Happy Valley - General Discussion

[Emily Thrace]

On 2017-03-19 at 9:08 PM, kieyra said:

(That said, it struck me after a couple of viewings that Daniel spends all of season 3 at Catherine's house because he was cheating on his wife, and he bonds with Ryan a bit but makes no mention of his own newborn child back at home. No one including Catherine has time to think about that kid. But I wonder if the showrunners decided Daniel's story would be more interesting, going forward, if he wasn't saddled with a wife and kid, so just shoved them aside.)

--They mention Illinka (sp) is staying in town and got a job. Wouldn't mind seeing how things go for her.

--What happened to Richard?

--I liked DI Jodi Shackleton a lot, she can come back. And Joyce, and Shafiq.

--Need at least one scene between Catherine and Alison (mother of S2 serial killer). I assume she'll be in jail.

--Can Clare finally catch a break and get a job? 

--I've grown fond of the club with the bad musical cover acts, hope to see it again. 

--Neil can come back, something about the actor's voice bugs, but he knocked that drunk-rage scene out of the m'f'ing park. He wrecked it. Reminded me of my alcoholic grandfather.

--I know this is unlikely but I'm okay with there being no more Tommy Lee Bloody Royce. Since he'll have a harder time getting an accomplice now, all they can do to raise the stakes is have him escape from prison or be released early, and I'd rather have a different villain. I'm so tired of him just saying "ugly nasty bitch whore" over and over again, while weeping dribbly snotty crocodile tears for the mother he used to beat, although that's what I get for endless rewatches of S2.

I thought that was a bit odd too, it would have been nice to see Catherine interact with her other grandchild as well. Realistically though if your dealing with an infant shared custody is more theoretical anyway. Daniel probably wouldn't have overnight visits or anything like that until shes a bit older anyway. It is something they can use to justify staying at his mother's longer term though as a single parent moving back in with his mother makes a lot more sense for Daniel.

DI Jodi Shakleton concerns me but that's mostly just because the last time I saw the actress she was Black Hole Sue Becky on Corrie and I'm worried she'll start chasing people around with sledgehammers again. 

I love Claire and would be happy for her if she got a job but I also kind of like that they use her to show some of the economic realities that are at the root of the drug problems in the valley.  Opportunities are pretty limited and jobs are hard to come by even more so if you have history like Claire's. Its a big part of why so many end up turning to drugs in the first place in that area.  In fact that's probably the only real complaint I would have about the show is that they show that the area has a massive drug problem but don't delve into the why's of it too often. Most of the characters are middle class so we visit the Tower blocks on the show but don't delve into them too deeply. Even with Tommy there hasn't been a lot of examining in why he is the way he is. That might be interesting to get into next season.

Although personally I like the idea of Tommy breaking out of jail and going after Catherine. Only for her to kill him instead or Anne could or even Daniel is an interesting possibility thematically. Tommy could escape in episode 2 get killed in episode 5 or 6 and then everybody tries to cover for the killer for the rest of the series.

[7-Zark-7]

On 2/19/2017 at 9:51 PM, Emily Thrace said:

On 2/19/2017 at 9:25 PM, Winston9-DT3 said:

I wasn't claiming he's not a psychopath.  He clearly is.  I was saying you can't definitively state that he doesn't care about Ryan or did rape Becky.  Even psychopaths can have consensual sex and love a child.  

Some Psychopaths probably could. I just can't think of any evidence that Tommy does. As I have pointed out almost every scene he has in season two indicates he doesn't.

Season 2 showed that Tommy has the power to get not just one, but several women to agree to marry him and do his bidding from behind bars without physical coercion. And these were adults, not teenagers like Catherine's daughter.

I think the show is purposefully leaving the issue of Becky's rape murky. I think all of the characters have it right in parts: 

Becky may have been in a secretly consensual sexual relationship with Tommy even though (or partially because) he was from the wrong side of town, which Daniel may have known about but her mother didn't. This would explain why her brother thinks she wasn't raped and why her mother may think she was. It's also possible that she was in a sexual relationship with Tommy and still have been raped by him, the mom was just clueless about the relationship part, and Daniel is just clueless about the possibility of rape within a relationship.

As for the suicide, I think Becky was exposed to more than the assault. I'm guessing Tommy talked her into doing something illegal like robbery, etc, that she knew was wrong but thought of as relatively harmless, and then she saw how Tommy really operates and realized that she was in way over her head.

Edited April 30, 2017 by 7-Zark-7

[LeGrandElephant]

I'm watching this again, and so came to the thread again. I'm still surprised anyone could watch this and think Becky wasn't raped. Its not like Tommy is a nice boy - we KNOW he is a violent rapist, and we KNOW he lies after the fact about raping Ann (sounding like maybe he's even convincing himself in season two that Lewis did all the bad things to Ann, not him). In season 1, Catherine says that Becky told her it was a violent assault, not one of these grey area things - and that's extra believable because we KNOW he violently assaults women. As for the "she was asking for it" line, people don't say "she was asking for it" when they mean she had consensual sex - they say "she was asking for it" when they mean she wore a short skit, drank, flirted with the wrong guy, etc, and then got raped. Its a way of saying it was her own fault she got raped and she deserved it for stepping out of line from how a good girl should behave, not a way of saying it was consensual. I thought it was clear that Becky fell in with a bad crowd, probably flirted with Tommy, but then he violently raped her, as we know he is prone to do. In fact, he's so obviously turned on by raping Ann in season 1 that I wouldn't be surprised if he prefers rape to normal sex - I could imagine Becky (or someone like her) being willing to have nice sex with him and him turning violent so she'd struggle and be traumatized and he'd enjoy it more. That would still be rape, even if she had been willing at first before he got violent. We know that whatever happened, it was violent and traumatized her enough that she couldn't face being pregnant until it was too late to get an abortion, and at least contributed to her suicide. We also know that she wasn't a perfect "good girl". Those two things aren't mutually exclusive. 

