Happy Valley Series 2

One thing is puzzling me, Tommy Lee in prison got post that had obviously been 'censored' by the staff and then handed to him. Would they allow post from his son Ryan given the circumstances?

All letters are censored for prisoners.

Re the TA and DBS check etc. Of course the only real and effective member of the police force is Catherine, the rest don't know their a... from their elbow! So anything could happen! I assume in the next series she will be single handedly tackling the Polish mafia that was mentioned. The rest will just stand and watch!

Roses I did say his post had been censored.

jalima the whole of the final scenes with John were funny, in a subversive kind of way, imho. Firstly, he drives down a dead end, then he sets off down the tracks with Catherjne and pc plod in hot pursuit, then pc plod falls flat on his face. Having seemingly run for miles, he ends up bang in front of the police station on a bridge being talked down by a copper who fluffs the suicide prevention speech. All a bit Charlie Chaplinesque. Not sure if it was meant to be funny.

And shouldn't the traffic have been stopped?

The letter to his dad from Ryan ought to have been stopped by the prison censor. My real life experience (work wise) was that in reality, the prison censor fails on a regular basis to stop letters that shouldn't be going out or in because of child protection issues. I worked with one little girl whose father (he'd sexually abused her) managed to get letters out of prison to her, via a relative, despite stringent attempts by myself, her mother, probation etc etc to stop this.

The number of detectives was because a murder squad made up of CID from various other local areas had been assembled in Hebden as a result of a serial killer.

The final scenes with John were classic weren't they. Pathos, tragedy, dark humour - glorious!

It was great.

I was waiting for the advice phone number at the end, in case I had been affected personally , but I imagine they couldn't decide which problem to help with first.

Ne'then Lully Dully, don't be facetious, it were a fair representation of life int'valley.

Wonderful last episode, with Catherine wondering if Ryan would turn out like Tommy Lee when he grew up ( I assume.)

Just watched it on catch up...brilliant drama.. look forward to series 3 fingers crossed.

Going to have a ride to Hebden in the better weather, need to find the locations where they filmed.

The number of detectives was because a murder squad made up of CID from various other local areas had been assembled in Hebden as a result of a serial killer.
Of course Iam - and, if it is like our own nearly empty police station, there would be plenty of room for staff to assemble there when serious crimes have been committed.

That final scene with John was a classic, like something from a black comedy sketch show!

I think we can all pick out faults in whatever drama etc we watch..bit like your Holby City/Casualty etc etc ...but I enjoyed the drama as I'm sure many others did, if you don't think outside the box too much, at least it was filmed on location in real actual places that do exist and not in cardboard cut out land like Coronation street etc...although I'm sure some of the scenes were perhaps built specially.
All programs will have their critics.

I would love another series of "Mistresses"

Yes, a while ago! Would have to recast I think!

You mean Coronation Street's NOT A REAL PLACE!!!!!

Of course it is, Greyduster. I've been there, even drunk a pint in the Rovers.

we can all pick out faults in whatever drama etc we watch..bit like your Holby City/Casualty etc etc
Casualty was better when it was filmed in Bristol (the new hospital looks like legoland or a Morrison's warehouse).

I know, but some mistakes do irritate and distract from the nitty gritty

I have finally had time to watch the last epidsode. It was brilliant.
I rather thought that John Wadsworth would probably top himself one way or another. He really had no way out.

The odd bit about John trying to tell Catherine how to talk down a potential suicide was rather bizarre but the sort of surreal conversation that sometimes goes on in impossibly stressfull circumstances.

Now compare this well acted, well written drama of Happy Valley with the cliche ridden "Cuffs" police drama. I watched one episode of that and gave up. Well done again BBC

Jalima you don't need a detective squad, just one dedicated police officer like Catherine-all crimes will be solved, people arrested and support and counselling provided. OMG you don't think this series is a subversive way of persuading us that police numbers can safely be cut do you?

No

trisher
Don't forget the intuitive PCSO Ann!!

I thought Happy Valley was grim but very gripping and well acted. I thought Cuffs was very good too and I'm sorry it's not being re-commissioned.

Jalima Together they may be the answer to all major crime. Bit like Batman and Robin really

It's amazing how something so grim, and filmed in mostly bleak surroundings can be so entertaining.

It was gripping and very well done. Bring on Series 3, but as others have mentioned, what major crimes will Catherine have to solve then? Poor woman must be totally traumatised, given she has stumbled across so many dead bodies and been 'lead copper' in solving all the mysteries in the area. It's no wonder she doesn't move her lips when she speaks - she must be exhausted.

It would be rather nice to see her smiling, letting her hair down and enjoying family life for a change, but would she lose something by becoming a smiley, middle aged woman? She never worries about buying bread, what's for dinner, doing the Lottery, putting her feet up in front of the telly with a bottle of wine, etc. I know she had a night out with colleagues but she had to be drunk before she loosened up. She seems to be on-call all the time, even when she's not. She and her sister always have 'serious' conversations too. Poor Ryan. Never mind his Dad, he's likely to be badly affected later by the down in the mouth, preoccupied, older women in his life who never seem to do cuddles or happy bedtimes.

I suppose if the writer gave her more facets/dimensions the general darkness of the series would be lost. (Oh and when I discuss this with others we have to remind ourselves it's only TV drama! )