Happy Valley, same writer as Scott and Bailey [Poss spoilers - added by MNHQ]

[MorrisZapp]

I thought it was brilliant, although some generational shifts confused me. The lead character played by Sarah Lancashire had a grandson but didn't look old enough.

The company boss had been friends with the accountant's father, that didn't add up did it? Or did I get that wrong.

Great to see the George Costigan and Siobhan Finneran reunited although not onscreen together.

Brilliant writing and simply superb acting I thought, anybody else enjoy it?

I think he was just copying what his dad had said, his dad was very anti Ryan too, boys and their dads!

I thought the accountant was really well done too - showing no remorse and still blaming his boss for what he did to him.

I think once Catherine's son filled us in about Becky's real behaviour, his own animosity was much more believable. The way he felt about Ryan probably just reflected that even tho Becky was dead, he still didn't matter to his mother - it was now all about Ryan. Seems strange for a grown man to transfer his feelings to a child like that, but more understandable now he had his rant.

I didn't feel the end was too 'neat'. I thought it was balanced. The last images going through Catherine's mind showed a mirroring of TLR's beating of her and then vice versa. I thought that worked for me.

SL was brilliant throughout all six weeks. She's so good.

Strong hints being dropped in the press today about a second series, with SL at the centre and new characters.

I thought Anne's fag scene was brilliant. That actress has clearly been taking lessons from SL etc.

Random point, is Nevison Gallagher called Nevison? Like, that's his first name?

I think, for Prime Time telly, it was exceptionally nuanced.

No character was cut and dried (except maybe Cath's sister).

I think a second series will be excellent. I wonder if Cath will go back to being a detective and start a relationship with the cute kidnap copper? They seemed to have history.

There is still so much stuff here to explore. A gold mine of complex characters and relationships.

Agree that the accountant's scene with Nev was well done. Hopefully we'll find out what happened to his wife in the next series if there is one.

But overall, a cookie-cutter of a last episode which doesn't feel fully satisfying.

superb, I almost left the room when there was petrol/Ryan

I did not think it was a squib, realistically Tommy was declining with septicemia and had nowhere to go did he?

and ashley, well no suprise at his ending, feel sorry for his wife though as she bollocked him that morning before he left- liked her

but 100% agree re Ryan and bike ride home, as IF

marvellous TV!!! next?

Now that was a good series!

I thought it was a clever ending. She declined to go down all the obvious routes like Ryan not turning out to be Tommy's son, or conveniently killing Tommy off. As I've said elsewhere, I was also quite impressed that she deliberately avoided the standard thriller cliche of the canal boat going up in flames and exploding.

There's actually quite a lot of potential material for a new series - the drugs issue, the corrupt councillor, Kevin possibly getting his come-uppance, Ann dealing with the rape and her mother's death, Tommy's trial. Should be good.

Thanks angel. I remember her now. She was in a relationship with Nick and went a bit bunny boiler. I really liked that character and was sorry when she left.

and you have to remember, judging by the age of Ryan, SL's son would have been a teenager himself when his sister died etc, sounded like his sister was a bit of handful and he was the 'good' child but his Mum went to pieces when she died and suddenly made out she was a perfect child, said a dreadful thing to him (wished he'd died instead), taking on Ryan meant his Mum & Dad split up. he wasn't mature enough to see it was grief and felt badly done to and blamed ryan for everything going wrong in his life. I just think he had never addressed all those issues again once he was an adult.

I thought it was a good ending, kept up the pace right till end with the petrol scene. Good that she wouldn't let TLR die, so they'll patch him up and send him to trial/prison.

I loved Scott & Bailey, and if that's anything to go by, there's easily a second series here - may go off in another direction/new characters etc.

Lucky us I love the way she writes such strong, complex female characters, and so many of them, all interacting with each other. Passes the Bechdel Test with flying colours.

I thought it was excellent, superb acting from all the characters. The child who played Ryan will go far. I think the BBC excels at this type of drama, whereas ITV seems unable to produce this type of quality programme, theirs are so predictable, empty and drawn out. I hope there is a second series.

