Happy Valley

[Naught-Nole-Buc]

No, this isn't about Penn St. It's about the BBC series on Netflix. The first season was great and season 2 just popped up the other day and we're halfway through on episode 3 (6 episode seasons). So far so good on season 2.

If you haven't watched it yet, give it a shot. It's a British crime/police series in a small town in northern England.

By the way, couldn't find the Netlfix thread on mobile so sorry in advance.

 

[TarponSpringsNole]

Just finished season 1. It's a solid series.

 

[Nole Lou]

I'm in it right now, about three or four episodes in. I'm usually not too emotional about TV shows, but damn the people in this show make me angry, lol.

 

[Naught-Nole-Buc]

Yeah, that show has a way of pulling at your emotions. I found myself getting angry often too

 

[pink shizzle]

Yeah, that show has a way of pulling at your emotions. I found myself getting angry often too

That's a huge sign for me. Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, House of Cards, and Sons of Anarchy did that to me. I'll have to check this show out.

 

[mbFSU7]

If you liked Happy Valley you should check out Broadchurch and The Fall.

 

[Naught-Nole-Buc]

If you liked Happy Valley you should check out Broadchurch and The Fall.

Watched both of those and they were both outstanding!

 

[Nole Lou]

Finished season one last night. Great, really good show that I'm glad I watched.

Also started Season 2 last night. Watched the first episode...umm...not really feeling it so far.

 

[More Kirk Less Spock]

so glad to see this thread. Always on the lookout for some good British crime shows. The show River was actually a decent show too. Detective meets Sixth Sense kind of thing...Good stuff.

 

[Naught-Nole-Buc]

Finished season one last night. Great, really good show that I'm glad I watched.

Also started Season 2 last night. Watched the first episode...umm...not really feeling it so far.

I felt that way after the first episode of season 2 also, but it gets really good like season 1

 

[surfnole]

I had to turn on closed caption because much of the time I couldn't understand their accent! I was very disappointed to realize the second season (as well as the first) was only six episodes.....I was hoping for many more hours of entertainment. I liked the 2nd season better than the first.

 

[Naught-Nole-Buc]

Yeah, the accents are pretty heavy and we had that issue here and there as well. I didn't think to turn the CC on, we just relistened or assumed and moved on. We go the gist of what we couldn't make out

 

[Nole Lou]

I had to turn on closed caption because much of the time I couldn't understand their accent! I was very disappointed to realize the second season (as well as the first) was only six episodes.....I was hoping for many more hours of entertainment. I liked the 2nd season better than the first.

I watched it with the CC on as well. It's the accents, but also the sort of slang stuff, but I love it. Like Clare always calling Ryan "our Ryan", and trying to figure out who the hell Orion is. I like the sort of naturalistic dialogue.

Glad to hear that the second season is good. I really like the realistic/naturalistic mode in my prestige TV for the most part. I watched most of The Fall...I like Happy Valley much more. Probably because I found it and the characters more "real".

The first season obviously featured an unlikely and unrealistic series of events and coincidences, but the settings and characters and universe seemed pretty grounded in a real place. To me, the second season premier really turned up the unlikeliness to 11 and has me worried, and I was a little disappointed that it didn't walk away from Tommy Lee Royce. Reminded me slightly of The Killing in that way. But we'll see how it plays.

 

[Nole Lou]

Ok, finished Season 2. Agree with the others...it works and works well. At times I'm not so sure how, but it definitely works.

 

[Naught-Nole-Buc]

Yeah, it somehow did. What great writing, huh? I think casting plays a great part too. When we saw Molsley (from Downton) playing that role we weren't sure... but he nailed it.

 

[Nole Lou]

Yeah, it somehow did. What great writing, huh? I think casting plays a great part too. When we saw Molsley (from Downton) playing that role we weren't sure... but he nailed it.

Yeah, I thought of an interesting comparison. So you take Happy Valley, and you take Fargo, particularly season 1. The central mystery/murder/coincidence/interconnectedness element is probably equally ridiculous in both. But Fargo is a totally stylized, enhanced reality setting that never for one minute approximates reality. And it totally works.

Then you've got Happy Valley, which is hyper-reality in it's setting and casting and dialogue. The cast is unattractive in any conventional sense. The dialogue is so natural at times it can be hard to figure out. The people aren't all that smart, and the characters aren't "special" in any particular way And it's filmed in a near-documentary style.. And they drop in this crazy story, and that totally works too.

Great writing, great acting from actors that really know what they're doing, I'm sure there's a lot that contributes to it. I just think it's really interesting to see so many styles and approaches to great TV, and the way it just doesn't get boxed into neat little genres like film does.