Happy Valley has come to a bittersweet conclusion which saw Tommy Lee Royce and Catherine Cawood face off in an epic, and ultimately fatal, showdown – here’s the ending explained.
The nation held its collective breath as we waited to see who would walk away alive.
After weeks of theories – nearly all of them wrong – viewers finally found out how writer Sally Wainwright had ended the BBC One series.
And it was certainly worth the wait!
Here’s that explosive Happy Valley ending explained.
***Warning: spoilers from episode six of Happy Valley ahead***
Happy Valley ending explained: Ivan and Matja arrested
Series 3 of Happy Valley is the last time we’ll ever see the iconic characters of Catherine Cawood, Tommy Lee Royce, Ryan Cawood and Clare Cartwright.
Creator Sally Wainwright has made it clear the show won’t be returning.
And, while we’re devastated it’s the end, we think it’s the right decision.
Of course, either Catherine or Tommy – or both! – would have to die for it to be the end.
And, in shocking scenes, that’s exactly what happened in the closing scenes of Happy Valley’s last ever episode.
The final instalment began with Catherine having spent the night at Alison Garrs‘ flat after her painful argument with sister Clare in episode 5.
At the same time, viewers saw Ivan and Matja being arrested by police – on Ivan’s wedding day, no less, but we failed to summon any sympathy for the thug.
Ryan and Catherine had a heart-to-heart
The police questioned Ryan about Tommy, trying to glean any helpful information from him about his dad from their prison visits.
During the interview, Ryan admitted he’d been chatting to Tommy via his games console and the police took it away as evidence.
It eventually helped them track down Tommy’s location but, by the time they got there, he’d already gone.
After talking to the police, Ryan and Catherine had a heart-to-heart which was long overdue.
Ryan told Catherine he’d never have gone on the run to Marbella with dad Tommy.
He told his nan: “I feel sorry for him.”
Ryan explained how Ann Gallagher’s brutal home truths in Happy Valley episode 5 had made him realise how much his grandmother had done for him.
It was a beautiful and tender scene amid a tense and often violent episode.
Young Ryan, old beyond his years, also tried to broker peace between his nan and his great-aunt Clare.
He told her: “You’ve always been there for me. And so has Clare. Always.”
It was one of many conversations in the episode that choked us up, and showed the light and shade that has made Happy Valley one of the most loved TV shows of all time.
Happy Valley ending explained: Darius double-crossed Tommy
There was no sign of Darius Knezevic in the Happy Valley finale, but his presence was felt.
His brother Zeljko arrived at Tommy’s hideout to take him away – most likely to an unmarked grave.
Sensing his life was in danger, Tommy grabbed a knife before leaving the house.
The subsequent scenes were a bloodbath.
Tommy, realising Darius had backtracked on his promise to get him out of the UK, was left with nothing to lose.
He went on a knife frenzy in the car, which eventually left all three heavies in the car dead.
However, Tommy was also badly injured in the fall out.
Left with nowhere else to go, Tommy knew from his conversations with son Ryan that he and his family weren’t allowed home for their own safety…
Desperate, and covered in blood, Tommy dressed in dead man’s clothes and drove to Catherine’s house for refuge – taking a can of petrol for good measure.
Only the house wasn’t empty…
Catherine at breaking point
In heartbreaking scenes, Catherine visited her dead daughter Becky’s grave.
She was tortured by visions of her daughter, and imagined Becky was beside her.
Tearful and exhausted, Sgt Catherine Cawood said to her daughter’s grave: “I’m just tired now.”
Nearing retirement, and with her nemesis Tommy Lee Royce on the loose, it seemed the closest thing to Catherine admitting defeat.
Viewers later saw her go home – ALARM BELLS! – where she looked through photo albums of her daughter Becky and her grandson Ryan.
Hearts broke across the UK as Catherine dissolved into tears over her loss, before dozing off into a much needed sleep.
We’ll never forget that moment when Tommy looked through the window into Catherine’s living room, unable to see her asleep in the armchair.
Serious chills.
And it was exactly at that moment that Tommy stopped being the villain we all loved to hate, and instead became a credible threat to our fave TV heroine.
We watched in paralysed terror as Tommy broke into a downstairs window, and let himself in…
Happy Valley ending explained: Tommy is a broken man
When Catherine popped out for a while, Tommy settled into her house.
Like Catherine just minutes before him, Tommy found the photo albums out on the table and flicked through them.
Again like Catherine, be broke down in tears.
Did he really love Becky in his own twisted way? Or was he crying from self-pity?
More injured than we’d at first though, it was clear Tommy had nowhere left to run and he looked like a broken man.
But a broken man is a dangerous man, and we knew he was capable of extreme violence.
The tension at this point was unbearable.
Catherine forgave Clare
Dropping Ryan back at Neville’s, Catherine and Clare came face to face for the first time since their painful chat the night before.
Of course Catherine didn’t say sorry; it’s not her style.
Instead, Catherine told her sister that she should have let her grandson Ryan meet Tommy “because sooner or later, he’d want to meet him”.
Catherine realised her mistakes.
In turn, she forgave Clare hers.
Clare then broke our hearts with the simplest three words: “Are you stopping?”
