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Derry Girls: A Series You Don't Want to Miss

When I watched the first episode of Derry Girls a few months back, I had no idea what to expect, having only seen some of the characters on The Great British Bake Off, and I certainly had no idea it would become one of my favorite shows. I quickly fell in love with the girls, and James, of course, and began recommending the show to quite literally everyone I knew. Similar to my experience the first time I watched Little Women, I saw myself in each of the girls and knew my friends and family would too.

Derry Girls follows the lives of Erin Quinn played by Saoirse-Monica Jackson, and her four best friends Orla McCool played by Louisa Harland, Clare Devlin played by Nicola Coughlan, Michelle Mallon played by Jamie-Lee O'Donnell, and James Maguire played by Dylan Llewellyn on their crazy journey of hardships and adventures of living in Northern Ireland in the 1990s. Oh, and of course, all of them (including James) attend an all-girls school.


Season one, which came out in 2018, gave watchers their first taste of each of the girls, and James and took them on a few adventures. Season two, which came out in 2019 was a bit more heartwarming than the first, but both are definitely worth the watch. Season three, which is due to be released sometime in 2021, but has been held back due to the pandemic, should hopefully allow watchers to see the girls on their next adventures, and provide us with a few more heartwarming moments for the group. Hopefully, we’ll be able to see the girls a bit more grown-up.

Derry Girls is by far one of the most heartwarming series’ I’ve ever watched, it reminds us that even during our hardest times we always have the power of friendship. Something that Derry Girls has managed to do multiple times, is sharing the joys of young life, paired with historic events going on in their country that will have you sobbing over a step dance.


Derry Girls always seems to hit all the right notes, never faltering from their niche, the odd group of friends that just works. Truly, every time I watch it I can’t help but feel a ping of jealousy for the insane group dynamic and how well it works. The show always features interesting topics for their episodes that will have you learning about Irish history, all the while laughing, smiling, and crying.

Even better, Derry Girls features the representation of LGBTQA+ characters and sends lots of important messages about being an LGBTQA+ person in the 90s, how a family can do their part, and how a group of friends can be supportive. But, unlike a lot of shows, the sexuality of the characters isn’t the only storyline they follow, though it’s still extremely significant.


Overall, Derry Girls is and continues to be one of my favorite shows I’ve ever watched. The characters are endearing and relatable, and the stories of each episode always hit all the right notes. This show is one you should watch right NOW, it’s available to watch on Netflix, and I can almost guarantee that if you give it a chance, you won’t stop watching until you’ve finished both of the seasons.


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