On another subject, while rewatching I'm bothered again that Catherine didn't call for backup before going into Tommy's mother's cellar. That's policing 101 and its hugely dangerous both for her and for Ann that she didn't. I'm noticing that on a lot of British cop TV shows lately - not calling for backup drives the plot forward by putting main characters in danger, but doesn't actually make much sense. And in this case the writers could have had her in just as much danger by having her radio for backup before barging in but have backup just take awhile to arrive. 

[LeGrandElephant]

Finished re-watching the second season. Not as good as the first, partly because its incredibly irritating to have to listen to Miss Wheeland's creepy baby whisper voice, and she never really did all that much for all her creepiness and screentime. 

I already posted last year about how its stupid and negligent to keep shutting Ryan down when he asks questions instead of having him in some kind of family therapy, given the situation. As he gets older, he needs to be told that his father is a violent rapist murderer without thinking that he is doomed to inherit that behavior, and they need a professional for that. 

Otherwise, I'm left with one thought - is prison in the UK really that nice? A repeat murderer and rapist who presumably got a life sentence gets to have a TV in his cell and never seems to have privileges taken away despite repeatedly attacking guards? I'm no expert but I've gotten the feeling that US prisons are much less pleasant than that...

[LeGrandElephant]

Also, as a practical matter, it seems disingenuous that Catherine kept insisting Ryan would have gone to care (foster care) if she hadn't raised him. Surely healthy white infants are in just as much demand for adoption in the UK as in the US? Unless there was some concern about him not being adoptable if his father wasn't known, but she never mentioned that. I think its fine if she wanted to raise him as part of her own family, but it doesn't seem likely that he really would have languished in the system otherwise. 

[kieyra]

@LeGrandElephant, I also wondered if murderers in the U.K. get a private cell with a tv and remote control. But I'm in the US, and we supposedly have the worst prison system among first-world countries. Plus I have  years now of bingeing OITNB. Maybe that's just what actual civilization looks like, not caging people up together like packs of animals. 

I'm embarrassed to say how many more times I've watched both series in the last few months. Over those rewatches:

--It becomes even clearer what a manipulate psychopath Tommy is. And he basically rapes Ann on day one.

--Despite not having kids or liking kids in my shows, I've gone from being annoyed by bratty Ryan to being impressed by the actor and the dynamic they set up with him and Catherine. They're also very consistent with his characterization throughout both seasons. He's headstrong, has a temper, and hates reading, but he's also very perceptive and asks a lot of questions--like Catherine. The tension between the two of them is massive, but they also love each other. 

--Yeah, Francis/Cecily is beyond annoying with that voice. The best parts of her appearance are when Catherine is telling her she's unhinged. 

--Forgot there's a handsome kidnapping specialist in S1, and it's hinted that he and Catherine have a history. Maybe they could bring him back, although this show does just fine without romance arcs. 

--Still love DI Jodi Shackleton. She's just so ... unmoved. 

--I still can't get through the whole scene where they run down Kirsten, but I've seen pieces of it and I can't believe how gory it is. It looks like Fargo. 

--The actress who plays Ann is very convincing as a violently ill drunk. :)

--After several rewatches you really begin to loathe Vicky Fleming. (Not saying she deserved to be murdered, but they put in the work to show how she could push someone over the edge.)

--There are basically no bad actors in this show. (Thinking right now of Leonie and the other prostitute.)

I have no idea why, out of all the different shows I watch, I can keep watching these twelve episodes over and over (especially taking into account that there are many S1 scenes I can't handle). I don't do this with shows; it's usually one and done and maybe a rewatch a few years later. The world just feels so freaking real to me. I assume this level of obsession means I'm bound to be let down by any potential third/final season, but I'm still hoping it happens.

I've tried watching Last Tango in Halifax again but it's just not the same. Too meandering and repetitive. 

Oh, and I've talked up this show a lot on other forums. I've chatted with more than one person who had to drop out in S1 because it was too dark (which is what I did at first). The show starts out with the semi-funny scene with the druggie threatening to set himself on fire, then drops you right into the middle of this horrific kidnapping. And it doesn't allow you the luxury of getting ANY emotional distance from what Ann, her parents, and Kirsten go through. I can see why people tag out. But it's very rewarding if you can get through it. 

Edited July 18, 2017 by kieyra

[scrb]

I liked the first season which I just binged.

But for that criminal conspiracy to last as long as it did, you had people willing to keep the police out of it for so long.  First Nevison, then his wife, then Kevin convinces the wife that they can't go to the police.

Katherine had to confront the wife or else it would have kept going.

Kevin obviously got in way over his head quickly.  I don't know that that sniveling accountant would hatch such a plot in the first place.  Maybe his resentment had been brewing for a long time but Nevison's wife and daughter thought well of Kevin and his family to argue on his behalf.

Why would Nevison think he can handle it better than the police, who are trained?  As soon as the DCI came and laid out the realities of kidnapping situations, Nevison instantly realized the cops have to handle it.

You also had that guy who was stashing the two fugitives.  He was shocked that TLR murdered the other guy but come on, these guys were wanted in connection with a kidnapping and the murder of a cop.

Then of course, the kid not telling Katherine or the sister about going to see his dad but apparently was telling his school mates and some adult at that convenience store.  Though I can see why the kid, who'd been asking about his dad only to get evasive answers, would be susceptible to TLR approaching him.

