*Warning: Contains spoilers for Happy Valley series three, episode six.*
Happy Valley’s final episode aired on Sunday night, and viewers were not disappointed, as the beloved BBC drama ended after three seasons and nine years.
The exciting Yorkshire-set show’s climax saw detective Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) and criminal Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) finally meet when the critically-injured psychopath stormed into Catherine’s house.
People are already calling for the show to win the Baftas after seeing Tommy (Rhys Connah), who had planned to set fire to the house, change his mind – including killing Catherine – after seeing photos of his son Ryan (Rhys Connah) with his mother, Catherine’s daughter Becky, and realising he has been given a good life.
Instead, he douses himself in gasoline and sets himself on fire, bringing the story full circle as Catherine attempts to persuade him not to, just as she did with another criminal in the first episode back in 2014.
Their final confrontation also coincides with Catherine’s final day as a police officer before retiring, with her risking her life to put Tommy out before reconciling with her estranged sister Clare (Siobhan Finneran) outside – where she tells her in a magnificent understatement that she and TLR had another’bit of a tussle’ which she ‘won, obviously’.
Tommy subsequently dies after falling into a coma, and Catherine receives the news through text message while visiting her daughter’s grave.
As the concert came to a close, audience members praised it, calling it’sublime’ and ‘wonderful’ as Happy Valley wrapped up all of its loose ends.
There was also a lot of buzz about Lancashire and Norton’s performances, as well as Sally Wainwright’s writing.
‘Tonight, Sarah Lancashire delivered her final masterpiece in Happy Valley. From start to finish, she did not disappoint. This lady is magnificent,’ enthused one fan.
‘Give Sarah Lancashire all the awards. #HappyValleyFinale undoubtedly one of the most outstanding dramas of all time,’ wrote another.
Anothr added: ‘Sarah Lancashire has just delivered one of the greatest performances in television history. Extraordinary.’
Musing on some of the show’s already-iconic dialogue, screenwriter James Topham shared: ‘“We’ve had another bit of a tussle. I won” was Shakespearean.’
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Others were debating potential TV Bafta award victories for the actors and the show as a whole.
The show’s cast was guaranteed appointment viewing of the specially-extended final episode, despite not knowing how it would end.
Neil actor Con O’Neill, on the other hand, hinted that it would deliver the goods, saying, ‘When I read the screenplay for the last episode, it blew my mind.’
He added: ‘Sally has written an extraordinary ending to this show.’
The British public seemed to agree!
Happy Valley is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.