Happy Valley Series 3 - BBC1 9pm starts 1 January 2023 - no spoilers - tv pace

[IwantToRetire]

Just thought we could start with a dedicated thread to series three of Happy Valley.

There are 2 existing thread were fans have been discussing rewatching series 1 & 2

www.mumsnet.com/talk/telly_addicts/4694640-happy-valley-series-3-coming

www.mumsnet.com/talk/telly_addicts/4688605-happy-valley-series-3-to-be-shown-at-christmas

And for anyone who is going to binge, do you want to start your own thread?!

I only started watching the first two just before Christmas and was hooked. I loved this opener, so many cans of worms opened.
I think it is probably Claire and Neil taking Ryan to see his dad. She was the one who thought he should have kept his present from his dad and the implied trust he has with her telling her what the teacher said to him. I really don't think it would be Ann and Daniel with what she went though and definitely not her dad.
I suspect the people TLR 'told' in prison are working with him to get him to court and then be taken by the criminal gang to carry on whatever it is he is planning. Maybe moving to Spain hence the trying to learn Spanish?
I am glad there is no being able to binge watch this final series. I much prefer watching weekly and having time to muse about it. Plus I think I watch better that way and take more in.

That's me eff'd then . . . 😳

The policeman said the scar was from the drug gang. He said TLR had worked for them but then they had him beaten up in prison presumably so he wouldn't turn evidence against them on any of their dodgy dealings like the body in the lake. The detective thought it would make TLR more likely to tell on them but instead he pointed to a different gang for the murder in the lake.
But I guess the detective could be wrong on all of that.

Me too, except it's not uncharacteristic of me to turn the air blue at times, and amnesia has been present my whole life. I think... 😳

Apparently some of his hair is extensions. He’s quoted in the Radio Times about it.

That picture where we just saw his face with the scar across his forehead looking like the crown of thorns was so striking. Horrid and striking.

I was a bit taken aback to hear Sarah Lancashire’s not-Catherine-Cawood accent in this interview. (hope the link works)

As far as I can tell Sarah has Sowerby just right.

Is it possible that the person visiting TLR in prison isn't actually Ryan but someone masquerading as him to gain visiting rights?

Is Ryan visiting the prison with two members of the criminal gang, pretending to be his relatives, in order to help TLR plan his escape?

Outlandish theory: one or more of Ann, Daniel, Nev and Richard are involved with facilitating Ryan's prison visits, not because they want to help Ryan but because they want TLR to escape so they can enact revenge upon him. Maybe now Ryan is older he has more perspective on TLR. Maybe this is why episode one found a way to remind us that Nev is a millionaire and can perhaps pay to get things done.

I don't actually think the plot will be this convoluted, but it's fun to speculate.

When I googled this series, something came up about the filming of series three which has given me another theory about who is aiding and abetting Ryan but it may be slightly spoilerish so, frustratingly, I'm having to sit on it for now.

Yes and surely SS would have been informed?

Am I the only one who hasn't a clue who all the trans chat is about?

Love your musings @EsmaCannonball

@JaneJeffer the chat is about the higher ranking police officer the TLR interviewing detectives refer to post interview in the glass office.

Anyone any idea why Jason Merrells doesn’t get a credit on any cast list for the episode? He is quite a well-known actor. The sort that when he appears on screen you think, ‘ooh his story line might become something?’ 🤔

I saw him on a cast list, possibly imdb , although I didn't spot him in the episode! Who was he?

@JaneJeffer there was a fleeting appearance of a senior police officer , shot in very odd lens flare corridors and low lighting. Main thig I noticed was very bad acting! Really understated dialogue delivery. The scene was odd so it must matter.

@Piggywaspushed the interviewing detective with the beard. Not on the full cast list on IMDb. Checked his Twitter as was convinced it was him, and bingo. Weird no credit for the scene on IMDb tho.

Oh, I definitely saw it somewhere!

I think it is possible some people were doing little bit parts in homage to/as a favour to Sally Wainwright. Jason M is a mate of his as apparently is the senior police officer discussed upthread. Sometimes they don't get credited - for example, if they aren't paid.

Was he not credited on the closing credits? I am not imagining I saw this as I remember thinking 'oh, weird, I didn't spot him!'.

How much fuel is there in a skydiving plane? Enough to get an escaped con from Sheffield to, say, the Netherlands? Then across the continent by car? Does Ryan have a passport?

Stealing a plane might possibly be a stretch - though not impossible!

But I have no doubt Ryan’s passport will make an appearance in the game.

I think his best chance of escape will be to say he knows where other remains are but can only show them not explain as it's in isolated location, they'll take him and the Gnesovics will ambush the accompanying police, itll all go bit pear-shaped so he'll go on the run with Catherine in hot pursuit. Then they'll have a showdown where she'll kill him, or Ryan will kill him as Tommy has his granny pinned down. I can't see Tommy coming out of this one. That's my prediction!

Same here - born sweary and forgetful.

I was thinking of the woman who has been taking Ryan to the prison - could it be Daniel's ex-wife? IIRC he was married with a small baby but then had an affair (more like a quick shag) and she chucked him out. Could she still be angry enough with him to damage his family like this?

I think the most likely is one of TLR's "fiancees", but perhaps using Claire's identity.

(On another note - what a difference 6 years makes to male physique! Who would have thought that a shot of testosterone would turn that skinny little kid into a hulking great teenager! When it happens with your own kids it's gradual so you don't notice it until the day you try to move them out of a doorway or something, and realise that they are a foot taller and considerably heavier than you thought.)

It’s nice they’ve used the original Ryan, but… teenage Ryan looks so different to the child Ryan they could have easily used another actor.

(Very few people look like their childhood selves, Boris Johnson is a rare exception and that’s probably because he never progressed/developed beyond spoilt brattiness.)

There was an interview with James Norton and he said everyone turned up for the read through and looked more or less the same as 7 years ago then the Ryan actor came in and had grown up so much!

He was definitely in the credits at the end.

@Netaporter thanks. I presume that's the woman with the undercut. I didn't give her much thought!