Happy Valley series 3 continued with episode 3 this week, and we’re still reeling from Catherine and Clare’s emotional confrontation – here’s our review.
Actors Sarah Lancashire and Siobhan Finneran deserve ALL the awards for their portrayals of Catherine and Clare respectively.
In the latest instalment (Sunday, January 15, 2023), Catherine was tormented by devastating visions of her dead daughter Becky.
And we discovered that there are aliens in Halifax…
Well, not really, but it was a bit of light relief amongst the tension!
Here are the six burning questions we want answered in next week’s instalment of Happy Valley on BBC One.
***Warning: spoilers from episode 3 of Happy Valley ahead***
Happy Valley series 3 episode 3 review: Who is the man who handed Tommy the envelope 18 months ago?
As Happy Valley series 3 continued, viewers finally saw Ryan and his dad Tommy Lee Royce together.
And it was uncomfortable viewing.
Ryan is obviously crying out for a father figure, and Tommy is playing a very clever game.
We barely recognised the smiling Tommy, who seemed genuinely interested in his son Ryan’s life.
We discovered that Ryan has been writing to Tommy since he was 10 years old, thanks to Tommy’s deluded ex-fiancée Frances Drummond (Shirley Henderson) who put them in contact.
But 18 months ago, a mystery man approached Ryan and handed him an envelope.
Inside the envelope, Ryan found a note asking him to visit Tommy, and giving him the address of his new jail in Sheffield.
So who is this man who Tommy knows on the outside?
Is he an ex-con Tommy met in prison, who has now been released?
And, perhaps more importantly, is this mystery man a threat to Catherine?
If Tommy has a man on the outside to do his bidding, he could also get him to hurt Catherine.
Will Catherine ever forgive Clare?
Catherine is devastated that her sister Clare betrayed her.
For a year, Clare has been lying to Catherine about taking Ryan to visit his dad in prison – against his gran’s wishes.
And, with good reason!
Catherine and Clare’s relationship is one of the most compelling reasons for watching the BBC One series.
So can Catherine ever forgive her sister for betraying her?
Happy Valley series 3 episode 3 review: Will Ryan keep visiting Tommy?
Catherine has given Ryan an ultimatum – if he doesn’t stop visiting Tommy in jail, he can’t live with her anymore.
Frankly, we’re baffled as to why he wants to have a relationship with his dad.
But, in Happy Valley series 3 episode 3, Ryan tells PE teacher Rob Hepworth that he’d “feel bad” if he stopped meeting with his dad.
Will Ryan put Tommy before his grandma Catherine?
And, if so, will Catherine remain close to Ryan despite kicking him out?
Why has Rob Hepworth done a total U-turn?
In episode 1 and 2 of Happy Valley, games teacher Rob Hepworth was a vile human being.
He bullied his student Ryan, and clearly had it in for him.
Something we just couldn’t understand.
Of course, we know that he also abuses his own wife Joanna Hepworth.
However, Rob appeared to do a total U-turn in Happy Valley series 3 episode 3.
He offered Ryan a shoulder to cry on when he heard about his problems at home.
But everything about Rob gives us the ick, and we don’t trust him one bit.
What are his intentions towards Ryan?
Happy Valley series 3 episode 3 review: Has Faisal killed Joanna?
Dodgy pharmacist Faisal Bhatti lost his temper with Joanna Hepworth in dramatic scenes at the end of the episode.
Viewers know he’s been supplying his neighbour with illegal drugs for money.
At the thought of being exposed, Faisal lashed out at Joanna.
He grabbed the nearest heavy object – a rolling pin – and bashed her with it.
The camera ominously panned in to her face, where we saw her eyelids flickering and her eyes rolling to the back of her head.
A panicked Faisal then approached Joanna with a needle filled with air… If injected into her bloodstream, this would kill her.
Has Faisal killed Joanna? And, if so, will he get away with it? Or will the police suspect her husband Rob?
Who is Viktor?
Anthony Flanagan reappeared as Viktor in Happy Valley series 3 episode 3.
He made a fleeting appearance in episode 1, too.
Eagled-eyed viewers will have seen him driving a black SUV which Matija Jankovic (Jack Bandeira) and Ivan (Oliver Huntingdon) disappeared into at the end of episode 1, after threatening pharmacist Faisal Bhatti.
In episode 3, he is clearly higher up in the food chain than Matija and Ivan.
He orders Matija and Ivan to kill Joseph, the man connected to the death of the blind girl in the apartment who threw herself out of the window.
Of course, viewers saw police – including Catherine – get to Joseph first.
Actor Anthony, 50, is clearly playing a villain.
But what is his role in the organised crime ring, and how is he connected to the Knezevic family?
Could he be the brother or associate of baddie Darius Knezevic?
Perhaps we’ll find out next week!
Read more: Happy Valley season 3: Fans all have same theories about Clare’s partner Neil
Happy Valley continues with episode 4 on Sunday, January 22, 2023 at 9pm on BBC One.
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