[Pogojoco]

I think a key scene that demonstrates Tommy's nature is his scene with Ryan on the boat. He's clearly thrilled the kid has come to visit and he's trying to be happy, but the anger he has at the kid for telling his friend about it and then bringing his friend is coming forward. So the thrill of the kid being there is getting swamped by the dangerous and overwhelming rage. I can see how her daughter would find him charming at first and then have it be sinister and ugly. 

 

And I think nature vs nurture is the underlying argument of the series and something that haunts Catherine. 

I love Ryan and how he's kind of a shit. I love the relationship between Catherine and Clare. James Norton is sinister, but the charm of him is still there- maybe it's his charisma. It's so well written and so well acted. I love this show. 

Sarah Lancashire is a titan. 

Edited August 23, 2017 by Pogojoco

[kieyra]

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-09-20/happy-valley-wont-be-back-until-at-least-the-end-of-2018/

Sounds like my wish of not having to revisit Tommy Lee Royce is unlikely.

[dargosmydaddy]

Hmm.

Spoiler

So they want to pick up when Ryan is a teenager? While I get that this would theoretically add to the drama, I'm uncertain if this means they're going to recast the part with an older actor (which would be a major disappointment, as Rhys Connah has been awesome as young Ryan) or wait for Connah to grow up. If it's the former, than I don't see why they need to wait to film (unless that was just a convenient excuse due to other scheduling conflicts-- I'm sure Lancashire and Norton are busy, as is Wainwright). If it's the latter, it doesn't seem like waiting a year would do much... Connah would be thirteen (I think) next year, but he looks younger than he is. I'm sure he could convincingly play his age (and it would be refreshing to see a young-looking thirteen rather than the usual older-actor-playing-younger), but it seems like the drama aspect would work better if Ryan was in his mid teens, nearly old enough to be out on his own in terms of age, if not maturity.

Although I guess the "at least the end of 2018" part could imply it's more likely to be late in 2019 or beyond... Whatever they do, I'll be watching!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Kirsten: Nice glasses.
Catherine: Well, he can send himself to paradise. That's his choice. But he's not taking my eyebrows with him.

Catherine: I'm Catherine, by the way. I'm 47, I'm divorced, I live with my sister who's a recovering heroin addict. I have two grownup children - one dead, one who doesn't speak to me - and a grandson.
Liam: Why? Why doesn't he speak to you?
Catherine: It's complicated. Let's talk about you.

Catherine: You'll have to come inside. I'm too old to start shagging in cars.

[Catherine knocks on door]
Jason: Fuck off!
Shafiq: I think that means "come in," Sarge, in Swahili.
Catherine: If I said that, it'd be racist.
Shafiq: Nah!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Mike: Are you all right?
Catherine: I'm fine. Effed up, insecure, neurotic, and emotional, but other than that I'm fine.

Edited October 26, 2017 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Catherine: Did you rip up the painting?
Ryan: I might of.
Catherine: I might have. Not of. You couldn't of done anything. Of isn't a verb.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Ann: I was a long awaited disappointment.

Ryan: What's your name?
Tommy: You can call me dad.
Ryan: I mean your real name.

Catherine: What's the problem?
Shafiq: He's disturbing the toddlers.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Just sneaking in here (without reading any of the other posts for fear of being spoiled - the perils of watching a show long after it aired, especially when there aren't separate episode threads!) to say I just binge watched S1 this week and loved it! I knew I had to finish the first season before S2 of Stranger Things started so I was trying to watch one episode every night in order to get done in time. I can see why people compared this show to Broadchurch because it definitely has a similar feel. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in S2!

[auntiemel]

On 10/26/2017 at 5:33 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Just sneaking in here (without reading any of the other posts for fear of being spoiled - the perils of watching a show long after it aired, especially when there aren't separate episode threads!) to say I just binge watched S1 this week and loved it! I knew I had to finish the first season before S2 of Stranger Things started so I was trying to watch one episode every night in order to get done in time. I can see why people compared this show to Broadchurch because it definitely has a similar feel. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in S2!

Just chiming in here to say that I also loved S1, and (to my surprise, because this doesn't happen with shows very often), actually loved S2 even more!

[kieyra]

On 10/26/2017 at 8:33 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Just sneaking in here (without reading any of the other posts for fear of being spoiled - the perils of watching a show long after it aired, especially when there aren't separate episode threads!) to say I just binge watched S1 this week and loved it! I knew I had to finish the first season before S2 of Stranger Things started so I was trying to watch one episode every night in order to get done in time. I can see why people compared this show to Broadchurch because it definitely has a similar feel. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in S2!

(No spoilers.) I'm really glad I gave S2 a shot, because S1 was nearly too dark for me and I was very close to dropping the show. If you end up reading this thread later, you'll see the outcome. Which is that I've now watched both seasons about a thousand times.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I finished watching S2 of Stranger Things over the weekend so I'm ready to get back to Happy Valley!

On 10/28/2017 at 5:33 PM, auntiemel said:

Just chiming in here to say that I also loved S1, and (to my surprise, because this doesn't happen with shows very often), actually loved S2 even more!

I am so glad to hear that. I felt like S2 of Broadchurch got really bogged down with the trial so I was a little worried that S2 of Happy Valley might be focused on the trial of Tommy. I agree that often S2 can be a let down so I'm really happy to hear that Happy Valley isn't one of those shows.

On 10/29/2017 at 6:36 PM, kieyra said:

(No spoilers.) I'm really glad I gave S2 a shot, because S1 was nearly too dark for me and I was very close to dropping the show. If you end up reading this thread later, you'll see the outcome. Which is that I've now watched both seasons about a thousand times.

