Coluna Claquete – July 12th, 2016 – Series of the week: “Happy Valley”
Newton Ramalho
colunaclaquete@gmail.com – www.colunaclaquete.blogspot.com– @colunaclaquete
Series of the week: “Happy Valley”
Those who follow my column for more time must be wondering why I’m commenting – and recommending – a series. To be true, I’m not very adept of series, considering them repetitive and uncreative, usually having problems solved for a hero with an endless supply of bullets. But occasionally I find some hidden treasures, that was the case of the British miniseries “Happy Valley”.
What I complain in American series is the sameness of scripts without freshness, the ambiance in the big cities, the banalization of violence, and even the casting, usually beautiful young people, more suitable for commercial of margarine or toothpaste.
Well, when it comes to “Happy Valley”, forget all that. The plot is set in a small town in northern England. Although been light years away from the problems of a city in the Brazilian country, Happy Valley is increasingly beset by the problem of drugs.
It is here that the small detachment of police is headed by Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire).In addition to the normal problems of the city, Catherine still has to deal with her own ghosts.
She is divorced and she lives with her sister Clare (Siobhan Finneran), an ex-drug addict, and her grandson Ryan (Rhys Connah). Ryan is the son of Becky, Catherine’s daughter who had committed suicide after the boy was born.Catherine’s decision to create Ryan caused the divorce with Richard (Dereck Riddell) and the detachment of her son Daniel (Karl Davies).
In addition to family problems, Catherine is extremely upset to learn that Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) has came out of prison.Tommy, who had been arrested for drug dealing, had been indirectly responsible for the death of Becky since she became pregnant after being raped by him.
Out of jail, Tommy did not delay to get involved in more problems. His new boss, Ashley Cowgill (Joe Armstrong), receives a strange proposal from Kevin Weatherill (Steve Pemberton). He proposes to Ashley abduct the daughter of his boss, Nevison Gallagher (George Costigan), for having refused to give him a raise of sallary.
Asley charges Tommy and his colleague Lewis Whipey (Adam Long) to kidnap Ann Gallagher (Charlie Murphy), but everything complicates as time goes by, and the nature of each one influences their actions.
The miniseries has an interesting development, because the main crime happens without most of the characters being aware of it. On the other hand, we see a different detective story, where agents do not use firearms, even though they have to deal with criminals of all sorts.
More interesting are the actors chosen for the protagonists, most of them above fifty, out of Hollywood beauty standard, but extremely convincing in their roles.The point outside of the curve is exactly James Norton, who embodies the villain, and creates an interesting contrast between his physical attractiveness and the heinousness of his character. Maybe this is the reason for rumors that he will be the next James Bond.
“Happy Valley” is an interesting mini-series, which brings a view of England very different of London multicultural standard, and much closer to what we imagine to be the real life of a small town.
The best is to escape from the traditional dichotomy of Hollywood, where everyone is either angel or demon. The characters of the series are human, with strengths and weaknesses, and there is no one totally good or bad. Just like real life.
Original title: “Happy Valley”