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?!

Why would Claire be getting drugs for taking Ryan to the prison to meet TLR?! Your comment makes zero sense!

I have worked closely with 'very scary criminals' in a previous life (well, this life but a while ago!). Without exception they were charismatic and very human; it would be easy to have a chat in a pub with them. The minions tend to be the ones a bit more 'rough round the edges'

@IwantToRetire - yes, I agree with you on all these points.
Catherine took on looking after Clare after their parents died and has always been the one holding things together. Others have walked away (like her ex) when things get difficult.
As much as I want a happy-ever-after for Catherine, I sometimes think this would be her being able to walk away from all her responsibilities, and to focus on herself for once. But I don't think she could ever walk away from Ryan whilst TLR is still alive, especially now knowing he's been able to reach Ryan from in prison.

Well, beyond gasping at the tension of the final scenes - I’m still a bit puzzled about the visit to the prison. The very wonderful Inspector Mike Taylor said it was a man and a woman who had been taking Ryan in to visit TLR. So why didn’t Clare go this time?

Was it a reaction to Catherine’s text earlier in the week, asking Clare if she was being forced into some unspecified thing? Was going to the cafe Clare’s tiny refusal to comply? Or what?

Joanna and Faisal are tragedy gold. At first it seemed they were heading for a sort of Hitchcock-ian Strangers on a Train thing, where they each murder the other’s enemy. But it’s unlikely Faisal would expect her to go up against the gangster family. But her daughters … My God, that part is heartrending. I truly hope, by the end, that one or both of them will have destroyed their father - without destroying themselves.

I don’t know about Alison highlighting incest for Catherine - but she’s already been shown to be intelligent, resourceful, loyal and determined - I’m afraid she may find herself required to lay down her life to protect Catherine or one of the Cawood clan.

I thought the part with Catherine confronting Claire was brilliant. She knows Claire and she knows that blowing up at her wouldn't get her the information she wants. I think it could be as simple as Neil not seeing his kids as much as he wanted when they were growing up and he persuaded Claire it was the right thing to do for Ryan. Either Claire has said she no longer wants to go in or Neil went in with someone else we weren't shown.

Surely the fork lift truck will be significant!

My theory is that the ex husband is genuine and might end up murdered by the Kneževićs

I think this too.

The question is - what is going to stop CC from getting to the Himalayas? Why wouldn't she go?

Neil works in the newsagents. Catherine has already said to her ex that the new agents are tied into the money laundering and serious crime. I suspect Neil is being manipulated also and is in over his daft head.

I’m afraid someone will die because they don’t know about or can’t manage the double de-clutching.

Yes - someone like Faisal who we aren't hugely emotionally invested in or a baddie as it would be a slightly comic way to go

The shop Neil works in is connected to the OCG and laundering money for them. He's being blackmailed/manipulated to getting Ryan to visit Tommy. He thinks it's to help them build a connection, but there'll be something else going on Neil is too dim to realise.

Ooh yes, I'll bet.

I have convinced myself that the next episode is going to start with Claire saying what you on about prison and Catherine rushing off to see who's really visiting but missing them.

The present could be Neil getting taken from the shop to get at Catherine via Claire.

Isn't this just the classic retiring cop death set up - "just one more shift and then I'm retiring" oh no you're dead, no retirement for you. But obviously with more complexity for Catherine!
Love the double declutching theory!

I hope nothing happens to Alison. I'm worried about her living in those flats that gangsters use to store cash and where women fall from windows.

Ah yes window is hugely significant as well unless it was just to highlight dangerous social housing - and lack of smoke alarms...

I hate the bloke who keeps threatening Faisal about his daughters and want him to meet a nasty end.

I love this so much! Line beginning ‘The buzz …’

Love some of these theories.

I think the car thing, de-clutching etc could be to show Alison really knows her stuff and a friendship will build as she helps Catherine do up the truck.

One thing that struck me as odd, was twice last night Ryan told Catherine he loved her, she didn't say it back, now I know she really does. But also the thing about what will I do when you go off to the Himalaya's? She didn't really reassure him he will still be 16, she's all he's got. It felt very cold. But I've not watched back to see it this was how she always was with him. Maybe she just knows he's so damaged she will always lose him?

I do think Claire and Neil are both being blackmailed, but Claire surprised me as when she got the texts she looked genuinely baffled rather than worried which could just be SF's acting but didn't really fit with Claire either.

Anne getting into CID is significant but I don't know how yet.

The window I think was to highlight the dodgy dealings with the council etc and to get the ex involved for his article, I fear he will meet a sticky ending, I think if you've watched the missing you naturally think he's dodgy, but don't think he is.

I wish they'd drop them all on iplayer it's torture waiting

So if Neil works in the newsagents that Catherine apparently knows is a money-laundering front for the drugs gang, why hasn't she worked out why he's taking Ryan to visit Tommy?

The teacher (can't remember his name) is involved in drugs. The calling police and reporting Jo for having diazepam without prescription is just a front for his involvement which is altogether more sinister. Her comment to the pharmacist about his method of getting vulnerable pupils onside is part of it. He definitely has some sort of connection with Ryan which is outside the usual pupil/teacher relationship.

Still annoyed at the disappearing cake! It was a shocking looking cake, to be fair, but very poor continuity for the Beeb's flagship winter drama.

Maybe CC knows they are visiting Ryan. The truck is to confuse the traffic cameras rather than Claire.

Surely not? She was too shocked.

I also picked up on Neil's comment of 'our Ryan' but it didn't occur to me at the time that he might be related to him. I just thought he was trying to fit in. But it does/would make sense.

If Creepy Neil is TLR's father or other type of relative then that would answer the question that Catherine had raised about how Claire would have known that TLR had been moved to a different prison.

And it would also explain how TLR had Neil's address to send the visiting orders to, if that was how the visits had started. I do think Claire is being brainwashed by him and he's persuaded her that it's good for everyone if Ryan sees TLR (except Catherine obviously).

But if Neil is being forced by the OCG who own the newsagent then it'd be easy for them to get his address too