Happy Valley viewers in awe of Sarah Lancashire's performance in exhilarating season finale

Spoilers for the Happy Valley finale below, so be warned!

We're now living in a world where there's no more Happy Valley ever again, and worst of all that means we'll see no more of Sarah Lancashire's Catherine Cawood.

Still, while viewers are absolutely devastated that it's over we can also be glad that we got to see such a brilliant show in the first place.

In the third and final season of Happy Valley there's been plenty for Catherine to deal with, including a grisly murder, the discovery of old corpses and of course the return of the pure evil Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton).

Of course, the linchpin of the BBC drama has always been Lancashire's no-nonsense police sergeant trying to track down West Yorkshire's cruellest criminals while dealing with a mountain of family drama.

Catherine's final challenges before retirement drove a deep wedge into her personal life, as she was floored by the shocking revelation that her grandson Ryan (Rhys Connah) had been visiting Royce in prison, and Lancashire has been flawless every step of the way.

One of the earlier highlights of the final season was the dramatic scene where Catherine confronts sister Clare (Siobhan Finneran) in a café over the betrayal, and (as though we needed it) the season finale has provided us with a final and definitive showing of how brilliant Lancashire's performance has been.

Now it's all over, fans are trying to come to terms with the explosive final outing.

One viewer reacted by saying: “Pure horror this is some Stephen King s**t” as Tommy-Lee Royce first peered through the window behind the sofa Catherine was roughing it on."

Speaking of the same scene, another wrote: “This will go down in history as one of the most sinister scenes of all time.”

Eventually, the two came face-to-face, with one viewer calling it the 'most intense “iya” in history' and you wouldn't be wrong. How northern can you get?

"He's just a happy, well-adjusting, pretty flipping normal kid." And THAT after 3 seasons is the conclusion we all want/need. Everything else is a bonus. #HappyValley

— DawnGlen (@DawnGlen2) February 5, 2023

And when it came down to the nitty-gritty, the nation was left in awe at the pure acting masterclass as Catherine was left in the presence of Tommy and called in for back up.

ENTIRE NATION HAS A SHOT OF ADRENALINE #HappyValley pic.twitter.com/foQ1gerhUv

— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) February 5, 2023

As the scene unfolded, Tommy stunned the nation as he set himself alight - the conclusion eventually sparking an absolute classic Catherine moment.

“I won, obviously.” - Catherine fucking Cawood 👏🏼#HappyValley pic.twitter.com/hF7fHwLlUa

— Lillie-Mae (@Lilliemaenot) February 5, 2023

The nation finally got the ending they were waiting for and it's safe to say it didn't disappoint. Many will have noticed its all come full circle, with everyone quick to heap praise on the show.

The full circle decision from Sally Wainwright to finish the show exactly the same way it started with the petrol and the match? Just sublime, the best show to come out of this country in DECADES #HappyValley

— Harrison Brocklehurst (@harrisonjbrock) February 5, 2023

Of course Lancashire getting heaps of praise for her award-winning performance (she picked up a Best Actress BAFTA in 2017 for Happy Valley) is nothing new as fans have been utterly gripped by pretty much every moment she's been on the screen.

She deserves all the BAFTAs, Golden Globes and Oscars and it still won’t be enough . #HappyValley pic.twitter.com/71gcqwumfX

— MK200034 (@MN456782) February 5, 2023

Nonetheless, it's always worth passing along the praise when the performance is this good and we're not going to be seeing any more of Sgt Catherine Cawood or James Norton as Tommy Lee Royce - who was equally phenomenal throughout the entire series.

The only way we're seeing any more is if someone gets their hands on the other endings to Happy Valley which were supposedly filmed to eliminate spoilers from leaking out, and even managed to wrong-foot some of the cast too.

That's right, now you've seen the grand finale you know how it all ends, but some of the actors who were in the show have also just learned their fates for the first time after shooting multiple possible endings.

As for the show's name Happy Valley, series creator Sally Wainwright said that's what local police who worked around the area the show is based on called it because of all the issues with drugs.