“Derry Girls” is Witty, Fun & A Teenage Must-Watch

Sarah Abernethy

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“Derry Girls” is Witty, Fun & A Teenage Must-Watch

“Derry Girls” is Witty, Fun & A Teenage Must-Watch

January 6, 20194 min read

Editor’s Note: This article contains spoilers from Season one of “Derry Girls”

The slew of TV shows and movies directed at teens are often a never-ending battle between fluff, mediocre acting and a lot of the time, absolute garbage. There are few shows that successfully encapsulate what it really means to be a teenager, without being cliche or condescending, and even fewer shows that can do so in a way that is honest and funny, all while touching upon issues bigger than teens themselves.

Derry Girls is an Irish TV show, recently brought to Netflix. It centres around a group of high school girls (and one English boy), in Northern Ireland during the early 90s, and the Troubles (civil conflict between Northern and Southern Ireland).

Through the six episodes of the first season, the girls navigate accidentally creating hilarious catastrophes in their small town LondonDerry. Between setting things on fire, handling personalities at their all-girls Catholic school, and accidentally witnessing what they believe to be tears on the statue of the Virgin Mary. The comedy is witty, over the top and incredibly suitable for the way the story is told. Each character has endless quirks, resulting in priceless comedic banter, which is, in turn, a more realistic dramatization of teenage interactions than many teen dramas themselves.

Much of the fashion and attitudes of the characters are reminiscent of those in the earlier seasons of British show *Skins*, though *Derry Girls* carries its own kind of atmosphere. There is something to be said for choosing to set a show in the 90s when the current world might be considered more approachable or readable by teens. But, I think honesty can be found in that. Today’s teens don’t always need to be educated on how social media affects high school life, because simply, they are living it, day in day out. Getting to know what it’s like in the 90s, prior to so much of that, and then still being able to relate to things? In some ways is even more powerful.

The civil unrest in Ireland is a major component of the plot in the show and because of this, all of the characters have strong political ideals and affiliations. Seeing a group of young girls caring about social and political events, is never a bad thing, particularly in today’s political climate. Other important conflicts are highlighted as well, including religion in personal lives, and LGBT issues.

The girl group in the show is quite real, and a lot of the first season just focuses on the relationships between them. Aside from English boy James, and the occasional appearance of a good-looking musician, the girls are focused on more than just falling in love. The sisterhood is evident.

If you’re looking for a laugh, something relatable or just the warmth of a good girl group, look no further.

Derry Girls has already been renewed for Seasons 2 and 3.

Featured Image via IMDB