‘Derry Girls’ “is class.” I don’t know about you, but I can honestly say that through these times my favorite things to watch are light-hearted shows. Save for the occasional investment in new Turkish shows on Netflix, I love re-watching sit-coms like ‘Brooklyn nine-nine, and ‘Community.’ But, I can say without a doubt, that ‘Derry Girls’ is a show I could never get sick of watching. I recommend that if you are feeling down, you give the show a go.
‘Derry Girls’ is a British sit-com set in Northern Ireland, specifically in the town of Derry during the 1990s. The show focuses on the lives of 5 teenagers – Erin, Clare, Orla, Michelle and James – as they struggle through adolescence while attending a Catholic Girls’ School, all during ‘The Troubles.’ Their zany situations are entertaining and so is Erin and Orla’s family. You start to feel a part of the family, as you accept Ma Mary and the expected banter between Da Gerry and Granda Joe. This show stands out to me not just for its humor and sarcasm, but because of its relatability and the memories it evokes.
- “Gerry, pass me the wooden spoon”
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I mean, need I say more. Let me quickly provide context, Ma Mary was not cooking something, she was speaking to Erin. Growing up in a ‘coloured’ household, this phrase is not unfamiliar (at least for myself and my friends). Wooden spoon could be substituted with slipper. However, in my household the spoon was the most frequently used. I have noticed though, the threat of the wooden spoon, is all that is necessary to gain the obedience and control of a mischievous situation. When Ma Mary said the line, I felt it resonate with a deep part of my soul. It brought up memories of my grandmother playfully chasing me across the house with the spoon, with an ocean of laughter bubbling to the surface.
- “Pizza is not the same”
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This was the thought repeated about Fionnula’s Fish and Chips shop. I don’t know if my feelings on fish and chips are exactly the same…I don’t think so. But, yet again, I was pulled down memory lane. I can tell you who has a die-hard obsession with fish and chips – my grandma. On occasional Sundays, we would take a trip to Hout Bay, so she could have fish and chips from Fish on The Rocks. Mama’s favourite place! Even just stopping at the fish and chips shop in Woodstock reminds me of Fionnula’s shop. That’s why, when I saw Fionnula’s shop, I could almost smell it and taste it.
- Our Lady Immaculate College
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Uniform – check
Single-sex school – check
Unaware privileged students *cough* Jenny Joyce *cough* – check
These are the perfect conditions to replicate high school life in Cape Town, specifically the Southern suburbs (I cannot speak for other provinces or areas). If not the single-sex aspect of it, then the uniforms which are universal for most South African schools. The moment that really stood out was when the school exchange trip was happening neither Clare, Erin, Orla, Michelle or James could afford the trip, despite really wanting to go. It reminded me of the trips and exchanges that there was no way I could afford to go on. The context also allows for four amazing female leads to be unapologetically themselves, which is evident when creator, Lisa Mcgee, asserted that Michelle doesn’t need to be ‘soft’ to fully embody her character.
- “Really nice use of, you know, letters”
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These are the words that Erin chose to use to the boy that she liked on his band poster. She is so sarcastic, self-assured yet unsure simultaneously, cringey and has the most inappropriately hilarious reactions to situations. Her reactions are just so relatable and I really mean that. She reminds me of many a situation I find myself in. Once my Uber Eats driver pulled up to campus, and stared at me (my friend was with me) while I stood in front of him, saying absolutely nothing for 3 minutes. We both said nothing. Then he asked my name, looked at his screen, said “no” and continued to give me the silent treatment for 3 minutes. At this point I seriously was doubting myself. Then out of nowhere, he pulled out my order and drove away. This tongue-tied situation just reminds me of moments in which Erin has the wrong reactions to things.
I hope everyone gives this show a chance to brighten their day and find moments in it that relates to you. Then you can join the army of people sitting in curled balls waiting for the third season. Become a Derry Girl, because “being a Derry Girl, well, it’s a fucking state of mind.”