Happy Valley ending explained: What happened in the BBC series?
AFTER three series, Happy Valley finally came to a dramatic end.
The last episode draws a close to the long-running conflict between Catherine Cawood and Tommy Lee Royce in an intense final showdown.
What happened at the end of Happy Valley?
Warning: Contains spoilers.
The final episode finishes with Catherine (played by Sarah Lancashire) heading off travelling following her retirement from the police force.
But before that, on her last day on the job she had been involved in one last huge confrontation with the man responsible for turning her world upside down.
Viewers saw Tommy (played by James Norton) breaking into Catherine’s home after escaping prison and fleeing from the gang he used to be associated with.
However, by the time he reached her house, he was too physically wounded to attack her.
The scene then cuts to the pair throwing insults at each other in a final meeting.
Catherine then reads him his rights, arresting him for escaping custody while waiting for the police backup to arrive.
Tommy opens up about how he had hoped his son Ryan would run away with him to Marbella after visiting him in prison.
But his son admitted to police he had spoken to his dad online and told his gran (Catherine) he didn’t want to go away with him.
With a taser in her hand, Catherine told Tommy: “I’m glad he (Ryan) has been able to make up his own mind.
“He knows you are just a f**ked up, frightened, damaged, deluded, nasty little toddler brain in a big man’s body.
“What I’ve seen really clearly these last few days is how much he is nothing like you. I have worried for long enough.”
Tommy surprisingly responded by saying: “Know this, I had some options last night. I had a can of petrol and a box of matches. And it did occur to me that I could burn your house down and all the s*** in it.
“But I decided not to do that. And you know why? Next time you’re thinking all this nasty b***ocks about me.
“I were looking at the pictures of Becky and Ryan. His whole life from when he were a baby…I realised what a nice life he has had. What a nice life you’ve given him.
“I hated you for not telling me I had a boy. But last night I had a glimpse of what a nice life he has had.
“And I don’t hate you anymore. I forgive you. I’m sorry I didn’t treat Becky any better.”
Despite Tommy’s apparent forgiveness, the emotion did not move Catherine.
Before the other police had time to arrive, Tommy then covered himself in petrol stating that the taser would no longer work and that he was going to kill himself.
He then set himself on fire, while Catherine attempted to put out the flames with a blanket and was seen leaving the house before breaking into tears.
The episode then ended with Catherine going to the grave of her daughter, who had been raped by Tommy Lee Royce.
She then kissed the headstone before receiving a text saying Tommy had died in the hospital as she walked back to her van.
What is Happy Valley about?
Happy Valley is a crime drama TV series, set and filmed in the Calder Valley, West Yorkshire.
The series sees protagonist Catherine Cawood, a strong-willed police sergeant still coming to terms with her daughter’s suicide.
But just as she seems to be getting her life back together, she spots Tommy Lee Royce, the man she believes is responsible for raping her daughter.
How many episodes of Happy Valley are there?
There are six episodes in Happy Valley’s third and final series.
All episodes and the previous two seasons are available to watch on catch-up on BBC iPlayer.