Death Valley series 3: How the emotional ending of series 2 sets up another season and if it's happening
Will John and Janie return for a third series? And do they crack the final case?
Death Valley is back, with DI Janie Mallowan and John Chapel cracking a new set of strange murder cases – the question is, after the ending series 2, will they return for series 3?
The first series of the cosy murder-of-the-week series (created by Paul Doolan) was a huge hit. Reviews were strong, but more importantly, it broke ratings records for the BBC, becoming the broadcaster’s most-watched new comedy title in five years.
This swiftly paved the way for Death Valley series 2, all of which you can stream on iPlayer now. Whether it’s harbourside grudges, rugby club deaths, or a mysterious death on a TV set, it does not disappoint.
Given its success, surely Death Valley series 3 is on the cards… right?
Death Valley series 2 ending explained: The final culprit
Episode 6 of Death Valley series 2 centres on the death of Rachel, a chairperson of a rugby club who appears to have been bludgeoned over the head with a trophy.
After a lot of digging around members of the club, Janie and John present their findings (under the not-so-elaborate guise of a Caesar play).
Their first reveal: Dennis, Sue’s supposedly dead husband, is actually alive! They faked his death to claim the life insurance payout… but how does that connect to Rachel’s murder?
Well, when Rachel went downstairs to change one of the barrels for the pub, she caught Dennis. Sue then concocted a plan to poison Rachel with rum to protect their secret.
Don't miss a single story! Add us as a Preferred Source in Google for all your television news
However, she never drank it (not that it makes a big difference to Sue and Dennis, who’ll still be charged with conspiracy to commit murder). So, who killed Rachel?
It was… Josh, the reluctant rugby prodigy son of Terry! Rachel had gone to get a pen from her bag, but she accidentally grabbed Josh’s bag instead. Inside, she found his stash of illegal steroids, which he’d been taking as a result of his dad’s pressure to bulk up and perform.
Rachel threatened to expose him, so as soon as they were alone, he smashed her head with the trophy. Case closed!
Does Janie leave in Death Valley series 2?
Despite threatening to go on a year-long trip abroad, Janie has a change of heart in the finale of Death Valley series 2.
This all stems from a chance reunion with her father (played by Line of Duty’s Owen Teale) at the site of a murder: a commune.
Despite immediate reluctance to forgive or even talk to her dad (he ran away to live a hippie lifestyle when she was younger), they slowly start to reconnect. They take it slow at first; ice creams and surfing, that sort of thing.
He later asks her to go with him to Portugal for a year… and she says yes!
However, in episode 6, she realises how demented she’d be spending all that time with him abroad, plus she’s happier at home. She breaks the news to her dad as they share some chips by the sea, and all’s still well between them.
There is an unexpected wrinkle in the closing minutes. Janie arrives at John’s house to tell him she’s staying, but he has some news of his own.
Not belong before her arrival, he found out he’d landed an acting job in a major Netflix production. This means he’ll be away in Toronto for at least a couple of months.
“We’ll be alright. We can FaceTime. I’ve got some holiday, I can come visit,” Janie tells him.
Is Death Valley series 3 happening?
Death Valley series 3 has yet to be confirmed. However, there’s a good chance it will happen.
First of all, given the success of the first season and the speediness with which series 2 was produced, it’s hard to imagine a world where the BBC isn’t already interested in series 3.
Secondly, the ending of series 2 overtly sets up another season. John will return to Wales, (hopefully) galvanised by his role in the Netflix series, and he’ll team up with Janie for more murder mysteries.
Plus, Spall is clearly invested. As he told Nation.Cymru, he was “a little more involved with the development for series 2” and made suggestions about Janie and John’s relationship.
Doolan hasn’t spoken about whether or not series 3 is going ahead, so keep your eyes peeled for further updates.
Who could be in the Death Valley series 3 cast?
If Death Valley series 3 happens, it’s presumed that Timothy Spall and Gwyneth Keyworth would reprise their roles as John Chapel and DI Janie Mallowan, respectively.
We’d also expect to see Steffan Rhodri back as DCI Barry Clarke, Alexandria Riley as Helen Baxter, and Rithvik Andugula as DC Evan Chaudhry.
Beyond that, the third series would almost certainly feature a star-studded guest cast in each episode, given its case-of-the-week format.
The show has already ticked off a few Gavin and Stacey stars (like Rhodri, Melanie Walters, and Jason West). Rob Brydon seems like a natural fit, and there’s always a chance that Joanna Page and/or Ruth Jones could appear.
Doolan told the BBC that they secured some “wish list” stars for series 2. Spall also praised the guest stars, saying: “It brings a new energy and as there’s a new crime a week and a new location, it keeps it fresh – a bit like being in a theatre repertory company that constantly changes its programme.
“It’s challenging because it’s a fresh start each time and each episode has its own tone and flavour, from a fishing village to a rugby club, to a wonderful ancient castle location – each one brings its own atmosphere and community.”
For now, we’ll just have to wait until we find out more information.
Is there a Death Valley series 3 release date?
No, Death Valley series 3 doesn’t have a release date.
Given that it’s not been formally announced by the BBC or even alluded to in interviews, this was to be expected.
However, if we were to speculate, each season has started airing in May of their respective year. So, if Death Valley season 3 is given the green light and it sticks to the same timeline, we could get new episodes by May 2027.
Read more: The best BBC dramas you can watch on iPlayer now
