while she was completely absent in episode five, it’s been pointed out that Lynch is on the list of credits for the finale – and, with a handful of scenes in earlier episodes, it’s believed that she will have a big part to play.
Quite what this is remains to be seen, but it’s being theorised that perhaps Alison could witness Tommy lurking around Catherine, who is trying to find the right moment to kill her.
Reddit user u/M1ke2345 wrote (via Express): “There’s going to be some kind of payback, in terms of her sacrificing herself to save Catherine I think, kind of in the same way that Catherine saved her by not judging her and just holding her on the doorstep after Alison had shot her son, and making herself available for Alison when she came out of prison.”
Happy Valley concludes on BBC One at 9pm on Sunday (5 February).
Find the biggest talking points from the latest episode here.
