The epic confrontation between sisters Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) and Clare (Siobhan Finneran) teased in last week‘s episode has finally arrived and…it’s brutal.
As soon as Catherine avoided speaking to Clare so that she could confront her sister in the middle of a lie as she and boyfriend Neil (Con O’Neill) took Ryan (Rhys Connah) to the prison, it was clear that the gloves were coming off. Considering last week’s cliffhanger, it’s something of a relief that S03E03 picks up right where we left off.
Considering what follows is “only” a conversation between characters, it’s a testament to both actors – as well as writer (and series creator) Sally Wainwright – just how tense this encounter is. Clare doesn’t really even defend herself; in part because she’s flustered, but mostly because she knows she’s in the wrong.
Catherine doesn’t help matters. It’s clear that the police sergeant – always so proud – has no interest in actually understanding what compelled Clare to take Ryan on these trips to see his convicted felon father, Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton). In Catherine’s mind, the only thing that matters is that she’s been lied to and betrayed by Clare.
The same sentiment applies, albeit to a lesser extent, when she speaks to Ryan later. Not only does she not try to understand what’s driving him, she fails to empathize with his position as a curious sixteen year old who doesn’t know his father. Instead Catherine reduces a murky, morally grey situation into a black and white, open and shut case: if Ryan sees Royce again, he can’t live with her anymore.
It’s incredibly reactive and stubborn. Catherine can’t separate the raw emotions she feels about Royce and what happened to her daughter (justifiably so), but the way she lashes out at those she claims to love is so damaging. She’s willing to turn her back on lifelong relationships rather than listen or consider the position of others. She’s clearly being unreasonable; to such an extent that I found myself bemoaning her responses and even crying out “Oh Catherine, no!” at several points throughout the episode.
The fact that none of this feels like manufactured drama or even out of character for her, however, just goes to show that Sgt Cawood is a complicated, fully realized character. Catherine truly is an iconic character, brought to life by Lancashire in a once-in-a-lifetime performance.
In other Happy Valley subplots, things take a pretty dark turn with Ryan’s soccer coach Rob Hepworth (Mark Stanley), his wife Joanna (Mollie Winnard), and pharmacist Faisal Bhatti (Amit Shah). Last episode, Joanna proposed to Faisal that they kill Rob under the auspices that Rob knew who had supplied her with diazepam. Faisal ultimately agrees here – mostly out of sheer desperation – but before they proceed, Joanna admits her lie.
This and her physical push ultimately propels Faisal over the edge and, in a moment of incredibly visceral violence, he beats her to death with a rolling pin. It’s difficult to watch, despite the fact that directors Patrick Hawkins and Wainwright don’t film the murder in exploitative fashion.
It’s simply two down-trodden characters who have been driven to the brink who ultimately turn on each other. It’s sad and upsetting, especially considering that Catherine is literally calling to check on Joanna at the exact same moment that Faisal is killing her.
Other Observations:
- Speaking of ironic and coincidental overlaps, petty criminals Matija Jankovic (Jack Bandeira) and Ivan Sertic (Oliver Huntingdon) wind up attracting Catherine’s attention because they keep driving around the block near Catherine’s sting operation. She winds up asking Ann (Charlie Murphy) to make a note of their license plate, though it seems like Ann might forget to call it in given how chaotic the scene is.
- It’s unclear if the jokey subplot about the Alien Liaison will pay off or not. It’s amusing, certainly, but it also feels superfluous considering how many other storylines are going on.
Happy Valley airs Mondays on BBC America, AMC+ and Acorn TV