For some viewers, the subplot of Happy Valley’s third season seemed a bit meaningless in the grand scheme of things. But as a Reddit user noted, the story of domestic abuse playing out between Robert and Joanne Hepworth actually mirrors that of Tommy and Becky. However, instead of relying on flashbacks to their relationship, Wainwright subtly references it through conflicting memories from members of the Cawood family and Robert’s abuse of Joanne.
“Tommy has always said he didn’t r*pe Becky and he loved her, but doesn’t hold himself accountable for his abusive behaviour. He’s not directly culpable for her death, but is the indirect cause,” they write. “Rob’s control and abuse to Joanna leads her to a vulnerable situation, while not directly killing her he is the driver behind her drug use and why she blackmails Faisel. The comments about the grandmothers and grandfathers being the two girls’ new caregivers seems to cement the parallel stories.”
