With the final episode of Happy Valley nearly upon us, there’s been no shortage of social media sleuths making their predictions for how the show - arguably one of the greatest British TV dramas ever made - will wrap things up.
**SPOILERS AHEAD - LOOK AWAY NOW IF YOU'RE NOT UP TO DATE ON HAPPY VALLEY**
With Sgt Catherine Cawood’s impending retirement drawing ever closer and Tommy Lee Royce now on the run, not to mention a body in a suitcase, there’s certainly still a lot of loose ends to tie up.
These are the fan theories for how it will all go down...
Alison has an important role to play
Alison Garrs (Susan Lynch) played a big role in season two - but so far in season three has very much been a background character with a few seemingly inconsequential interactions. But nothing in Happy Valley is incidental, so could Alison have been brought back to play a pivotal role in the last episode?
One viewer shared their theory on Reddit: 'I've said all along that I think she’s [Alison] going to play an integral in the finale. She’s a big star and to have her back as a background character is not why she’s there. She wasn’t listed in last night's episode. BUT… She is listed as being on next week’s finale.
'There’s going to be some kind of payback, in terms of her sacrificing herself to save Catherine I think, kind of in the same way that Catherine saved her by not judging her and just holding her on the doorstep after Alison had shot her son, and making herself available for Alison when she came out of prison.'
Will Alison die protecting Tommy from Catherine during their inevitable showdown?
Catherine will kill Tommy Lee Royce
Let’s start with what fans think will happen to the baddest baddie of all time – Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) who made his escape from the gallows (as it were) in episode four, riding off into the sunset in a delivery rider’s uniform after an improbably elaborate getaway from the Greater Leeds Crown Court just as he was about to be sentenced.
The show’s creator Sally Wainwright has confirmed that the final episodes will see ‘a very big face-to-face showdown’, promising in a Radio Times interview we could expect ‘the kind of cathartic showdown that people have waited for’ – and lots viewers are convinced that, should this showdown lead to a death, it’ll be Tommy who’ll kick the bucket.
In a poll conducted by The Radio Times, over 40% of participants expect that karma will finally catch up with Tommy for the heinous crimes he’s committed over his crime career, including the rape of Catherine’s daughter Becky, the murder of police officer Kirsten McAskill and the abduction of Ann Gallagher in series one.
And it seems viewers are hopeful he’ll meet his end at the hands of Catherine herself, with one person tweeting, ‘Catherine will take Tommy out, with the perfect Thelma and Louise ending.’
Catherine AND Tommy will die
For every viewer anticipating the restoration of justice in the grieving mother’s life, there’s a whole load who fear it may be her that meets her end in the final episodes – if not both of them.
‘If Catherine gets killed by Tommy we riot,’ said one.
‘#Happyvalley Calling it now…’ predicted another. ‘That retirement collection pot will be used at her funeral. Her and Tommy both getting killed off in the last episode.’
Catherine's brother in law Neil could be Tommy's DAD
Shopkeeper and recovering alcoholic Neil's role has taken on more gravitas this series, and dedicated fans have been joining up the dots and are now starting to suspect that Claire's husband could be more than he seems. Namely, the possibility that he could in fact be Tommy's biological father.
One viewer took to Twitter to write 'Calling it now I thin Neil is Tommy's dad or they used to work together.'
Another argued that the link might not be quite so close but wrote, 'I don't think they are father/son. However, Neil seemed rather intimidated by TLR, and there's also that text message that referenced the newsagents and Neil seems to be the connection.'
Some viewers have also pointed out that Neil may be the reason Tommy knew Ryan's gamer ID (as Ryan mentions he doesn't remember telling Tommy what it was). Who else is a gamer? Neil.
Faisal will frame Rob Hepworth for Joanna's murder
Last night's episode proved Faisal's hapless act to be just that - an act - when a confrontation with Rob Hepworth showed how underhand he was capable of being. While coercive husband Rob is the prime suspect for Joanna Hepworth's murder, viewers know she was actually killed at the hands of her diazepam dealer Faisal after he feared she would expose his corrupt business model - but there's every likelihood he'll be getting away with murder.
'Look, all I'm saying is that I'm not against a slight miscarriage of justice if Rob Hepworth gets nicked for Joanna's murder and Faisal lives to fight another day. #happyvalley,' tweeted one viewer.