Happy Valley fans point out a ‘genius’ nod to season one in Catherine and Ryan scene

‘The attention to detail is everything!’ Happy Valley fans point out a ‘genius’ nod to season one in tense exchange between Catherine and grandson Ryan

Happy Valley is drawing to a close with the penultimate episode airing on Sunday night.

But fans were left reminiscing about the opening episodes of the hit BBC drama thanks to a ‘genius’ nod to the first season in the latest installment from writer Sally Wainwright.

Most of Sunday night’s episode was dedicated to Tommy Lee Royce’s (James Norton) grand plan to reunite with his son Ryan (Rhys Connah) and conclude his ‘unfinished business’ with Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire), but fans were excited to see a subtle reference to the rocky grandmother and grandson relationship.

Did you spot it? Happy Valley fans were left reminiscing about the opening episodes of the drama thanks to a ‘genius’ nod to the first season in the latest installment

After Ryan ran away to his uncle’s house, a fuming Catherine went to pick him up.

After berating him for his ‘bl**dy silly’ decision to go AWOL when his murderous dad Tommy was on the loose, Catherine went back into granny mode, correcting her teenage grandson’s grammar.

‘He sholdn’ta gone off. Shouldn’t of left me with Ros,’ Ryan told her about why he ran away from his granddad’s house.

‘Shouldn’t have, for f**ks sake!’ Catherine fumed. 

Grandmother: Most of Sunday's episode was dedicated to Tommy's plan to reunite with his son Ryan but fans were excited to see a subtle reference to the grandmother/grandson relationship (pictured Rhys Connah as Ryan)

Sarah Lancashire stars as Catherine Cawood in the BBC drama

Grandmother: Most of Sunday’s episode was dedicated to Tommy’s plan to reunite with his son Ryan but fans were excited to see a subtle reference to the grandmother/grandson relationship

Flashback: Viewers pointed out the exchange was similar to a conversation between the two characters way back in season one, when Catherine was questioning a then nine-year-old Ryan

Flashback: Viewers pointed out the exchange was similar to a conversation between the two characters way back in season one, when Catherine was questioning a then nine-year-old Ryan

Talent: Rhys has played Ryan in all three series (pictured in series one)

Sally Wainwright revealed she deliberately left a seven year gap between series two and three to allow Rhys to return as a teenager

Talent: Rhys has played Ryan in all three series, with its writer revealing she deliberately left a seven year gap between series two and three to allow Rhys to return as a teenager

Viewers pointed out the exchange was incredibly similar to a conversation between the two characters way back in season one, when Catherine was questioning a then nine-year-old Ryan about his behaviour at school.

‘Did you rip up the painting?’ Catherine asked. ‘I might of,’ Ryan backchatted. ‘You couldn’t of done anything, of isn’t a verb,’ she retorted.

‘Nothing changes, and that’s part of the genius that is Sally Wainwright,’ hailed one fan.

'Best line!' 'Nothing changes, and that¿s part of the genius that is Sally Wainwright,' hailed one fan of the series

‘Best line!’ ‘Nothing changes, and that’s part of the genius that is Sally Wainwright,’ hailed one fan of the series 

‘Catherine correcting Ryan’s grammar just like she did in series 1 but so subtly interjected in a serious conversation was genius. Sally’s attention to detail is everything’ agreed another.

‘There’s always time for granny to correct your grammar,’ agreed another while one more declared it to be the ‘best line’ of the episode.

‘So tense! Hardly breathe throughout the episode. Per usual so funny and dark. Best line… “It’s Shouldn’t have not shouldn’t of…” Bl**dy genius writing….’ 

Final showdown: Viewers tuned into the breathless penultimate episode of the BBC drama on Sunday evening as Tommy Lee Royce revealed his grand plans (James Norton as Tommy)

Final showdown: Viewers tuned into the breathless penultimate episode of the BBC drama on Sunday evening as Tommy Lee Royce revealed his grand plans (James Norton as Tommy)

The show’s creator Sally Wainwright previously revealed that the programme took a deliberately long pause of seven years between series two and three as she wanted to wait for Rhys, the actor who plays Ryan, to grow up and reprise his role as an angsty teenager. 

Viewers tuned into the breathless penultimate episode of the BBC drama on Sunday evening as Tommy Lee Royce revealed his grand plans.

The murderous character escaped at the end of the last episode and fans have now learned that he plans to run off to Marbella, with his son Ryan in tow.

Viewers admitted they could barely watch the dramatic episode as everything lined up for a dramatic showdown between Tommy and Sargent Catherine, as he revealed he plans to kill her before jetting off to Spain.

The final episode of Happy Valley will air on BBC One at 9pm on Sunday. 

Here we go: Viewers admitted they could barely watch the dramatic episode as everything lined up for a dramatic showdown between Tommy and Sargent Catherine

Here we go: Viewers admitted they could barely watch the dramatic episode as everything lined up for a dramatic showdown between Tommy and Sargent Catherine

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