Happy Valley has officially come to an end, and although we’ll never truly be ready to say goodbye to our favourite northern copper, played by Sarah Lancashire, fans were left in awe of her incredible final performance.
The end of the BBC drama on Sunday night drew in 7.5 million people, making it the most-viewed television show of the year so far.
And if you’ve watched it already, you’ll understand why people have been totally enthralled by it.
The no-nonsense police sergeant from Lancashire, who frequently juggles a pile of family drama alongside her efforts to apprehend West Yorkshire’s most heinous offenders, has captivated viewers since the very first episode of the BBC show, way back in 2014.
One spectator praised it as “possibly the best drama finale ever” after a whopping nine years on our screens. And we have to admit, it is so nice to have everything resolved once and for all.
There was a lot to wrap up in just over an hour, but the show’s writer, Sally Wainwright managed to do the show justice.
And it’s mostly thanks to Sarah Lancashire’s incredible performance and her character’s ongoing feud with Tommy Lee Royce.
In this third and final season, Wainwright gave us a conclusion that was both satisfying and thought-provoking. Because we couldn’t help but feel a tiny bit sorry for Tommy Lee Royce for a split second during their last confrontation.
Over the course of three seasons, Royce has been a vile criminal with no redeeming qualities, and everything came to a head in the sentimental finale.
It ended in one last, violent showdown between Royce (James Norton) and Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) and it was better than we could have ever imagined.
Fans are sharing their thoughts on Lancashire’s performance, with one tweeting: “Working in film and TV I have heard producers say repeatedly no one wants women 40+ in lead, no one wants to fund regional female voices, no one wants to hear women be vulgar and swear. #HappyValley has proven every f***ing one wrong. Viva La Sally Wainwright and Sarah Lancashire.”
While another wrote: “We all know Sally Wainwright’s a genius, but playing with the viewers’ emotions to the point we almost felt some sympathy for Tommy Lee Royce during that final confrontation was a masterstroke. And his realisation that Catherine gave Ryan a nice life was so powerful.”
“All I can say is that #SarahLancashire should win EVERY award going for her absolutely riveting and stunning performance in #HappyValley. I went through every emotion with her – her performance was exceptional,” a third added.
Another penned: “Just goes to show when you have Actors like #SarahLancashire #Jamesnorton how you don’t need all guns blazing just the words delivered in such a powerful way it makes you emotional with admiration….#HappyValleyFinale.”
After so long waiting to see if Sergeant Catherine Cawood would finally get her happy ending and retire with her Land Rover, fans can finally rest assured that she made her peace.
