Happy valley number7/1/2023 ![]() There are a lot of discussions about whether Catherine is nice enough, which is not a conversation Vic Mackey ever had to have on “The Shield.” But “Happy Valley” is realistic about how a shrewd, implacable female cop would be viewed when she’s not in a charitable mood. A woman who doesn’t hide her anger can make other people very nervous, and “Happy Valley” isn’t shy about confronting that idea. ![]() Sometimes Catherine’s impetuousness leads her to make bad decisions, but there’s no doubt her family and parts of her community would be far worse off without her occasionally annoyed but tenacious devotion to them.Ĭatherine is, on some level, still simmeringly furious, as well as sad when not wearing her police-issue coat, she goes around in a shapeless parka that she wears like a shield. S he’s instinctively giving and often selfless, but she can also be stubborn, abrupt and prickly, and can freeze people in their tracks with a bone-chilling glare of suspicion.Īnd yet Lancashire’s empathic performance makes it easy to see why Catherine loses her patience at times she’s still wrestling with the consequences from the attack on her daughter, not least of which is the young son her daughter left behind. ![]() It’s hard to think of a scripted female character who is more complicated and fascinating (though the women played by Julianna Margulies, Kerry Washington and Keri Russell are in Catherine’s league). That said, the focus on Catherine is understandable. But there are many complicated strands in this efficiently paced drama, to the point that one wishes each season were just a bit longer, if only to give performers like Finneran even more to do. Lancashire and Finneran have a terrific rapport, and creator Sally Wainwright has a real knack for writing sibling dialogue that feels unforced and realistic.Ĭlare is a recovering addict, and the shadows of co-dependence that lurk between the women is one of “Happy Valley’s” more interesting subtexts. Even more so than last season, the scenes between the sisters form the show’s emotional backbone. ![]() They like Catherine, and there’s no judgment in her treatment of them.Ĭatherine’s warmth and wry kindness are also on view in her conversations with her ex-junkie sister, Clare (Siobhan Finneran), who lives with her. When she goes to warn some local prostitutes about the existence of a possible serial killer, she brings them sandwiches, and her sincere regard for them is obvious. This easy familiarity with her community, and the fact that she sees their everyday struggles is part of what makes her effective: People tend to trust her. Crimes can involve purloined sheep and low-level drug dealing, and she often knows the people she’s arresting or questioning. Stoicism is certainly a way of life in the Yorkshire town where Catherine has been a police officer for many years. The show’s curiosity about what motivates decency - and what accounts for its absence - ends up giving it a quiet but unshakable power, and its sensible and straightforward vibe lends dignity to what is, at its core, a tale of stoic endurance. “Happy Valley” is unfussy and matter-of-fact, but it’s also very perceptive about pain, regret and human nature. Like the show she so capably stars in, Lancashire never goes to exploitative or melodramatic places in her portrayal of the character. ![]()
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