Yay! I think that one of the things about binge watching these days is that not all shows hold up to repeated viewings. Sometimes the binge is about finding out what happens next (and trying to finish watching before everyone you know online spoils the ending). My test for tv shows, movies, books, etc. is whether I would watch or read it again (especially for things that are darker - I know some people rewatch sitcoms that aren't their favorites just to have something light in the background), so good to know that Happy Valley passed that test for you.

I can't wait to see what S2 brings! I still want to high five Catherine for getting some shots on Tommy (both in the basement and on the boat). Man, he had it coming. That guy is a total psycho.

[auntiemel]

17 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I am so glad to hear that. I felt like S2 of Broadchurch got really bogged down with the trial so I was a little worried that S2 of Happy Valley might be focused on the trial of Tommy. I agree that often S2 can be a let down so I'm really happy to hear that Happy Valley isn't one of those shows.

Absolutely! Tommy is involved, but it's not about the trial. No spoilers, but he starts to pose a whole different sort of threat. And there's a separate main mystery plot that is great!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Clare: Sheep rustling? 
Catherine: Yeah. 
Clare: Sheep rustling? 
Catherine: Yeah. 
Clare: As in, "Yeehaw!"?
Catherine: No, there were no cowboys involved.
Clare: No, good point, that would have been cattle rustling.
Catherine: No, this is sheep rustling North Halifax style so there's just the one sheep and three lads off their heads on acid.

Sheep thief: We just wanted a bit of Sunday dinner. 
Catherine: It's Wednesday.

Catherine: I could have let them off with a stern word and a community resolution, thus helping Mr. Cameron and Mrs. May massage their crime figures, but they scored very poorly in the attitude test.

Amber: Mum, when I'm sixteen, can I get a tattoo?
Amanda: No.
Amber: Well, a monkey then?

Mike: Catherine, where are you going?
Catherine: I'm going to strangle a few more prostitutes and stick some ore broken bottles where the sun don't shine.

Leonie: Why do they always put sweet corn in with tuna? Who invented that?

Ryan: Is [Clare] an alcoholink?
Daniel: Er, well, yeah. Yeah, she is. Was. Is.
Ryan: What is an alcoholink?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I finally had time to watch the first episode of S2 and I'm already sucked into the drama!

I know that I should feel some sympathy for Tommy because his mother was killed but NOPE. That piece of shit did far worse to other women and he abused his mother whenever he came home so sorry, I can't feel any pity for him crying over his mother's death. I was rolling my eyes when he said that Catherine ruined his life. HOW DARE SHE arrest a man who murdered and raped multiple people?

I knew Tommy's girlfriend was a nutjob as soon as I saw the creepy way she was acting when she visited him in prison. Side note: so prison in the UK is like living in a dorm room without roommates?

Anyway, at first I just thought she was one of those annoying people who insists on bringing a billion giant bags when she travels. But the I saw how weird she was with Tommy and that sealed the deal. First of all, she's one of those weirdos who fell in love with a rapist and murderer, so there's that. But her baby voiced "I love you" - just UGH. The icing on the cake was her getting soaked in the rain while spying on Ryan and Daniel. No doubt she's an unhinged psycho now.

The police guy who was having an affair is a moron. You ignore your mistress of two years, break things off with her over the phone, then meet her afterward and stupidly drink whatever she puts in front of you? She came off as vengeful even before he broke up with her so I can't believe he thought she would just say, "Sure, we can be friends," and go on her merry way. This is someone who showed up in front of his house and threatened to tell his wife about their affair if he didn't come outside immediately to talk to her. Yet he somehow thought that she would take the break up well?

Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying that what she did was okay. It just seems incredibly naive of this guy to think that she would accept him ending their relationship calmly. The way she acted at the very beginning of the episode, before I knew anything about either of them, made it seem pretty clear that she was the kind of person who would try to get some kind of revenge. She told him, "I don't like doing this, John, I don't like coming here, threatening to knock on your door, but if you don't return calls or answer messages, what do you expect?" That told me that she was ready to boil his bunny if he didn't start behaving as she wanted him to.

Heh, love that Ann immediately suspected he was having an affair. She already has good instincts!

I'm not sure how I feel about Clare and her old schoolmate. I'm all for Clare getting a boyfriend but there's a whole world of people out there. You don't have to start dating some random guy who you kissed once when you were 15 just because you bumped into him on the street. I'm not saying he seems awful or anything, just that there are other people out there. Clare has had him over for tea all of once and she's already thinking about moving out. Slow your roll, Clare!

Loved seeing Julie Hesmondhalgh who I know as Trish Winterman from the last season of Broadchurch.

Edited November 9, 2017 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Daniel: I always thought Winnie were Polish.
Catherine: She's Yugoslavian.

Winnie: I am saying you're wonderful as long as we all stay on the right side of you, cos, if we don't, you're a pain in the arse.

Catherine: Unless you can find any more staff, I'm going to arrest a 15-year-old at Salter Hebble High for dealing skunk behind the science block.

John: If you had to lay your hands on £1,000, just like that, what would you do? 
Ann: Ask me dad. 
John: What, and he'd just shell out?
Ann: He's a millionaire, so probably not. 
John: Your dad's a millionaire?
Ann: He's, like, so rich it's boring.
John: Wow. So how does he feel about you being a PCSO?
Ann: Oh, you know. "Hundreds of millions of pounds spent on her education and she wants to be a bloody policeman." Only not so polite.

