It’s been a while, but my god was it worth the wait. Northern Irish comedy Derry Girls is back for its third and (sadly) final season.
It’s 1996 and Erin, Orla, Clare, Michelle, and the Wee English Fella James are nervously waiting on their GCSE results against the backdrop of the peace process, and true to form, they’re up to no good.
Michelle (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell) is her characteristic brash and straight-to-the-point self, offering up the sort of profound political commentary you’d expect from a teenager: « I’m so fucking sick of peace, it’s all anyone bangs on about. »
In episode 1, the girls’ impending exam results are the more pressing concern for Michelle, Erin (Saoirse-Monica Jackson), her cousin Orla (Louisa Harland), friend Clare (Nicola Coughlan), and Michelle’s tag along English cousin, aka The Wee English Fella, James (Dylan Llewellyn). And that worry doesn’t exactly fade when they bump into Sister Michael (Siobhan McSweeney) in their local video rental store who tells them to make the most of the pre-exam-results era, instantly making them believe they’ve all failed. (There’s also a glorious moment when Michelle — who, you might have guessed, is my favourite character — picks up the Braveheart video and says the movie is about a Scottish drag queen.)
As someone who spontaneously burst into uncontrollable sobs during a family holiday to the Costa del Sol in Spain while waiting on my GCSE results, I relate deeply to that pit-of-stomach angst that was hell-bent on ruining the summer of 2004 for me. So, when the girls decide to get a head start on results day and break into their school, Lady Immaculate College, it’s frankly understandable that they’d want to be put out of their misery.
Things go awry, as they always do for our beloved Derry lasses. Without giving too much away, the girls get themselves into a spot of bother with the police. And that’s when the audience gets the surprise of its life: a cameo from a Very Famous Person. Sadly, I cannot reveal the identity of this cameo, so you’ll just have to go on ahead and watch the episode yourself. You won’t be disappointed.
Unsurprisingly for the diehard Derry Girls fans amongst us, the Season 3 soundtrack is another absolute corker full of ’90s musical nostalgia. In episode 1 alone, you’ll hear The Beautiful South, The Corrs, Texas, 5ive, Björk, OMC, and Shola Ama. Absolute bangers.
The humour of Derry Girls manages to appeal to both local and international audiences — something that’s no easy feat. There are hyper-specific inside jokes and sayings that only folks from Northern Ireland will understand. But even if those jokes go over your head, you’ll still be bent double from the objectively hilarious writing by the show’s creator Lisa McGee.
As someone who grew up in the ’90s with Northern Irish parents, there’s a special place in my heart for this wonderful show and I’m genuinely sad this is the final season. Each episode plunges you back into the pop culture that defined this decade. You’ll hear songs you haven’t heard since primary school, you’ll spot references to TV shows you’d long forgotten about. It’s joyful, and if you happened to grow up during this time, then it’ll leave you with a warm feeling like you’ve just parachuted right back into your childhood.
Derry Girls manages to capture the signature wit of Northern Irish people without becoming an oversimplified caricature to be reverential to international audiences. When most TV shows and movies about Northern Ireland are essentially trauma porn or bleaker-than-bleak portraits about The Troubles, this show does something different: it’s about a group of teenagers finding joy when the world outside is crumbling down around them. Perhaps that’s why we need this much anticipated final season of Derry Girls now more than ever before.
I’m glad you’re back Derry Girls, but I’ll miss you when you’re gone.
Derry Girls Season 3 is now streaming on Netflix.
UPDATE: Oct. 6, 2022, 11:28 a.m. EDT This review initially ran April 7, 2022, tied to Derry Girls Season 3’s premiere in the UK. It’s been reposted to toast its Netflix debut in the US.
