“Derry Girls” - Season 3 Review
Season 3 of “Derry Girls” was released last week, Oct. 7. It is the series finale of the show, throwing in more twists than previous seasons.
“Derry Girls” follows the shenanigans of five teenagers in 1990’s Northern Ireland. The show is set around Ireland’s conflicts with Britain, and it presents a specific perspective of Irish teens living through such events.
Avid watchers of the show will be roped into the dark comedy that is the life of these friends and might find themselves picking up some of their slang. Sayings like, “Isn’t this cracker?” will have American teens itching to enter this world, despite what history brings to Ireland during this time.
The Derry girls are Erin (Saoirse-Monica Jackson), Orla (Louisa Harland), Michelle (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell), Clare (Nicola Coughlan), and James (Dylan Llewellyn). Every character proves their uniqueness in hilarious ways.
James, Michelle's cousin from England, is an honorary “Derry Girl,” supporting the girls in every conflict they get themselves into, as they do the same for him.
This season, the friend group journeyed through a number of adventures, each one of them together for the ride.
Starting this chapter of their lives off right, the “Derry Girls” break into the school, determined to find out their “GCSE” (General Certificate of Secondary Education) results a day before anyone else. The teens end up accidentally assisting two men in the robbery of some technology from their school, only realizing what they did seconds after the men drive away.
At a talent show for the school, the five dress up to sing a “Spice Girls” song, all presented in the appropriate attire to look like Ginger, Sporty, Posh, Baby and Scary Spice. James unexpectedly rocks a black dress, heels and wig while performing.
Episode 5 focuses on the parent’s of Erin, Orla, Clare and Michelle as they spend the night at their high school reunion, reminiscing on old memories. The plot follows their attempt to catch up with an unforeseen friend from school as it leads to the reveal of a secret shared amongst them.
All of the previously mentioned events will not prepare viewers for the shock of the tragedy one of the characters will experience in the second to last episode. As funny as “Derry Girls” demonstrates itself, the writers address tragedy well.
The finale episode ends with a look forward to a year later, the friends having to face new changes and strains growing up will bestow upon them. Will they handle these adjustments with grace? Never. It simply wouldn’t be like the “Derry Girls” to handle it with grace.
The one exception being their graceful participation in voting for the “Good Friday Agreement.” A critical agreement in North Ireland’s history, as residents voted on in 1998 on the issue of peace and a proposed ceasefire between the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Before addressing the technique behind “Derry Girls” inclusion of historical background, there is much to mention about the representation of costume design for the time period.
The five of teenagers attend Catholic school, so their wardrobe typically includes green plaid skirts or gray slacks, green sweaters to match, a white button up shirt and a plaid tie to complete the look.
The costume designers carry out their role in dressing the cast well in their school uniforms, along with the 90’s fashion the teens sport in their everyday lives outside of school.
Another aspect of the show taking it to a higher level of excellency is how it incorporates historical context.
Since the show is set around the impactful historical background of North Ireland in the 90’s, the use of real video clips of events is effective.
Presenting images and videos of the time period portrays the tragic issues the teenagers were living through in a way giving better understanding to viewers. There is no confusion or vague alluding to the events, it is simply stated accurately.
This conflicting historical background contrasts greatly with the comedic side of the show. It reveals a lot about the characters and real people living in Ireland at the time, as they continued to carry out their lives, attempting to ignore the unsolvable problems surrounding them.
While Season 3 of “Derry Girls” kept watchers on the edge of their seats in each episode, something the show is talented at, the ending was quite abrupt.
The director attempts to tie everything together, but the audience might be left feeling like they need more, which is why it rates only a 4 out of 5.
Overall, viewers will absolutely enjoy the unexpected turns of each episode, as there are no points of the season seemingly boring or skip-worthy.
Rating: 4/5
Cassie Baylis is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email ceb6085@psu.edu.