Shafiq: You tasered a bloke, Sarge? 
Catherine: I did, yeah. 
Shafiq: What did it feel like?
Catherine: Good, yeah - given that, one minute, there's a bloke coming at you with a baseball bat, and, the next, he's flat on the floor, quivering like fucking jelly. Obviously, I was trying to shoot him in the chesticles, not in the family jewels. But, you know, if you're going to wave a baseball bat around in front of a woman who's just completed her taser training, you're asking for a bit of excitement.

Catherine: Lock this door.
Winnie: Oh, I thought I might leave it wide open and put a sign out. "Traffickers this way!" Oh, and an arrow.

Frances: What does your granny look like? 
Ryan: She's a policeman. Woman. She chases scrotes and druggies and nutters.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

While I understand Clare being upset that Daniel told Ryan she's an alcoholic (heh, an alcoholink), I am on Daniel's side here. Ryan directly asked if she was an alcoholic so Daniel's choice was to lie or tell the truth. Kids aren't stupid. They know when you're lying to them and Ryan is already 9 years old. There's no need to lie to him about something like that. I get that Clare isn't proud of her past, but that doesn't mean Daniel should have to lie about it.

I had to laugh at John bitching at his kids about leaving their bedroom and bathroom lights on, pouring too much cereal, etc. because my dad taught all of us from an early age that you never leave the lights on. As soon as you leave a room, you turn the light off. Same went for the lights in the hallway and over the staircase. It's just ingrained in me now to turn off the light as I pass the light switch on my way to the next room. And my dad wasn't being blackmailed for £1000/month by his former mistress either! He just hated wasting electricity.

I don't know how the British school system works, but how was Frances able to get herself hired at Ryan's school so quickly?

It seems entirely too coincidental that the funerals for Tommy's mother and Ann's mother were on the same day at the same cemetery. I give Catherine balls points for just showing up to Lynn's funeral. Not the smartest thing to do, but she gets points for sheer nerve.

If Frances had any brain at all, she would have gone straight back to Scotland after hearing his outburst at Catherine.

John continues to be an idiot. He pretends to leave his wife to get the phone with incriminating photos from Vicky but then thinks that she hid this phone...in her sofa cushions? I'm not a police officer and I know that even an idiot wouldn't hide a phone in their own sofa. And now he's a murderer, which makes me hope that Vicky sent those photos to someone, anyone.

Clare starting to drink again came out of nowhere (as relapses sometimes do). I felt bad for Catherine trying every tactic she could think of (begging, threatening, etc) to no avail.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Therapist: I saw that on the question - have you ever contemplated killing yourself or others? - you've written "yes." Do you want to talk about that?
Catherine: No.

Therapist: Did you have counseling after your daughter took her own life?
Catherine: No, I had a breakdown.
Therapist: What happened?
Catherine: Nothing. I just screamed at people a lot and smashed a few things in the sink and drank too much and pissed everyone off within a ten-mile radius for about a year.

Catherine: Day before yesterday, I could've merrily strung my grandson up for setting off a fire extinguisher at school because someone bet him a bag of crisps he couldn't.

Catherine: Mr. Tekeli, I read your statement for that assault. I see we're still struggling with the I before E except after C concept. And can you find someone with more time and patience than I have to explain to you the difference when you spell "he threatened to break my arm" and "I applied the foot brake"? Thank you.

Catherine: These are those dates when I was out murdering prostitutes if you still want to check your diary.
Joyce: Nothing I'd rather do.
Catherine: Come on, what is [my nickname]?
Joyce: You used to be a detective. Find out.

Ann: If a detective - he's a sergeant - asks me out for a drink, that's not unethical, is it?
Catherine: Is he married?
Ann: Well, yeah, he is, but he's just found out his wife's been having it off with someone else.
Catherine: Is he old enough to be your dad?
Ann: No. Yeah, actually. He probably is. He's not as old as my dad, but, yeah, technically.
Catherine: And do you believe him about his wife?
Ann: I don't fancy him. We're just mates.
Catherine: Yeah, but is that what he thinks? It's not really ethics, is it, love? It's about whether it's wise or not.

Ann: How are you going to get [the dead body] down?
Catherine: That's easy. I'm going to wait for CID to turn up and let them do it.

Ann: Is it true that men get an erection when they hang?
Jodie: Well, it depends what they were doing at the time.
Ann: So normally not then?
Jodie: Nah. It's a myth.
Ann: Okay. Good! Well, there you go. I've learned something!

Catherine: The night Aurelia Petrovic was murdered, this is five months ago, I was at Oldham Coliseum with Joyce dressed up like a pillock for the Rocky Horror Show! She invited me at the last second because her cousin dropped out. That's why it never went on me calendar.
Shafiq: So when Aurelia Petrovic was getting slashed, you and Joyce were doing the Time Warp.
Catherine: Isn't life weird?
Shafiq: I can't picture that.
Catherine: Yeah, don't try.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Ooh, I KNEW that Daniel had cheated on Lucy! His original story that she just went crazy sounded like total bullshit back in the first episode.

Awwww, I love that Joyce took Catherine out to dinner. The waitress's assessment of the various entertainers at the restaurant was hilarious. "He's....alright." But then Catherine had to go and stomp on Joyce's friendship by accusing her of being Mike's spy. Damn, Catherine, calm down!

As a fellow grammar nerd, I totally cracked up when Catherine read Takeli the riot act over his I before E and break/brake mistakes.

Neil, ugh. He thinks Catherine doesn't like him because she didn't want tea? I'd say that qualifies as oversensitive. Look, man, I just got home from a long day at work. Maybe I just don't feel like having tea at this very moment.