I also thought it was excellent and one of the best things I have seen on TV for some time. Although letting Ryan cycle home was a bit of a silly part of the plot, particularly when they extended it so that he wasn't just allowed to cycle home with his 2 mates (who weren't there at first sighting of TLR) but then he was allowed out until 5pm. This was a primary school child (7 years) who up until now had been picked up by his gran and was suddenly allowed all that time out on his own with a nutter on the loose. Can't see that happening in anyone's world, particularly under the circumstances where Katherine wanted every chinese takeaway checked etc, she would have been SUPER vigilant in these circumstances and it would have been much more believable had she tried to keep the boy away from any harm whatsoever during her depressed state of mind.

Second bit that got me was on last week's episode Katherine's birthday was the following week, cue this week she has a birthday party. Last week TLR killed the two flat mates, got on bus and found the canal boat presumably within a day or so otherwise he would have died from his injuries, however when the postman came into the station and the police subsequently checked out the flat, the two dead bodies had been apparently lying there for 2-4 weeks hence the smell!! No sense at all...

Absolutely loved it. Although the storyline about Ryan suddenly being allowed to cycle home alone was unbelievable. If they hadn't written that in though, there would have been no opportunity for TLR to get him on his own. Mind you he could have been allowed to go call for his friend Cesco after school and TLR could have grabbed him along the way. Which would have been a bit more believable I think.

Maybe she was channelling Shakespeare's double time scheme

Just caught up and agree with everyone else, excellent series.

About Ryan and his cycling home from school, I can see why they did it as it was the only way for him to realistically fall into Tommy's clutches. Tommy couldn't risk snatching him from the street or school.

Kevin's little self justification rant was priceless, God help his defence lawyer if that's the sum of his defence, wonderfully whingey Kev though.

Glad SL didn't kill Tommy, sending him to prison which is what he didn't want is a much better revenge even if he remains a 'presence' in their lives.

Ashley's protection wasn't up to much, and I did think him continuing to drug deal under the noses of the Police was a bit far-fetched. If he was doing a controlled drop or trade it would have been much better organised.

Glad also that SL's character looked like a woman in her late 40's.

I thought that Cath not killing Tommy was predictable – killing him would have jeopardised her career, her family life…it would make for more interesting TV. Or he could have got someone to help with escaping with Ryan. The reunion with her son at the end, after him resenting her for years, felt forced and it was convenient the accountant’s wife didn’t get charged for being culpable. All in all, the last episode was very safe, very convenient, very BBC. Previous episodes had messy, dark storylines and surprises but in the final one it felt like Wainwright had run out of steam from exhaustion or just wanted to give the audience a not too believable Happy Ending - I was half expecting Cath to get a call at the very end from that nice detective asking her out on a date.

I agree about it being ridiculous letting Ryan cycle home from school. 7 and on busy roads with his killer Dad on the loose?

We're sure we saw our car in one of the street scenes Dh is CONVINCED, it's a possibility but I doubt it

I assumed the animosity towards Ryan was because Becky's father couldn't bear to look at him and think of the child's father raping his young daughter. At the time that was the accepted version of events. I did find Catherine telling her young son she wished he had died instead of his sister very sad and probably unforgiveable. Brilliant series though. Hate violent scenes normally but this was too gripping to miss.

Haven't read any replies. Watching from beginning so have 6hrs to catch up on

Do we think TLR did rape Becky, to conceive Ryan? Given what the brother said last night, maybe not. But if it wasn't rape, why did she kill herself? I've been mulling over this all day!

I presumed she was into drugs as well. If she'd been raped then it's odd that abortion wasn't an option although if she was in denial perhaps she left it too late. I quite like the fact even at the end we don't really know.

Tommy was insisting to Ryan that he loved Becky. Would he say that just to make Ryan feel better? not sure.

Very lame ending after such a faultless production. Brilliant acting though.

Agree that at the end it sounded as though she hadn't been raped. TLR denied raping her, and it seemed unlikely he would lie when he was happy to admit to raping the hostage and didn't seem ashamed of it. Also why kill yourself after the baby rather than when you find out you are pregnant. It seemed more likely that the bloke she loved had gone to prison, she wasn't coping with a young baby and SL was giving her grief for hanging out with losers and pestering her about who the father was.
I didn't like the kid though but thought it unlikely SL's husband would leave rather than help raise his grandson.