And, once again, writer Sally Wainwright reduced us to tears.
Happy Valley ending explained: Catherine and Tommy in fatal showdown
We knew it was coming, but the moment Catherine and Tommy came face to face gave us chills.
Catherine returned home and saw the broken window.
She knew what was about to happen – and the tension was palpable.
Armed with her taser gun (we knew it would feature in the finale somehow), Catherine slowly edged into her house knowing her nemesis was in there.
Now that is a fearless woman.
But Catherine – and the viewers – were shocked to find Tommy in a position of defeat.
We saw him taking pills, and glugging them down with whisky in what was a clear suicide attempt.
And again, Sally broke us with the simplest words…
Catherine said: “Hello.”
To which Tommy replied: “Hiya.”
Redemption for Tommy?
Cool as a cucumber, Catherine called for back-up (which took a bloody long time to come) and she removed Tommy’s knife from him.
But it was clear Tommy meant Catherine no harm.
Instead, he seemed intent on killing himself, telling Catherine: “I’m dead meat.”
Tommy told Catherine the truth about his relationship with Darius Knezevic – that Darius had killed Gary Gaggoski eight years ago.
And Tommy had lied for him.
During their chat, they inevitably pressed each other’s buttons, and things got heated.
When Catherine told Tommy what she thought of him, he spat back: “You’ve got me all wrong, you old bitch.”
In turn, she called him a “brain dead psychopath”, a “deluded little toddler brain in a man’s body”.
However, perhaps most surprising of all, was that Tommy showed some humanity.
He told Catherine that she’d given Ryan a good life, and for that he was grateful.
Tommy said: “I don’t hate you anymore. I forgive you.”
We were expecting violence. But, instead, we got a war of words.
Happy Valley ending explained: Tommy killed himself
After telling Catherine that he loved Becky because she made him feel “normal”, Tommy poured petrol over himself.
He knew that Catherine couldn’t taser him when he was covered in petrol…
Tommy said: “I don’t want you to get done.
“I want you to be here with Ryan.
“I’m not going back to prison.”
A helpless Catherine watched as Tommy set himself alight, and screamed in agony.
She threw a blanket over him as soon as she could to save his life.
At first, we were told Tommy was alive but disfigured for life.
Later, while standing at her daughter’s grave, Catherine received the message: “TLR dead, hospital just rang.”
So Tommy died off screen, which may have disappointed some viewers, but somehow seemed fitting.
Clare and Catherine reunited
After Catherine’s epic showdown with Tommy, she sobbed with a mixture of emotions.
When Clare arrived on the scene, she ran to her sister and held her.
In typical understated Catherine style, she told her sister: “We’ve had a bit of a tussle.
“I won obviously.
“I think he might have singed one of your crochet blankets.”
From horror, to tears, to laughter – that’s exactly what Happy Valley excelled at.
That scene alone deserves all the awards.
Happy Valley ending explained: What happened to Rob Hepworth in the Happy Valley finale?
The autopsy on Joanna Hepworth discovered historic fractures, including a broken hip and ribs.
There was also Joanna’s blood mingled with his fingerprints in the kitchen.
The police spoke to her husband Rob under caution about his possible involvement in Joanna’s murder.
Viewers learnt that Rob had been having a sexual affair for 15 months with a school colleague Abi, and had told her: “Life would be so much simpler if Joanna didn’t exist.”
In his pathetic defence, Rob told the police: “We had a difficult relationship, she’d try the patience of a saint.
“I’m not a violent person normally.”
Although viewers knew Rob was NOT responsible for killing his wife, it was good to see him suffer.
However, in a shock twist, we later learnt that police had arrested Rob for having indecent images on his phone.
The vile groomer – as some suspected – had been blackmailing a student to send explicit photos to him.
Ryan had a lucky escape.
What happened to Faisal Bhatti?
Dodgy pharmacist Faisal Bhatti looked like the cat who got the cream when he discovered that Ivan and Matja had been arrested – no more thugs to extort money from him.
However, thanks to Catherine, it looked like he wouldn’t get away with murdering Joanna.
Catherine – via Alison Garrs, whose probation officer was also getting drugs off the greedy pharmacist – alerted the police to him.
And his proximity to Joanna Hepworth.
So it would only be a matter of time before they discovered the truth…
Happy Valley finale review
We last saw Catherine at the grave of her dead daughter, having packed up her boxes from work and walked away from her own leaving do.
She received the text about Tommy’s death at the cemetery, and allowed herself a small smile.
But there were no real happy endings in Happy Valley, life just went on.
Becky was still dead, and Ryan’s dad now too.
Crime would carry on without her, although we did learn that crime boss Darius had been arrested.
Would Catherine “drive to the Himalayas” in her new SUV? We’ll never know.
There were several absences in the final episode, too – no sign of Ann, Richard or Daniel.
The beauty of Happy Valley is that there is no black or white, heroes or villains.
Catherine was far from perfect, and even Tommy showed humanity at the end.
The finale of Happy Valley was as near to perfect as you’re ever going to find on TV, though.
Ta-ta Catherine. You’ll be missed.
Read more: BBC unveils Happy Valley replacement The Gold as viewers share unexpected reaction
All seasons of Happy Valley are currently available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
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