Everything the director of Happy Valley has said about the ‘rollercoaster’ season finale

‘The ending is really satisfying’


Happy Valley is coming to an end this week and according to the show’s director, we are set for a verrryyy explosive episode. Okay so let’s do a quick recap with where we are at. Tommy Lee Royce has escaped and is in contact with Ryan. Catherine is aware of Tommy being out and is prepared to do anything to keep her family safe. Ryan, Catherine, Clare and Neil are all staying at Nevison’s house.

The pharmacist thinks he has gotten away with murdering Rob Hepworth’s wife and those two blokes blackmailing him are knocking around somewhere. Tommy is preparing for a new life in Spain with Ryan and has a new passport for both of them. But of course he can’t leave without ending things between himself and Catherine and has asked Darius to get him a gun. They have so much to wrap up in one episode but based on what the director has said, that’ll all come to a close.

Now, let’s get into the finale and everything the show’s director has said about it.

‘The finale is an absolute rollercoaster’

Fergus O’Brien says the show’s finale is “an absolute rollercoaster.” But that’s not all Fergus said, he said the final episode “picks you up, and just flings you around and slaps you against the wall and slaps you in the face and wallops you across the room.”

Speaking on a podcast, Fergus said Happy Valley fans can expect to be “thrilled.” and he’s “rewatched it recently, I remember looking at the time-code. I was sixteen minutes in, and I couldn’t believe how much stuff had happened.” Okay now I am shaking.

Fergus reassured fans “no one will be disappointed. It’s absolutely a rollercoaster.” He added: “It really takes you on a ride. The ending is really satisfying. It’s dramatic, but in a really interesting and clever way. I think people will go away feeling sad that it’s over, but I think they’ll be satisfied.”

Fergus also spoke about the pressure he feels delivering the last episode. He said fans would “crucify” him if the ending was rubbing and he’s not wrong. He admitted he was “terrified” directing the final episodes and didn’t want to mess it up. Fergus said: “To go on set the first day, yeah I can’t even remember what it was that we did the very first day but it is always terrifying going on set the first day. In fact, it’s almost terrifying nearly every day. It’s such pressure and you’ve such a pain in your gut with anxiety because you know you have to deliver and there are so many people. There is such love for the show, I mean if we messed it up, could you imagine? We could just be crucified.”

He continued: “So I carry that responsibility. I really carried it and felt it deeply because I am a fan and I had to do it justice. It was terrifying but incredibly gratifying at the same time and to work with that calibre of writing and that calibre of acting talent, you can’t mess it up.”

The finale episode and ending to Happy Valley season three airs on Sunday at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer.

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