Happy Valley episode 2 was another cracking hour of TV – and those final scenes between Catherine and her sister Clare were as tense as drama gets.
Viewers watched with mouths agape as Catherine followed her sister and partner Neil as they accompanied Ryan to visit his dad Tommy in jail.
I mean we love Clare, we really do, but WHY?
Our hearts were broken by Clare’s apparent betrayal, and Catherine’s broken trust.
Here are all the burning questions we have after watching episode 2 of Happy Valley series 3.
***Warning: spoilers from episode 2 of Happy Valley series 3 ahead***
Why has Clare taken Ryan to see Tommy Lee Royce in prison?
Clare has to be one of the sweetest characters in Happy Valley, a series mostly full of tough cookies or criminals.
So we just can’t understand why she would go against her sister Catherine’s wishes and take Ryan to see his dad in jail.
Yes, we know Tommy Lee Royce is Ryan’s dad.
But he’s a murderer, a rapist, and just a horribly vile human who head butt his own mother unconscious in series 1 of the BBC drama.
Let’s not forget he even planned to set fire to his own son in a joint murder-suicide as revenge on Catherine at the end of series 1, too.
It’s exactly why he’s such a good TV villain – especially now he has taken on this “Christ-like” persona with the long hair, and facial scars.
Frankly, we can’t think of one good reason why Clare would take Ryan.
Is she being forced to take him, as Catherine (Sarah Lancashire) fears?
We hate the thought of Ryan being anywhere near that psychopath.
Happy Valley episode 2: What revenge is Tommy planning to take?
Tommy is clearly plotting something; you can tell from his smug face.
Now he has a burner phone (see below), Tommy is able to contact the outside world.
Will he use his underworld connections to hurt Catherine?
Or does he plan to use Ryan (Rhys Connah) in a bid to get the ultimate revenge on his nemesis?
We know he’s already halfway there – Ryan has been visiting Tommy in prison for a year.
That’s surely a sign that Ryan wants a relationship with his dad… Unless, of course, Tommy is threatening to hurt Catherine if Ryan doesn’t visit.
Anything is possible in the warped mind of TLR.
Could Tommy (James Norton) hurt Ryan just to get one up on Catherine? Or could he be planning his escape?
Twice in Happy Valley series 3, Ryan has said: “Revenge is a dish best served cold.”
Are these Tommy’s words in Ryan’s 16-year-old mouth?
We dread to think.
Why does Tommy need a burner phone?
Tommy acquired a burner phone in Happy Valley episode 2, but what is he planning to do with it?
And, more importantly, who is contacting him on it?
As soon as he turned the device on, a message read: “Ricos Newsagents GR8 presents for Ryan.”
What does the message mean, and who does Tommy have on the outside?
Could he be communicating with organised crime boss Darius Knežević, who is most likely linked to the murder Tommy is about to stand trial for?
Tommy certainly doesn’t have any friends left, or is there another deluded ‘fiancée’ waiting in the wings?
Happy Valley episode 2: Is Ryan going to end up like his dad?
Ryan has always had a temper.
Remember in series 1 and 2, when Catherine was often called into the school by teachers about Ryan’s aggressive behaviour.
Catherine has previously spoken of her deepest, darkest fears – that Ryan might just turn out a wrong’un like his dad.
Although Ryan seems like a typical 16-year-old schoolboy at this point, there are signs of a temper.
Even Clare (Siobhan Finneran) questioned whether he was a “repulsive little shit” during Happy Valley episode 2.
Is he capable of doing something criminal?
Frankly, we wouldn’t blame him for lashing out at his bully games teacher Mr Hepworth, though.
Will Catherine get her happy ending?
Catherine is months away from retiring.
She plans to “drive to the Himalayas” in her new SUV.
But would she really leave her grandson Ryan, the only connection she has left with her dead daughter?
Or will circumstances make it impossible for Catherine to leave?
We’re pretty sure Tommy will, at some point in the future, try to kill Catherine.
But, hell, we’re almost certain he won’t succeed.
That is NOT the ending Happy Valley viewers want.
How is the organised crime storyline going to end?
In series 1, the action centred around the kidnap of Ann Gallagher (played by Charlie Murphy).
Series 2 followed Catherine as she investigated the deaths of local prostitutes in the area.
Now series 3 is focused on organised crime.
Of course, somehow each case is linked to Tommy Lee Royce.
However, this time, we are so invested in the triangle between Ryan, Tommy and Catherine, the other plot almost seems to get in the way.
We know a young girl was most likely thrown or took her own life from a 4th floor window – leaving wads of cash in her flat suggesting she was being “cuckooed”.
Line of Duty fans might remember the term being used in the BBC series, too, to describe when criminals force others to hide their loot.
Meanwhile, of course, Joanna is emotionally blackmailing Faisal into helping her kill husband Rob, and Faisal in turn is under pressure to “sort out” Joanna.
Will Faisal kill Joanna before she gets to kill Rob? Or will Faisal kill both Joanna and Rob as they know he’s been selling pharmaceutical drugs illegally.
Happy Valley episode 2: Why does Rob Hepworth’s daughter always wear a coat?
Rob Hepworth is all levels of wrong.
A teacher with that kind of aggressive attitude should never be allowed around kids.
He’s abusive to his wife, virtually ignores his own daughters Florence and Poppy, and seems hellbent on torturing Ryan Cawood.
We’re not sure why the PE teacher seems to hate Ryan so much, although his wife Joanna suggested he likes to tear people down before “building them up again”.
But why Ryan?
Anybody else think Rob drew on his own car to get Ryan in trouble?
In the meantime, Rob’s youngest daughter has not been seen without her coat on.
Our worst fears are that Rob is hurting her too – after all, Joanna has bruises all up her arm.
So why is the little girl refusing to take off her coat? Please someone get her out of that nightmare house.
Watch Happy Valley episode 3 on Sunday, January 15, 2023 at 9pm on BBC One.
What do you think Tommy Lee Royce is plotting? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix.