TV
Derry Girls: Humor in the Mundane and Political Unrest
‘Derry Girls’ is a British sitcom about five teenagers living in Northern Ireland during the Troubles
The show begins with a monologue, as do most great shows. We are shown around the place we will soon be falling in love with — Derry.
It’s a good monologue too. It’s a narration which is as typical as these teen shows or movies usually are. But when the scene changes to our sleeping protagonist — Erin Quinn — the real one, that’s where everything comes together.
If Erin is sleeping, who’s doing the inner monologue? Well, the answer to that is her cousin — Orla. The cousin who is reading from Erin’s personal diary.
And from then on, Derry Girls will take hold of your attention and, of course, your heart.
Digs at the British
Set in the 1990s, during the Irish-English civil war called the Troubles, it shows us the lives of five teenagers and the people around them. They all reside in Derry, Northern Ireland, and are intertwined in each other’s lives in a wholesome way.
Despite the show’s name though, the group of friends does consist of a fella — James — an English boy who has to go to the same college as the girls because everyone is afraid he would get beat up in the boys’ college.
The girls’ college’s name being Our Lady Immaculate College does so much with so little to make the situation funnier. And to top that of, everyone mistakes poor James for a girl.
But it’s not James’ fault for being treated in such a way. He’s just English. Yes, that’s it. Blame everything on the British. Mostly because they’ve ruled over half or most of the world (My country included).
Also, James dislikes greasy foods, which warrants for him to get bullied by our female protagonists. Who’d say no to chips? Wise up, James!
Portrayal of Youth during Political Turmoil
I don’t believe there’s been a timeline in our collective human history where we didn’t have some kind of political turmoil. Everyone’s been at each other’s throats since the dawn of time.
And Derry Girls shows us this unrest through actual footage from that time period; news broadcasts about riots or bombings, which were rampant during the time of the Troubles.
All five of our protagonists are dealing with their own adversities which are shown in a lighthearted manner, laced with deadpan humor. Erin aspires to be a writer. Orla is, well, Orla. We have the anxious and intelligent Claire, who can’t control her compulsiveness. Michelle is a wild teenager. And then there’s James — poor misunderstood James.
Despite the politically charged environment around them, these five teenagers are living their lives, and making the best of what they have.
Ultimately, this is what makes the show so relatable and wholesome.
Lovable Characters
There are not enough shows out there that do all of their characters justice. There will always be one or two people you’d hate in a show, but this is not the case for Derry Girls.
All our protagonists, all the side characters — even the ones who are only shown for a few moments — are all so wonderfully written. They all have their own comedic timing and ways to build their own fanbase.
Uncle Colm is the prime example. He doesn’t have many scenes but when he speaks, he steals the show. How so? Well, he keeps speaking, and talking, and it goes on and on. His stories never end and he gets sidetracked quite easily.
In short, he’s the real storyteller and everyone needs to hire him to write essays. He will definitely fulfil all the word count limits.
But aside from him, there’s the local shop keeper Dennis, who’s shown for a handful of moments in the entirety of the 3 seasons. His signature words throughout these scenes have been, “Get out!” And the delivery is superb.
Not to forget Sister Michael, the headmistress of Our Lady Immaculate College. She’s a force of nature! All her scenes are hilarious and her delivery is immaculate. See what I did there?
Mary (Erin’s mom): Should we say a wee prayer first, maybe?
Sister Michael: Yeah, I’d say our lord is up there now, looking down on the world, thinking the floods and the famine can wait, for there is a child in Derry who needs me to magically alter the contents of an envelope.
Inclusivity to Strive For
What’s more inclusive than having a boy attend a girls’ college? That’s a rhetorical question. The answer is “nothing”.
James attends Our Lady Immaculate College and he’s part of the Derry Girls. He is loved by his friends, um, in their own way. But he is loved regardless.
Him being a boy is used as the butt of a joke more than a couple times, but the show’s absurd humor lets us know that it isn’t just James who gets this treatment. Everyone is made fun of, one way or another.
James: Just be confident, Erin. Boys like that.
Michelle: How the f**k would you know what boys like?
James: Because I’m a boy, Michelle. I’m a real live boy.
Orla: Oh, yeah, like Pinocchio.
There’s also the continuous running joke of James being gay, while Claire has explicitly come out as a lesbian. Oh hey, more representation. But that’s rarely mentioned by anyone in the show because there are far more layers to her personality which trump that one trait.
One of the Best Comedy Shows out there
I can only describe this show as extremely funny and wholesome. There are moments where the jokes caught me by surprise, and the same can be said for the emotional scenes.
I absolutely love everything about this show. From the accents to the historical references combined with the mundane and deadpan humor. Everything about Derry Girls is an example of perfect writing. You can tell how much this show was written with heart and attention.
As much as the history surrounding the show is important, so is the story of these five teens. Derry Girls teaches us how fleeting it is to be young. It also teaches us that being a nun will give you free accommodations, as mentioned by Sister Michael. But let’s focus on the serious lessons here while we move on in our own lives.
Because as Michelle once mentioned — being a Derry Girl is a state of mind. And there is nothing better that sums it all up.
Hope you enjoyed reading this piece on the British teen sitcom, Derry Girls. You can find and support more of my work here on Medium. Thank you for reading!