Ilinka can't possibly think that she can go back to work at the biscuit factory and still be safe. If she was afraid that someone had followed her to Winnie's house, but now she thinks that if she goes back to work, one of the traffickers won't follow her when she leaves?

Tommy is obviously delusional if he truly thinks that he wouldn't have really hurt Ryan. Dude, you were about to set your kid on fire. And now he's blaming poor Lewis for all of his crimes from S1? Good lord. Frances is straight up cray. I want to feel a little bad for her because Tommy is manipulating her to do his dirty work, but I can't.

I was so worried that John was going to murder that woman in the car or Ann, so I was glad when he didn't turn up for drinks. Ann, THINK. You offer to get drinks with a married man right after he tells you that his wife cheated on him? As Catherine pointed out, that's not wise.

[auntiemel]

On 11/9/2017 at 5:10 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Neil, ugh. He thinks Catherine doesn't like him because she didn't want tea? I'd say that qualifies as oversensitive. Look, man, I just got home from a long day at work. Maybe I just don't feel like having tea at this very moment.

That piece of dialogue totally reminded me of this video:

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Catherine: We're talking about a vulnerable 19-year-old. Her face was bruised, her neck was bruised. That ain't someone crying wolf. You didn't even take a statement.
Steph: It was dark.
Catherine: I'm just ignoring that. No, I'm not. You've got a torch, haven't you?!

Mike: You both made me look really good in there today. Well done.
Catherine: The only reason I do anything is to make you look good, sir.
Mike: And not a hint of sarcasm.

Ann: Who are the Knezevics?
Catherine: You know how New Jersey has the Sopranos? Well, Halifax has the Knezevics.

Ryan: Why do I have to go to school on my birthday?

Catherine: Am I overreacting?
Mike: He tried to kill you, Catherine. You're not overreacting.

Jodie: I'm just suggesting that it's odd for someone with such a disorganised lifestyle who lives in chaos and squalor, spends half his life pissed out of his tiny fucking skull, not to leave any DNA on any of the sites. Are we really believing that this lad is that forensically aware? And that capable?

Nevison: When I said "lunch," I had somewhere a bit more salubrious in mind.

Nevison: It's a bit like speed dating, innit? Not that I've ever been speed dating. Or that we're dating, obviously. But I've seen it on the telly.

Catherine: Steph, how long have you been in the job?
Steph: Specials? About six months.
Catherine: You made a mistake. I suspect you listened to Bryony, who is a lazy sod and whose first and last instinct is to do the minimum. She's the one who should be offering to resign, not you. She's been in the job five years and she knows no more now than she did then.

Tommy: Nothing is illegal. It's just a word people use to control other people with.

Edited November 12, 2017 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Loved Catherine reading the riot act to Bryony and Steph who just dropped Leonie off in front of the ER.

It's not often agree with 10 year old boys, but I agree with Ryan - you should get to stay home on your birthday. I take my birthday off from work every year. I know it's different when you're a kid since you need to learn the day's lessons but I feel no guilt about taking my birthday off.

I had to laugh when Clare began playing with Ryan's birthday present as soon as Daniel and Ryan left for school.

Neil is not making me like him any more with his confession to Clare. They JUST started dating and he is asking her to keep a huge secret like that from her own sister? He is way out of line.

John certainly has been a busy little bee planting evidence to frame Sean for all of those murders.

So sweet that Catherine and Nevison had lunch to talk about Ann. When she ended up not looking in the trunk of Daryl's car, I was sure she must have missed some crucial evidence that would tie him to one of the murders.

Frances is a nutjob, but at least so far she's resisted killing Catherine as Tommy keeps asking her to do. I know that's setting a pretty low bar, but there you have it. He is such a slimy manipulative psychopath. Watching him play Frances just made my skin crawl. I thought she might continue to resist when he called Catherine a whore, but then he played his trump card: if you don't kill her, we're breaking up!

Edited November 12, 2017 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Catherine: Every day was a misogynistic delight from start to finish. The best thing when I joined up - this is like 300 years ago, in the 1980s - you didn't get a truncheon if you were a woman, you got a handbag! Thanks!
Joyce: No, you did get a truncheon. You got one of them, you know, little doodah things.
Catherine: That's right, yeah! Like a vibrator. A handbag and a vibrator. Great! What you gonna do with that when someone's coming at you with an Uzi and a machete?
Joyce: They were big enough to keep a brick in, them handbags.
Catherine & Joyce: Just! 
Catherine: And skirts. There were no trousers. You don't know you're born, you lot. We used to freeze our knackers off on a night shift.
Joyce: Ooh, and do you remember, "Stockings or tights?" You'd run the gauntlet every time you walked through the CID office. They'd have their hands up your skirts, twanging your suspenders to see if you were sharp or flat.
Catherine: And you just took it!
Joyce: You had to.
Catherine: Although. Although. Leonard Stott. Inspector up at Brighouse. He used to come up to me, every time he saw me, he used to come up to me like this. "Oooh, Cathy!" He used to call me Cathy. "It's Catherine, you twat. " "Oooh, Cathy," and I was like, "Whatever," for long enough and then one day, I just thought, "Bollocks to this," and the next time he did it - right in his face and I floored him. I decked him and I'd only been out of training school four weeks, but he never did it again. In fact, he used to avoid me after that.

Ann: You're such a fantastic human being, Catherine. 
Catherine: I know.

Catherine: Now I'm thinking, never mind the Knezevics, now I'm thinking that whoever left that Scalextric is going to do something else, something even more weird.
Clare: Like what?
Catherine: I don't know. A brick through a window.
Clare: You see, I don't think a brick through the window is as weird as leaving a present on your doorstep, actually. And I don't think somebody who'd leave a present on your doorstep would put a brick through your window anyway, so yeah.
Catherine: Why?
Clare: It wasn't an act of aggression.
Catherine: Oh, it was psychologically aggressive. 
Clare: Yeah, but not violent, just weird.

