Happy Valley has come to an end....or has it?
Following the highly-anticipated finale, fans of the BBC crime drama have been debating if three series is really all they're getting from the show's creator Sally Wainwright when it comes to the goings on in fictional crime capital of Yorkshire.
Viewers finally found out the fate of murderer Tommy Lee Royce ( James Norton ), retiring police officer Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) and everyone else caught up in the drama on Sunday night, with a special extended episode being broadcast on BBC One to wrap everything up.
And viewers have spotted telling Easter eggs that hint towards a possible spin-off in the future...
Costa Del Crime
Could Happy Valley swap West Yorkshire for sunny Spain if it ever returns for a fourth series? Viewers certainly think it's a possibility.
Chatting in the last episode of Happy Valley over the weekend, Clare Cawood revealed how millionaire Nevison Gallagher had kindly offered to put them all up in one of his holiday homes in Spain until Tommy is captured and returned to prison.
Little did Clare know but Tommy also has plans to swap the rainy weather in England for warmer climates.
The penultimate episode of the long-running series saw rapist Tommy (James Norton) taken to a safe house to lie low for five days before being smuggled to Marbella to put his Spanish lessons in prison to use - possibly alongside his son Ryan Cawood.
"With Nev offering to fly everyone to Majorca, and Tommy going off to Marbella, will we actually get the Spanish spin-off we deserve @shrinepod #HappyValley," one fan wishfully tweeted as the episode aired on Sunday.
"Looking forward to the spin off series Tommy and Ryan in Marbella #HappyValley," another predicted, as a third added: "I think Ryan & Tommy make it to Marbs, then in a couple of years time we can have a spin off series - Feliz Valle."
Others liked the idea of Catherine Cawood getting to enjoy her retirement and carry out her dream of travelling around the world, with one suggesting: "Happy Valley was great. Would personally be up for watching the Sarah Lancashire drives to the Himalayas in a knackered jeep spin-off as well, thanks."
Anne's new life in CID
As one of Tommy's victims, Anna Gallagher has struggled with the lasting trauma of being raped and held captive by the heartless villain.
During Sunday's penultimate episode, the daughter of billionaire businessman Nev snapped as she let Ryan know exactly how she feels about the teenager visiting his dad in prison.
"He is a psychopath. All love means to him is a weakness in people that he can use to exploit them with," Anne fumed at her husband's nephew during the tense scene.
Happy Valley fans are keen to see more from Anne as she continues her career in the police force with a move to CID.
"I don't think it's that type of show and obviously three episodes left but I feel that there's an Anne spin-off in there somewhere... #happyvalley," one fan suggested earlier this month.
"Don’t kno what’s in store for Anne in HV3, but would b cool to see a spin-off w/Anne that includes Claire," another added, as a third asked the show's creators: "Any chance Anne Gallagher will get a spin-off in CID?"
Sally Wainwright's plans
While Happy Valley fans are certainly keen for more from creator Sally Wainwright, the writer's future shows seemingly won't be following the adventures of Catherine and co in Halifax.
During an interview with GQ, the Happy Valley creator revealed she thinks production have "done a good job" of wrapping things up when it comes to the ending.
"During filming of series two, Sarah and I started talking about doing the final series and being really clear that it was a final series," she explained to the publication.
Sally added: "Sarah is always really good at knowing when to stop doing stuff. I thought it would make a really clear statement that this is the end of the story.
"It's been a fantastic series, but we're going to make a really definite finale. You never know how anything's going to go down, but I think we've done a good job."
A 'big way to go out'
Despite the show's mammoth success show bosses have decided their will not be a series four.
Speaking at a BFI screening, executive producer Will Johnston explaiend why things had to wrap up now.
He said: "The two vital things are that Rhys [Connah, playing Ryan Cawood] is now at an age to make his own decisions about his life and the relationships in it, and [Lancashire's character] Catherine's on the brink of retirement, and those felt like such juicy things to explore."
He added: "It definitely isn't coming back – and again this is [from] Sally and Sarah who completely and rightly feel that you can have too much of a good thing.
"We're really not doing any more. You're a few weeks away from the ending but when you get to it, I really hope you'll feel content that if that's the last you ever see of the characters of Happy Valley, it was a big way to go out."
*The final episode of Happy Valley airs this Sunday at 9pm on BBC One
