Traditionally, stories about The Troubles aren’t comedies. But, aside from its historical setting in the early to mid-1990s, there isn’t much traditional about the exquisite Derry Girls, a series that follows four Catholic school girls in Northern Ireland (and one English school boy – I’ll get to that explanation later) as they navigate their teen years amid that violence and military presence of the Troubles.
Now, if you didn’t grow up in an Irish Catholic family like I did, hearing many a family tale of the struggles of Ireland to remove the English from the country*, you might want to do a quick Wikipedia trip through the entry for the Troubles and the 1998 Good Friday Agreement (which has been in the news a lot in recent months due to the potentially disastrous impact a No-Deal Brexit could have on Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the still fragile peace between the two countries) for context. While the series isn’t about The Troubles per se, you can’t understand these characters, their lives, their families, and their possible futures without understanding the world they live in.
* Great-great-great grandpa Brennan was part of a Fenian brigade who invaded Canada a few times to get England to free Ireland? Totally normal. A mention of a distant familial name in an Irish cemetery caused a little old lady to run away because that side of the family might have been involved in less-than-savory actions against the English? May have happened.
And what a world it is. There isn’t a weak link in the show’s spectacular cast, which includes Saoirse-Monica Jackson as Erin, the group’s de facto ringleader, Nicola Coughlan as Clare, the group’s “good girl” who gets a really lovely arc at the end of season one, Jamie-Lee O’Donnell as Michelle, the wild child whose bark is way worse than her bite, and Louisa Harland as Orla, Erin’s cousin who is just a tad . . . off. Oh, and I can’t forget Dylan Llewellyn, who plays James, Michelle’s English cousin who has to attend the Catholic all girls school with the characters (which is hilarious, but also serves to turn Michael into one of the show’s most interesting and complicated characters – someone who loves his new friends but who also can’t really fully assimilate to this new culture due to where he was born and raised). The series is funny as it unflinchingly looks at life in high school in the early 90s, while also making sure to acknowledge just what coming of age at that specific time in Derry* meant. There’s a universality to coming of age tales, and that is felt in Derry Girls, making it accessible to any viewer, while also allowing viewers the chance to gain a better understanding of just what made this place and time unique.
*Derry, or Londonderry if you are a unionist, is the name of the town where the series is set. Derry also is where the stress of the Troubles – and all that came with it – was felt the strongest in Northern Ireland.
With just two seasons (and a mere 12 half-hour episodes) available for binging on Netflix (don’t worry – the show has already been renewed for a third season – set to begin filming some time next year, so there’s going to be a bit of a wait), you’ll almost certainly find yourself desperate to burn through the last few episodes, while also desperately wanting to savor the experience. But, that’s the highest praise I can offer for the series – you don’t want it to end. From the spectacular writing from Lisa McGee (who based the series on her own experiences growing up in Derry in the early 90s) to the wonderful performances (outside of the youngsters, there’s a solid set of older actors who are just as excellent), Derry Girls will plain make you happy. Yes, it’s not all smooth sailing for the girls and their families, but there’s such a pure and loving heart at the center of the series that you won’t be able to walk away from it without a warm feeling inside. And, probably, a desire to get in touch with your own group of friends and schedule a get together.
So, take some time and give Derry Girls a look. Even with a bit of homework to understand the time and place, it’s worth a binge. And then you can join me in impatiently waiting for season three.
