Derry Girls’ finale serves as powerful reminder about importance of Good Friday Agreement
The cast of Derry Girls. (Channel 4)
Derry Girls has finally bowed out after three perfect seasons – and fans are having a lot of feelings.
The critically-acclaimed Channel 4 series ended with an hour-long special set in 1998, the year the people of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland voted in favour of the Good Friday Agreement.
The episode follows our beloved derry girls as they grapple with the legacy of violence, the release of paramilitary soldiers, and whether they should vote “yes” or “no” in the referendum.
The powerful finale has already won acclaim – it’s been showered with five star reviews – and fans were quick to share their emotional reactions on Twitter.
Fans heaped praise on Derry Girls for educating the world on the Troubles
Many pointed out that the show has done more to educate the British public about the history of the Troubles than the UK’s education system has done.
Others heaped praise on creator Lisa McGee and the show’s stars for humanising the “ghost story” of the Troubles by showing it from the perspective of a group of teenage girls from Derry (and one English boy).
Derry Girls also won praise for refusing to shy away from the painful realities of the Troubles – in a devastating montage of historical clips, the episode draws attention to Bloody Sunday, at which the British Army murdered 13 civilians.
Nicola Coughlan’s ‘wee lesbian’ finally got her first kiss
Fans were also blown away by Clare, played by Nicola Coughlan, finally getting her first kiss in the show’s penultimate episode, which aired on Tuesday (17 May).
Clare came out as the “wee lesbian” in the show’s first season, but she’s never had the chance to meet another queer character. That’s why it’s such an endearing moment when she meets Laurie, another lesbian.
Towards the end of the episode, Clare and Laurie share a heartfelt kiss – tragically, her joy is quickly cut short when she learns that her father has been rushed to hospital after suffering an aneurysm. The episode ends with Clare’s father dying.
The shocking turn of events sent fans into a tailspin.
Derry Girls might be done, but its legacy will live on.
Across three seasons, it made us laugh, made us cry, and it served as a powerful reminder about just how fragile peace really is.
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