Derry Girls
By Ava Fineza
logline: The personal exploits of a 16-year-old girl and her family and friends during the Troubles in the early 1990s.
If you’re looking for a step outside of the comfort of American television, look no further than the British comedy, Derry Girls. Derry Girls is hilarious, charming, and super-duper bingeable. While a show like Sex Education takes place in England, the culture and lifestyle aren’t very different from the normal high school setting in American shows and movies. Derry Girls is full of new situations, their culture and way of life are different from what we’ve seen, and the series is in a time and place I’ve never seen on television before. Beyond this new world, Derry Girls provides quick and extremely witty humor, along with an awkward, absurd vibe I’ve seen and loved in Arrested Development and Fleabag. Each episode flows easily and is chock full of jokes, and I loved how some gags are carried across episodes and even seasons. The characters, specifically the Derry Girls, have such great chemistry and banter, and the surrounding background characters don’t just serve to support the main five, they are funny on their own. One really big thing I really admire in the show is how it contrasts the Derry Girls’ adventures with the tension their area is going through. Even in the midst of this politically and religiously strenuous time(known as The Troubles) these teenagers are still able to get into their own shenanigans, mess around and have fun, and it gives me hope to see them thriving through the difficult years they are living in. It reminds me of what we are going through right now, and the show helps me live vicariously through the Derry Girls as they rack up a storm in their own little world. Overall, Derry Girls is a really charming and amazingly funny show and a great choice for spreading your viewing horizons.
Fun Fact: Though they all play teenagers, the Derry Girls are each in their adult years. Nicola Coughlan, who plays the supposedly youngest Claire, is actually the oldest in the group.
My favorite characters:
Louisa Harland as Orla McCool - Besides being able to make me laugh out loud multiple times each episode, Orla is the coolest out of the Derry Girls. She does not care at all for social standards or anyone’s opinions, and while some may see her as lightheaded, we know she wouldn’t give af anyway. Orla’s one-liners are ridiculously funny, and her oddities are a constant to depend on as the others fluctuate in mood. Oh to be a cell in her brain...
Dylan Llewellyn as James Maguire - At first James just seems like the mistreated one, aw feel bad for him, he’s just being made fun of all the time… But Lisa McGee(the creator) takes his character a step further by making him kinda lame, which is hilarious, and also more than just the butt of the joke. He’s a bit lonely, surrounded by a bunch of girls that tease him all the time, and is separated from his mother - not to mention a father isn’t even in the picture. His character reflects this and therefore to me he seems like one of the most realistic ones in the show. Slightly awkward, self-conscious, James can relate to us all, and we love him because of it.
Rated TV-MA for profanity, sexual dialogue, and alcohol & drug usage.
Number of Seasons: 2, renewed for a third season
Where to Watch:
IMDb and Reddit Thread:
