Happy Valley

Season #2 Episode #3

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1 INT. THERAPIST’S ROOM. DAY 8. 09.30 1

CATHERINE’s dressed in civvies, the sort of civvies that

suggest she’d rather be out on the moors than sitting here

with a psychotherapist, whose expression is calm. Neither of

them say anything for long enough, and then

THERAPIST:

I saw on the sheet that I asked you

to fill [in]

CATHERINE:

The happy sheet.

He knows all officers think it’s a load of crap. He smiles

THERAPIST:

Yes, the happy sheet. I saw that on

the question ‘Have you ever

contemplated killing yourself or

others?’ You’ve written ‘Yes’.

(silence:
he hopes she’ll

pick the ball up and run

with it. Fat chance)

Do you want to talk about that?

CATHERINE weighs things up.

CATHERINE:

No.

THERAPIST:

Have you ever contemplated killing

yourself?

(yes she has, but in no

way seriously. And

anyway, she’s not telling

him)

Have you ever tried to kill

yourself?

CATHERINE:

(quickly)

No.

She all but adds “Don’t be stupid”.

THERAPIST:

Have you ever thought about how

you’d do it. If you did.

CATHERINE:

I’ve seen all of ‘em and none of

‘em are pretty. They’re all...

Silence.

HAPPY VALLEY SERIES TWO. EPISODE THREE. PEACH SCRIPT. 22.

THERAPIST:

All what?

CATHERINE:

Sordid. Ridiculous. And anyway. I

don’t want to be on a slab. I’ve

seen what they do to people.

THERAPIST:

(consulting the notes)

Did you have counselling after your

daughter took her own life?

CATHERINE:

No. I had a break down.

She says it like it’s a viable alternative.

THERAPIST:

What happened?

CATHERINE:

Nothing. I just... screamed at

people a lot and smashed a few

things in the sink and drank too

much and pissed everyone off within

a ten mile radius for about a year,

eighteen months, and then... you

know. You’ve still got to pay the

mortgage at the end of it all,

haven’t you?

THERAPIST:

Your marriage broke down.

CATHERINE:

Yeah. Well. Most marriages don’t

survive something like that. Do

they. Losing a child.

THERAPIST:

An experience like that changes

people. Permanently.

She looks at him steadily. Like... duh. Is he properly

qualified?

CATHERINE:

I’da said so.

THERAPIST:

How did it change you?

The answer that pops up surprises her a little. It’s like a

reflex.

HAPPY VALLEY SERIES TWO. EPISODE THREE. PEACH SCRIPT. 33.

CATHERINE:

I’m sad.

(she thinks about that now

she’s said it. And she

continues like she’s

talking to herself, cos

she sure as hell ain’t

talking to him)

I never used to be sad. I mean I

could be sad. But it wasn’t like it

was a permanent state [of] - it

didn’t define who I am.

THERAPIST:

You don’t appear sad. Sorry I’m not

contradicting the fact that you are

sad. You know how you feel. But

your colleagues. Your friends at

work. I get the idea they think of

you as the life and soul of the

party.

CATHERINE:

Good.

THERAPIST:

Do you cover things up?

CATHERINE:

No. They all know about Becky, they

all know what happened.

THERAPIST:

No, I meant do you - are you

conscious of feeling sad but still

trying to put on a brave face, a

happy face, at work?

CATHERINE:

No. I love work.

THERAPIST:

Do you think you’re angry? As well

as sad.

She considers that.

CATHERINE:

Sometimes.

THERAPIST:

You have an edge. People are a bit

scared of you, aren’t they?

CATHERINE:

Who’s said that?

HAPPY VALLEY SERIES TWO. EPISODE THREE. PEACH SCRIPT. 44.

THERAPIST:

It’s an observation.

(he waits for CATHERINE to

respond. She doesn’t)

How do you feel about that? People

being scared of you.

The question makes her feel uneasy. Is he calling her a

bully?

CATHERINE:

Well. It’s useful. Occasionally. If

I’m dealing with something. At

work. I often have to deal with

people who’re a lot bigger than me.

(a moment)

Are you scared of me?

THERAPIST:

Should I be?

CATHERINE:

No. Nobody needs to be scared of me

unless they’ve done something they

shouldn’t have.

The THERAPIST considers that.

THERAPIST:

The second part of the question.

‘Others’. Have you ever

contemplated killing others. Does

the ‘yes’ apply there.

She hesitates. But not for long. Only for dramatic effect, in

fact. She looks him right in the eye.

CATHERINE:

Oh yes.

THERAPIST:

Tell me about that.

(again he waits for her to

expand, but she’s too

busy thinking to

verbalise it)

When was the last time? You felt

like that.

Oh well that’s easy. She flips back to flippant mode.

HAPPY VALLEY SERIES TWO. EPISODE THREE. PEACH SCRIPT. 55.

CATHERINE:

Well. Day before yesterday I

could’ve merrily strung my grandson

up for setting off a fire

extinguisher in a corridor at

school because someone bet him a

bag of crisps he couldn’t. So

that’s me hauled in and being made

to feel this big.

(she demonstrates: one

inch tall)

Again. Then last Thursday I

could’ve happily throttled my son.

Who - after persistently denying

anything - finally admitted he’d

had a fling with his nasty little

b*tch of an ex-girlfriend while his

perfectly lovely wife was in

hospital giving birth to their

first child. So. He’s a liar. Then -

when was it? Two weeks ago. I

could’ve cheerfully strangled my

sister. Clare.

(she hesitates before

admitting this)

She’s an alcoholic. A recovering

alcoholic and heroin addict. She’s

been dry and clean - apart from one

or two blips with alcohol - for

nearly twelve years. Then she fell

off the wagon. At this funeral. And

she said it was my fault. Which -

(she hesitates. She blames

herself more than she’s

prepared to let on)

well, it was and it wasn’t. And in

fact... that was the same day that

I did this thing that’s meant I’m

having to do this. Business. Here.

With you.

THERAPIST:

Ah. Yes. Tommy Lee Royce’s mother’s

funeral. We will come onto that.

TITLES:

CUT TO:

2 INT. THERAPIST’S ROOM. DAY 8. 09.31 2

As before, CATHERINE and the THERAPIST.

HAPPY VALLEY SERIES TWO. EPISODE THREE. PEACH SCRIPT. 66.

THERAPIST:

So language like, “I could’ve

merrily strung Ryan up”, “happily

throttled Daniel”, “cheerfully

strangled Clare”. There are two

points there. On one level you

don’t mean it, these are people you

love, unquestionably, it’s an

expression of frustration, and

ironically affection, when their

behaviour falls short of what you

would like or expect. On another

level. You are angry. Whether it’s

with them or - perhaps more likely -

with other people. People you can’t

express your anger to directly the

way you can with the people you

live with. These are chosen,

sarcastic, brutal expressions.

CATHERINE thinks about that. And she knows there’s truth in

it. At some muddled level. Not that she’s going to admit it.

CATHERINE:

I’m a police officer. I see things.

I’m not going to share the same

vocabulary as Mary Poppins.

The THERAPIST smiles. He’s kind, objective, fascinated

THERAPIST:

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