After a seven-year wait for a follow-up season, Happy Valley Season 3 was released on January 1, 2023. For dedicated fans and audiences of the show, there aren’t many New Year gifts that could compare. However, unlike most shows that face production delays and setbacks, Happy Valley Season 3 was intentionally delayed, and viewers were happier for it.
Since the start of season 1 through season, viewers have had several characters they have loved, hated, and some in-betweens. Like the seasons before it, Happy Valley season 3 has only 6 episodes. Although many may argue it wasn’t enough to flesh out a few plots, Happy Valley Season 3 brought closure for most of its main characters. Here’s a rundown of Happy Valley season 3 and its intriguing plot twists.
New Characters are Introduced in Happy Valley Season 3
Besides the Cawoods, Cartwrights, and Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton), viewers saw a few supporting new characters introduced in Happy Valley season 3. Ryan Cawood’s (Rhys Connah) P.E. teacher, Rob Hepworth (Mark Stanley), isn’t only physically abusing his wife, Joanna Hepworth (Mollie Winnard), but is only giving Ryan a tough time in school. Besides being a victim of domestic violence, Joanna Hepworth is addicted to prescription medication.
Joanna Hepworth’s supplier is Pharmacist Faisal Bhatti (Amit Shah), who, despite his professional career, fights his own demons. Unable to pay for her addiction, Joanna offers sex to Faisal in exchange for the drugs. Faisal is being threatened by the Knezevic gang, a violent gang of drug dealers, after he decides to shut down his illegal prescription drug business. Although these characters’ storylines are not tied with that of the main characters, their subplots add to the entertaining value of Happy Valley season 3.
Catherine Cawood’s Happiness is Short-lived in Happy Valley Season 3
Just when Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) believed she had stopped all contact of Tommy Lee Royce’s to her grandson, Ryan Cawood the final scenes from season 2 saw Ryan write his father in prison. Ryan is now a teen and has continued communicating with his father for the past seven years, unbeknownst to Catherine. As Catherine gets comfortable with life in the Calder Valley of West Yorkshire and counts down to retirement, she finds out Ryan has been visiting his father with help from a “man and woman.” In episode 2, Catherine finds out it is her sister, Clare Cartwright (Siobhan Finneran), and Neil Ackroyd (Con O’Neill) who have been following Ryan to visit his father. The last person viewers would have guessed would betray Catherine was her supportive, tea-making sister, Clare.
Tommy Lee Royce’s Chance at Redemption in Happy Valley Season 3
After raping and impregnating Becky Cawood (Emily Barnett), causing her to commit suicide, Happy Valley’s audiences could understand Catherine’s hatred and disgust for Tommy Lee Royce. It was easy for viewers to share the hatred as Royce’s lifestyle and love for crime made him a bad influence on Ryan. However, possibly after years of communicating with his son, Ryan, it was obvious Ryan was having a good influence on Royce. Viewers saw him learning Spanish, and he planned to escape with Ryan to Marbella, Spain. While plans of kidnapping Ryan make things worse, it proves Royce actually had plans to lead a normal life as a father.
When things were looking up for Royce, he was double-crossed by the Knezevics. Although he manages to escape, Royce knows he’s as good as dead. One of the highlights of Happy Valley season 3 was the final confrontation between Royce and Catherine. Royce had gone to Catherine’s home to burn it, but after seeing Ryan’s things and memorabilia and how happy Ryan’s life is without him, he had a change of heart. Viewers were expecting another beat down when Catherine came home to find Royce.
Showrunner Sally Wainwright provides the most surprising plot twist, having Catherine and Royce have the first heart-to-heart conversation since the beginning of Happy Valley. The intense moment when Royce douses himself in gas and lights it up in front of Catherine left most of the audience in shock. Catherine got her closure while visiting Becky’s grave, with a text that Tommy didn’t survive the burns. Now retired, Catherine has her pension to travel the world (especially the Himalayas) while knowing Ryan didn’t choose Royce before he died. While this brings closure to Catherine’s character, it leaves several unanswered questions about Ryan.
Faisal Bhatti Becomes A Murderer
He’s one of the Happy Valley season 3 characters that conflicted audiences on whether to pity or hate him. Pharmacist Faisal Bhatti was supposed to be a family man with two daughters. However, he lost his chance at a peaceful life when he began dealing with illegal prescription drugs. Faisal didn’t have the heart for a life of crime. He was willing to pack up shop after Ann Gallagher’s (Charlie Murphy) illegal prescription drugs were found.
Dealing with illegal drugs is one thing, but committing murder puts his life in jeopardy. In a fit of rage, Faisal killed Joanna Hepworth after she revealed her blackmail wasn’t true. Although Happy Valley season 3 didn’t directly address Faisal’s arrest, the finale hints at it when Catherine mentions Faisal “lives not 100 yards up the road from the Hepworth’s house.” In retrospect, this means nothing. However, it’s what can be achieved when BBC One insists on a 6-episode season. If you enjoyed reading about Happy Valley season 3 analysis, read our review of Netflix’s live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender.
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