We were heartbroken to say goodbye to Happy Valley last night, but we think there were plenty of clues that a spin-off about Ryan could come to pass.
While we may have to wait a few years for 16-year-old Rhys Connah to age up, there were plenty of clues that Ryan would follow in his grandmother’s footsteps as a police officer.
We hope we don’t have to wait too long, but it definitely feels like there is potential for a spin-off all about Ryan Cawood…
Did Happy Valley set up a spin-off with Ryan as a police officer?
Ryan made us all proud in the finale when he chose his grandmother instead of running away to Spain with Tommy Lee Royce.
He admitted to the police that he had spoken to Tommy on his games console, and it was clear that he loved Catherine more than he could ever love Tommy.
But is there a future where Ryan is a police officer himself?!
Catherine’s boss, Superintendent Andy Shepherd, thought that Ryan was a junior police officer before Catherine informed him that Ryan was her grandson.
Andy said: “I really did think you were a new recruit! There’s something about you.”
Ryan smiled at the comment, and we think that is definitely a clue into Ryan’s future.
And fans think so too!
One commented: “Perhaps in another couple of years, we could have a spin-off where Ryan is a policeman.”
Happy Valley creator Sally Wainwright did wait seven years for Rhys Connah to age up for series 3, so she might be willing to wait for Rhys in a spin-off too.
Darius Knezevic is still out there, and he could want revenge
If you’re thinking that without Tommy Lee Royce, Happy Valley has no villain, think again as Ryan has no shortage of enemies he could face.
Darius Knezevic made it out alive, but he did get put in prison.
Not only will he want revenge on Catherine for putting in there, but he’ll also want revenge on Tommy for killing his brother and his men.
And who would be more perfect than Catherine’s grandson AND Tommy’s son to get revenge on?
We know that Darius can set up a prison escape, so imagine a spin-off with Ryan as a police officer as Darius Knezevic hunts him down for revenge.
Plus, crooks Ivan and Matija are still alive and imprisoned, so Ivan (and his fiancée!) will be fuming he never made it to his wedding.
We think that keeping Darius alive is a sign that he could one day return for revenge…
What if Rob Hepworth and Faisal Bhatti teamed up against Ryan?
Darius Knezevic isn’t the only person out there who could still want to take revenge on Ryan.
Rob Hepworth (Mark Stanley) and Faisal Bhatti (Amit Shah) are alive and in jail too, and it was Catherine Cawood who helped put both of them away.
We know that Rob and Faisal didn’t exactly get along outside of prison, but maybe Faisal will turn into a full madman when he’s banged up.
They won’t stay banged up forever – it’ll take some strong genes to keep the streets of West Yorkshire safe.
Read more: Happy Valley finale: 8 key things that let some viewers down
Happy Valley spin-off: Rhys Connah agrees that Ryan will become a police officer
And it’s not just us who wants to see Ryan as a police officer, Rhys Connah agrees too!
He told the RadioTimes: “This is the final season of Happy Valley. This is the end, but that provides context for the story after, so we can see a little bit past how season 3 ends.
“And I do think that Ryan would become a police officer.”
Is there any clue there for a future spin-off? Well, it’s clear that fans would love to see one.
One fan wrote: “I’m starting the campaign for a PC Ryan Cawood spin-off!”
A second fan predicted: “Several years down the line when Rhys Connah is in his early 20s, there will be a spin-off series starring Ryan as an ambitious young detective, honouring his grandmother and trying to help the Tommy Lee Royces of the world.”
A third fan agreed: “I’m not saying Sally Wainwright was setting up a future spin-off when that police officer thought Ryan was a new recruit… but I won’t be shocked if we get it in the future.”
Happy Valley series 1-3 are available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
Would you watch this spinoff? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think.