The modern Irish masterpiece, “Derry Girls,” has the viewers of America in a chokehold with its final season being out on Netflix.
With an average of three million people in the United Kingdom tuning in for the final season, this Northern Irish comedy has become a one-of-a-kind type of show. It has proven to be brilliantly casted, beautifully written with wit and an overall memorable sitcom over its past two seasons. The third and final season lives up to this description in all aspects with only minor flaws throughout. This season stays with the sense of identity the rest of the show holds and the episode plotlines feel specific to the time and place that Derry, Ireland was going through. It’s safe to say the season is worth setting aside a whole day for.
Let’s start with the plot. This show’s finale is set in the 1990s, and it follows a group of teenage girls from Derry, Ireland and their wee English fella as they navigate the world. It stays true to history with the troubles in Northern Ireland and brings a political aspect to the season. Along with addressing Irish politics, their cracker Irish accents and various personalities get them into dark and funny situations that make the audience laugh.
This brings us to the first episode of the season, opening with a video the group made about peace in Ireland and ending with them getting into a spot of bother with the police. These dark-humor plotlines continue throughout the entire season. The group finds themselves in loads of trouble, arguments and tough situations that will leave viewers on the edge of their seats.
This doesn’t mean that the show was perfect in every aspect. There were some minor disappointing moments in this final season, but ultimately those did not take away from the season as a whole. These moments in question happen when the main characters of the group are split up. A huge aspect of the show is how they go through events together, but throughout the final season, the episodes lacked one of the main characters, Claire, and often dealt with her apart from the group. This division can also be seen in the seventh episode when the group gets into a fight.
Apart from this, the group’s friendship is still strong throughout the entire season. This brings us to the genius writing of “Derry Girls” creator Lisa McGee. She manages to take her experience with living in Derry at the time of destruction and turn the dark times into something funny. She also creates this friendship that has a deeper meaning to all the characters because they are going through this political turmoil together. Her writing goes beyond the page and touches many people.
Her writing also expands into the political environment at the time, teaching viewers about the Troubles of Northern Ireland. This made the season feel more real. Many of the episodes show the destruction, news and military operations that happened in Derry at that time. Aspects of the military telling citizens where to go were included, as political heads visited Derry. And in the finale, the Good Friday Agreement was brought up. The Good Friday Agreement was a vote that the people of Northern Island made to stay a part of the United Kingdom while also maintaining their cultural Irish identity and wishing to bring a united Ireland. This heightened the show because it felt like watching someone’s memory and real-life story.
Not only does the historical and political writing of the show bring it to life, but it adds to the dark humor the show holds. By having the characters make jokes and get into these ridiculous situations during bad times, the show alludes to how humor is sometimes needed in times of distress
For a show that is set in the 90s in Northern Ireland, it has the perfect soundtrack. In the third season, the soundtrack is full of classic 90s music including The Cranberries, 5ive, OMC and many more. These absolute bangers add to the 90s teenager feel of the show.
These teens are relatable due to their quirkiness and the music builds on this idea. Anyone can relate to the absolute awkwardness that being a teenager can sometimes bring. The classic quirky music that’s added brings these teenage moments to a new level. This group of girls and their one lad handle a multitude of embarrassing moments that make real life seem manageable.
This music is not the only thing that stands out when it comes to production, though. The set and filming that is seen throughout the third season encompasses the show. Being filmed in Derry itself, the season feels alive and real. The added Catholic school, which also has to do with the politics at the time, provides a high school or university feel that many can relate to. These visual aspects of the show add to its already relatable story.
The small unsatisfying moments in the season does not hinder the excellence and enjoyment of the show. The many wonderful aspects of the show outweigh any moments that seem unworthy. “Derry Girls’’ season three is the perfect binge-worthy season.