Catherine: That pavement's gonna get very chilly if you stay there much longer, and you do know it's where the doggies do their wee-wees.

Daniel: He's really uncomfortable around you. 
Catherine: Yeah, I know, but that could just be my effortless overwhelming charisma.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

What's with everyone wearing maroon/burgundy? In S2.E4, Tommy was wearing a t-shirt  that color and then in S2.E5, Ann was wearing a cardigan that color and Daniel was wearing a hoodie the same color while they were sitting on the stoop. I guess it would be interesting if Daniel and Ann ended up together. Then Ann would officially be part of Catherine's family.

John was practically dancing a jig after poor Sean admitted that he didn't always remember what he'd done while drunk. Then he was so fucking smug when he went back to the house and told Amanda to get out. He's not quite as bad as Tommy but he's still a piece of work who cheated on his wife, murdered his mistress, set a fire to cover it up, and set up someone else as a serial killer.

I honestly don't know how to react to Allison shooting Daryl. Was she putting him out of his misery so he wouldn't have to go to prison? Was she killing him to keep him from killing any more women?

I'm so excited to watch the season finale so I can find see what happens, but I'll be sad that it's over.

Edited November 12, 2017 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Mrs. Beresford: Why would anybody do that?
Catherine: Because people are weird. People are mad, and they don't always have it tattooed across their forehead.

Shafiq: Where shall I get hold of her? 
Catherine: Man up, princess. Use your initiative!

Catherine: What's the best way to make someone sick?
Dispatch: Stick your fingers down their throat?
Catherine: Oh, yeah, and get my hand bitten off?

Mike: How's it going up there?
Catherine: Like Piccadilly Circus when I left. More detectives than primetime TV.

Catherine: It's properly creepy.

Mike: Sad, isn't it? No criminal record. She's held down a perfectly respectable job for upward of 15 years. And then she does this mad thing. And for what? 45 minutes once a fortnight with a psychopath.

Andy: Let's start with me. Under what circumstances might I end up doing that? I haven't, by the way. Although I would say that.

Andy: But people use secret shagging phones, don't they?

Caterine: Shot her own kid's head off. Your own kid. What does it take to do that, eh? I mean, obviously, it takes finding out you've given birth to a serial nutter. But then, after she'd explained that, she goes, "Only he didn't do that fourth one, that Vicky Fleming. He wanted people to know that wasn't him." Like "Oh, that's all right, then. As long as he didn't do that one."

John: Don't come near me!
Catherine: John, it's not that high, you're not going to- You're just going to break your legs and make a mess.

Mike: There but for the grace of God.
Catherine: Really? He stuck a broken bottle inside her and then prayed to God someone else'd get copped for it. That isn't what I said to him, by the way. I did try and talk him down.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Hilarious to see John instructing Catherine how to talk him down. Like Catherine, I thought he was going to come down and then he jumped anyway. I'm so glad that it finally came out that he murdered Vicky. Now that we know she made a habit of sleeping with married men, drugging them, and the taking incriminating photos to blackmail them, I wonder if she was more interested in the long con/getting paid or the revenge aspect. I mean, I guess she could have liked both equally.

The most shocking thing to me in this episode was the reveal about Daryl's father. I'd never heard the phrase "interfered with her" as a euphemism for "raped his daughter" though.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Discuss any past or future projects here!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Sarah Lancashire has a new show called Kiri. There is a new forum for it here so come over and join us!

[AllAboutMBTV]

San Francisco's KQED will be airing Happy Valley S1 starting May 3. I'm assuming they'll show S2 at some point. Even though I've seen both seasons (thanks, Netflix!) I'm looking forward to seeing it again. Since it's on at 8:00, I hope PBS doesn't edit it for content (or time, like it does Call The Midwife).

[atlantaloves]

She is so good in this, and gal who plays her sister, actually looks like her sister, hell, she looks exactly LIKE HER. Wonderful series, just discovered it on Netflix, kept me up all night, but I am retired and can do whatever I want. Going to watch Series 2 this weekend! Love love love this series. There is nothing better than a British lady cop! The new series Collateral is fantastic too, it is on netflix right now. 

[applecrisp]

On 9/13/2014 at 6:03 PM, charming said:

I stumbled upon this on Netflix and was hooked from the first few minutes. It was totally enthralling and I watched every episode on a Saturday morning/afternoon. I felt like it fell apart a bit the last two episodes. I agree with every spoiled plot point above but it didn't stop my overall enjoyment.

 

I was very impressed with Sarah Lancashire as Catherine and George Costigan as Nevison Gallagher. The rich Dad could have easily been stereotypical and one dimensional but wasn't. When Catherine 

  Hide contents

found the dead body of the young female police officer

I was gutted. That entire sequence was so well done and haunting. Also loved the direction of the

  Hide contents

fumbling accountants wife. Wow, what a shrew schemer she turned out to be. It reminded me of Bridget Fonda's character in a great 90's movie called A Simple Plan.

 

One thing I was curious about was the revelation that her daughter had a

  Hide contents

consensual relationship with Tommy? So she wasn't raped? Why did she commit suicide? The brother said she was out of control and liked him? I didn't really understand that because liking someone doesn't mean you want to have sex with them.

Yes so much like A Simple Plan.  I really liked that look and movie.

[kieyra]

I have no goddamned idea how I missed this, but Sally Wainwright scored the post Game of Thrones timeslot with her new series on HBO. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentleman_Jack_(TV_series)

Starts tonight.

