After what was both a deeply entertaining and jaw-dropping episode 4, theories continue to swirl around just how Happy Valley will wrap up. Spoiler warning from here if you're yet to watch it.

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With only two episodes of the third and final season left, rather morbidly, death is on the minds of many viewers. And for good reason too, after Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) not only managed to convince son Ryan (Rhys Connah) to come and see him being sentenced in court, but also managed to escape prison altogether.

In an escape plot that left us laughing and yelling at the TV screen, the final scene saw Tommy ride gleefully off into the Leeds distance. While we have a feeling this was the main reason why he was so keen to learn Spanish, we can't help but think that Catherine's (Sarah Lancashire) foreshadowing of Tommy's escape may point to a bigger, murderous plot on his mind.

We know that there's set to be a "very big face-to-face showdown", according to series creator Sally Wainwright, but what could actually happen in that final episode?

Many fans think that a main character will likely die in the coming episodes and according to a viewers' poll, most people think that Tommy will meet his demise.

James Norton as Tommy Lee Royce in Happy Valley
James Norton as Tommy Lee Royce in Happy Valley. BBC/Lookout Point

RadioTimes.com took to Twitter to run a viewer poll, and when asked who could possibly die at the end of Happy Valley, a total of 40.2% of voters opted for Tommy Lee Royce. Could the cocky criminal be escaping prison to just meet a more sinister fate?

Catherine came in second with 33.2%, while 19.3% of viewers voted for Richard. Catherine's ex-husband has been digging further into brutal crime family the Knezevics and seems to be getting dangerously close to uncovering a major scandal.

After seeing how Darius (Alec Secareanu) violently dealt with Ivan (Oliver Huntingdon) in episode 4, we're certain that the Halifax criminal won't take too well to being investigated or written about by Richard. Could this big scoop of a story ultimately lead to Richard's death?

But while death and disaster may be the only thing on many viewers' minds, 7.3% of viewers don't think that anybody will die. Of course, we'd love to assume that Catherine can have a joyous retirement party and ride off into the Himalayas soon after, but something tells us that there will be a fair dose of drama ahead of it.

Norton recently told Radio Times magazine that the final season would leave the audience "reeling" and executive producer Will Johnston seemed to hint that Happy Valley would deliver a definitive ending.

"It definitely isn't coming back – and again this is [from] Sally and Sarah who completely and rightly feel that you can have too much of a good thing," he said.

"We're really not doing any more. You're a few weeks away from the ending but when you get to it, I really hope you'll feel content that if that's the last you ever see of the characters of Happy Valley, it was a big way to go out."

Happy Valley season 3 continues on Sundays at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The first two seasons are available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.

If you're looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide or visit our Drama hub for more news and features.

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Authors

Morgan Cormack
Morgan CormackDrama Writer

Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.

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