Derry Girls New Series

[Taytocrisps]

Counting down the days here.

I’m embarrassed now … Lisa McGee is clearly a much more serious and ambitious individual than I am.

At the top end of primary school my little gang of chums wrote to Lesley Judd, when she graduated from Pan’s People to presenting Blue Peter. (I had completely forgotten that she also presented Woman’s Hour in the 80s.) But IIRC she did respond, kindly. It’s never occurred to me to try to involve her in my grown up occupation!

talking of peaky blinders, that is where I had seen the guy who was in the "fight"

I don't think we're supposed to be getting too literal on the timelines - it's a comedy and they took artistic licence and that's fine with me.

Just listened to the most wonderful interview with Siobhan McSweeny (Sr Michael) on The Today Programme on Radio 4 (8:42am ish) - really quite profound and as ever hilarious. Worth a listen to.

Agree that the season overall was weaker but some really lovely moments. I was sobbing in the polling booth scenes. I was 11 when the GFA was signed and I remember my parents crying and saying that now we had a future. The troubles had started when they were in their teens and had basically robbed them of their youth. It’s sad to think of all the hope there was then and to look back at statesmen like Hume and to see where we are today, with the government basically willing to throw it all in the bin.

But that aside! So much love for the adult characters. Loved the moment between sr Michael and Father Peter, loved Eamon and Colm and the mammies dancing, loved Liam Neeson in the booth - incredible incredible acting. In a way I’m glad we didn’t see the girls in the future - think the ending with Chelsea worked well though was a surprise!

I had waiting so long for Season 3, but was quite disappointed - my main memory is shrieking, mostly from Claire. Nothing could be said at normal volume or in a normal voice. And all of them really were just over acting massively. For the first time, they seemed much older than the characters, too. And the situations just got so ridiculous - the earlier ones were a bit OTT but at the same time, you could relate. This time, they were just too much. Even Sister Michael, who I loved in the earlier series, was almost like a caricature of herself - not passive-aggressive or sarcastic, but just coming right out and saying awful things, which took away the humour for me.

But I did enjoy some of the 90s nostalgia, and thought the GFA vote at the end was very poignant; although I remember it happening, I don't think I realised how much of a choice it was for the people to make, or what the terms of the agreement were and why it was so controversial.

I think the other dimension to Michelle was a good call and how politics split / threaten friendships.

I also thought Clare was pathetic - her character and behaviour regressed through the series whilst the others evolved.

I also wondered why she was in Strabane and not together physically in the last episode - was that because she had a real life commitment clash filming elsewhere?

The montage was great if only to remind you how genius series 1 and 2 were.

for me, season 3 was a bit hit and miss. The ma's episode was phenomenal, and the GFA episode was utter perfection.

But I think the real comedy lies in the little, everyday mundane things - this one, it felt like every week something dramatic was happening to the girls, from the fight with Madstab, the psycho on the train, the ghost house, being arrested by Liam Neeson.....

As we all said yesterday, the biggest issue of the death of clares dad was that it was literally over and done with in less than three minutes. It felt rushed.

But overall, i'm glad its finishing now. I think less is more, and if they stick with just this, I genuinely think it will go down as one of the alltime great comedies for our generation.

The first two series had many amazing ones but my favourite (I think) was the end of series 2, where James’ mother comes back. I loved the coldness of the other mammies towards her and I loved Mary’s cold ‘well it is quite a while ago you dumped him here.’ And I liked the ending of it too. I also loved the wedding, with the auntie coming to complain that the girls had hurt her (adult) son during rock the boat.

I think this entire series has had so few funny / good bits that I’m trying to eliminate it from my brain so that I can still watch the previous 2 series with pleasure . This series was awful , even Sr Michael had become a caricature of herself - she’s cool so we are going to put her in a ridiculous cool car etc , much funnier and better when she was understated and cutting .

@DFOD I assume she was filming Bridgerton

Loved the polling station scene at the end, it was just perfectly done.

I do see what others mean about this being weaker overall, I think most shows go that way after having such an amazing first one or two.

I was holding it together there until nearly the end, but Liam Neeson in the voting booth, and then Grandpa Joe and his wee grandaughter... OMG, bawling my eyes out.

They do don’t they. It seems like shows struggle to hold the momentum. They start off with a punch then sort of whimper out.

I assume it didn't help with one member of the main cast not being available for a lot of the filming and another breaking their leg

Liam Neeson was phenomenal in that scene. Genuinely emotional thinking about it.

And the Granda hopping out with the wee girl was just the sweetest.

Loved the final episode, liked the series as a whole.
But yes - as an ending to the whole thing - it was sublime.
Another one sat here sobbing like a wain....

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0017cht

2hr40mins in Siobhan McSweeney - v funny and interesting

That was a cracking last episode.

Packed to the brim.

I thought the Chelsea Clinton cameo was very well done given how pivotal her parents were behind the scenes (or we are led to believe they were anyway)

Im constantly amazed that Nicola Coughlan is the break out star of the show.

Why?

I've only seen her in Derry Girls. Is she significantly different in Bridgerton?

I thought Jamie-Lee O'Donnell was excellent in Screw.

@CliffsofMohair me too but I think it's how the character has progressed as I seem to recall quite enjoying her in the first season. She was sweet and very funny, her dramatic moments were relatable. Now I find Clare charmless and mostly only there to squeal. Nicola Coughlan is often way too much, even when playing a histrionic little brat of a character. Constantly gurning and shrieking. Partly the writing though- she's obviously been writen shriller and more hysteric as time has gone on. When they don't reduce the character down she's still good- her and Sr Michael waiting for a train was funny.

That said, I thought she was so sweet having that moment with her dad in the Halloween parade. She made a very cute excited angel, and pleasantly surprised me in her understated, beautifully sad reaction coming out of the hospital when her dad died. I also thought other than the dog-whistle pitch shrill bus timetable panic in the finale, they'd calmed her back down & she was much better.

Jerry's reaction to that phonecall, Joe and Jerry watching the bombing news and Liam Neeson in the polling booth are moments that really stand out for me as perfect moments though. I liked that we got to see so many people vote, too- like Michelle's mum, Jim across the road, Father Peter etc.

Oh my goodness. I need to be peeled off the floor after that last episode. So much emotion. Beautifully done.