Edited April 21, 2019 by kieyra

[kieyra]

Can’t edit that last post, but obviously I was wrong about it being after GoT.

Of course, being on Mondays not Sundays, it has the momentum of Chernobyl behind it, if lead-in shows even translate to ratings anymore.

[EarlGreyTea]

On 8/22/2017 at 8:48 PM, Pogojoco said:

I love Ryan and how he's kind of a shit. I love the relationship between Catherine and Clare. James Norton is sinister, but the charm of him is still there- maybe it's his charisma. It's so well written and so well acted. I love this show.

I recently binged this show again after having first seen it in 2016. Since then, I have seen the first series of Grantchester and I am blown away by how credibly James Norton is able to slip into both Tommy Lee Royce and Sidney Chambers. Hell, he even has the dead behind the eyes expression down on this show, contrasted with  total warmth and vulnerability on Grantchester.

But on rewatch of Happy Valley, I have to agree that Norton's innate charm seems to seep in, as much as he may try to hide it in this show. It seems to manifest itself in this show as a sinister charisma, as you said. This may be my own massive crush on James Norton making me biased.

Anyway, I don't think we'll ever see a third series of this show. It's been so long and the cast is scattered everywhere. And Sally Wainwright is busy with Gentleman Jack. I would be interested if they go whole hog by waiting a few more years until Ryan is a teenager and have the third series be about what he gets up to.

Edited February 5, 2020 by EarlGreyTea

[zoey1996]

On 4/2/2016 at 8:52 PM, zxy556575 said:

I mostly am in awe about how different James Norton is in this than Grantchester. A lot of actors trot out their own personal idiosyncrasies for every character, but he's unrecognizable.

He is awesome in this show and in Grantchester.  Very different roles, and yet so well done.

On 4/2/2016 at 8:42 PM, mansonlamps said:

This show is so great, I agree with the poster that said it was their favorite over Broadchurch The Fall and all the rest . The young actor who plays Ryan was really good this season too. And evil Molesley!

I really liked Unforgotten, as well.  And John/Moseley - that's where I recognized him from!  I kept thinking how familiar he seemed!

I'm 3 episodes in on Series 2 - so trying not to read spoilers here.  It is so good - and about to disappear from Netflix.  It says available until March 16, so I'm anxious to finish it.

[Valny]

On 3/6/2020 at 1:34 PM, zoey1996 said:

 It is so good - and about to disappear from Netflix.  It says available until March 16, so I'm anxious to finish it.

Oh no really?!! It's probably my favorite series on Netflix along Wentworth and not having it around anymore even though I've seen it about 5 times is going to be a bummer. I've recommended it to so many friends and all have loved it. I just told someone of Facebook the other day and she thanked me for the rec.  Crap, I liked seeing it still pop up  under "watch again"...and I just might.    

[zoey1996]

On 5/15/2017 at 7:02 PM, LeGrandElephant said:

Also, as a practical matter, it seems disingenuous that Catherine kept insisting Ryan would have gone to care (foster care) if she hadn't raised him. Surely healthy white infants are in just as much demand for adoption in the UK as in the US? Unless there was some concern about him not being adoptable if his father wasn't known, but she never mentioned that. I think its fine if she wanted to raise him as part of her own family, but it doesn't seem likely that he really would have languished in the system otherwise. 

A family member and her husband, both UK citizens who live in England, had a two-year old placed with them for adoption.  The child was removed from the home around 6 weeks old, and was with foster parents until she was two.  So I can see why Catherine was afraid he'd go in the system; it can take time before a child can be placed with adoptive parents, and being in law enforcement, she'd likely know how it would work.

Just finished Series 2, which I liked every bit as much as Series 1.   

[kieyra]

Hah, I’m skimming through the most recent episode of the new season of Last Tango in Halifax (skimming because the show doesn’t click well for me), and they just made a reference to a “sergeant Cawood” and what a badass she is. 

(For context, same writer/showrunner, same lead actress, apparently now the same universe!)

I hope that’s a tease for another season of HV, but I’ll watch another season of Gentleman Jack or whatever I can get my hands on. 

[Valny]

On 3/8/2020 at 5:23 PM, zoey1996 said:

Just finished Series 2, which I liked every bit as much as Series 1.   

I just finished S2 also,and while I think S1 is excellent and not quite as good as S2, I did think I enjoyed it more on this second go round. The B story of the detective who killed his girlfriend was quite good and the actor did such a great job showing just in his facial acting his nervousness and anxiety with what he'd done and trying to play it cool at the same time. 

Since HV is leaving Netflix, I bought the S1 dvds right away! 

[kieyra]

Happy Valley to return for a third series - with big news for Gentleman Jack too

Quote

Happy Valley comes from the prolific Sally Wainwright who is also famous for Last Tango in Halifax and Gentleman Jack. Sally, who was awarded in an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, said: “I’m writing Happy Valley three now, that is the next thing on the list. 

“I’ve only just started, I’m getting all the research together but we have got some good storylines in mind."

 

[dargosmydaddy]

Woohoo! That just made my day.

[Valny]

3 hours ago, kieyra said:

Happy Valley to return for a third series - with big news for Gentleman Jack too

 

Ooh thanks for that link. I love both shows, but it's nice to see some movement on Happy Valley. Sally is a busy lady.Can't wait!

[NotChristine]

Season 3 will be the final season, will air on AMC+ in US & Canada

Edited October 26, 2021 by NotChristine

[CharlizeCat]

This is Christmas, Easter, and my birthday all wrapped in one! So excited!