Before ‘Black Doves,’ Sarah Lancashire Gave One of TV’s Greatest Performances in This Gritty Crime Drama (original) (raw)
Published Dec 18, 2024, 6:00 PM EST
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Not only has Netflix's hit spy drama, Black Doves, given us great chemistry between Keira Knightley's secret agent, Helen, and Ben Wishaw's charming triggerman, Sam, but Sarah Lancashire's powerful performance as the omnipotent employer of Helen and Sam, Mrs. Reed, gives the show a larger-than-life presence. However, despite Lancashire's talented display, it is nowhere near her best, which isn't an insult to Black Doves, but a testament to her work on the British crime drama, Happy Valley. Lancashire brings the cold hardness you may like about her performance in Black Doves to Happy Valley and adds a gruffness and vulnerability that makes her a far more complex character than her menacing but somewhat one-note Mrs. Reed. From the way she battles the trauma of losing her daughter to the relationships with her family to the volatile criminals that she comes face-to-face with daily, Lancashire's performance is not just the highlight of Happy Valley, but one of the greatest in recent television.
What is 'Happy Valley' About?
Happy Valley follows Lancashire’s Catherine, a police officer in the small but grim Calder Valley of West Yorkshire, whose daughter killed herself after giving birth to her son, Ryan (Rhys Connah), who was conceived via rape. Catherine is now Ryan's primary guardian, and she vows to make sure the rapist and father, Tommy (James Norton), never hurts anyone else again. The show follows Catherine battling with the depression of losing her daughter as she must maintain a strict professionalism as a shining beacon of law enforcement in the drug-riddled community. Throw in a recovering drug addict sister, an ex-husband and son who both hate Ryan simply because of what his father did, and you have a conflict-filled tale of love, hatred, and violence that will have you watching the entire show in as few sittings as possible.
Sarah Lancashire Balances Strength and Flaws in a Way No One Has Ever Done Before in 'Happy Valley'
Sarah Lancashire as Catherine Cawood bloodied after a fight in Happy Valley
Image via BBC One
What makes Lancashire’s performance so incredible is the toughness on show that hides a deeper layer of vulnerability. The very opening scene perhaps sums this up best, when Catherine prevents a drug addict from setting himself on fire in what might be the best exposition scene ever. Catherine simply tells this stranger her complete backstory to calm him down, mentioning all the issues in her life, including her daughter's suicide and former addict sister.
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The juxtaposition of Lancashire's matter-of-fact delivery and the rather tragic things she describes encapsulates her portrayal of Catherine: She is constantly balancing this terrible amount of trauma with having to help those in both her personal and professional life every day. It's also the first indication of the series' masterful use of tone, blending gritty realism with dry humor. The scene immediately brings you on board with Catherine and means that every action taken for and against her throughout the show has a huge weight. When Tommy tries to take Ryan away and Catherine is hell-bent on blocking all contact between them, we feel the stakes of the conflict because we know exactly what Catherine has been through and what it means to her to stop Ryan from becoming like his father.
Lancashire's Performance is Only Made Better By How Other Characters Bounce Off Her
The greatest aspect of the show is Catherine’s relationship with Tommy, as both Lancashire and Norton give fantastic performances when they are directly opposite each other in scenes dotted throughout the show. Catherine’s brutal realism versus Tommy’s terrifying delusion when they talk about Catherine’s daughter is a true conflict of opposites, and only makes her relationship with Ryan more complicated. You feel the tragic helplessness of Catherine when Ryan feels tempted to connect with Tommy, as she has never told him the truth about his father because she knows it will traumatize him. This haunts Catherine for most of the show, as she understands Ryan's desire to connect with his father only comes from him not knowing the full context.
Catherine’s chemistry with Clare (Siobhan Finneran) is arguably just as good as her scenes with Tommy, as their genuine love for each other grounds the series' more gritty moments. Catherine's skepticism and Clare's trusting nature mean they disagree on many things throughout, like what to tell Ryan and who Clare should be dating. Despite the two nearly always agreeing on a similar end goal, their methods are polar opposites, with Clare often having to smooth over arguments between Catherine and Ryan. It's an authentic portrait of adult sisterhood, allowing the two to share a love for each other while also having a tense dynamic at times.
Hopefully, this makes Happy Valley the next show on your watchlist, or maybe the 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes will entice you. Either way, what you will witness by watching Happy Valley is one of, if not the greatest performances ever seen on television. Sarah Lancashire guides the audience through a dark and brutal story, yet with a strength that means you never feel bogged down by the grim moments. The face-offs between her and Tommy don't make you fearful, but adrenaline is fueled by the prospect of our Catherine finally delivering justice to this horrible human being. She may be fantastic in Black Doves, but nothing will ever beat Sarah Lancashire's performance as Catherine in Happy Valley.
Happy Valley is available to stream on Prime Video in the U.S.
Release Date
2014 - 2023-00-00
Directors
Sally Wainwright, euros lyn, Tim Fywell, Neasa Hardiman, Patrick Harkins, Fergus O'Brien
Writers
Sally Wainwright
Creator(s)
Sally Wainwright