British comedy “Derry Girls” returned for its third and final season, first premiering episodes on Channel 4 April 12 and finally added to Netflix October 7. The show became successful on the British channel, surpassing the comedy Father Ted. Set in Northern Ireland in the town of Derry, viewers follow four teenage girls and one teenage boy attending an all-girls Catholic secondary school during the Irish conflict, the Troubles.

In the newest season, the friends experience their last year of high school and again, they easily find ways to involve themselves in peculiar situations and, unsurprisingly, trouble. This time, they deal with the topic of what their future holds. A shift in romantic plotlines occurs as James, the teenage boy in the group, confesses his crush on and kisses another member, Erin. Clare finds herself a date and explores her sexuality after she states her queerness in the prior season. 

The group also faces ups and downs when they attend Clare’s father’s funeral and deal with the release of Michelle’s brother from prison toward the end of the season. The series concludes on a sentimental note with the characters in the show casting their votes on the Good Friday Agreement with the nostalgic soundtrack, “Dreams” by The Cranberries playing in the background.  

Coming-of-age TV shows address the basic plotlines of growing up, but “Derry Girls” uniquely brings the perspectives of teenagers living through political conflict. The show’s creator, Lisa McGee, reflects back on her experiences growing up during the Northern Ireland conflict and illustrates the issues unique to other portrayals. She writes her characters using the same aspects of her life including the parents of Erin working in the same occupation as McGee’s parents. McGee uses humor and lighthearted nature despite addressing topics of political conflict, contrasting with serious depictions. Through the personality of each teen character in the tight-knit friend group, they still include the mischievousness of kids and adolescent drama destined to exist while living among events related to the Troubles. 

“It’s been surreal because the show is based on my life and inspired by my teenage years, so, you know, the house that the Quinn family lives in was very much designed using pictures of my family’s house. The uniforms are basically the same as my school uniform; they even have the same model on the crest. People always say they’d never want to go back and relive their teenage years, but I kind of did, and it’s been so weird and lovely,” McGee said.

“Derry Girls” does not follow the nature of other never-ending coming-of-age shows. The ignorance of the actors aging and appearing too old to play teenage roles 

can attribute to shows experiencing a downfall. Viewers can feel tired of the never-ending portrayal of adolescence and without the conclusion of the characters finally maturing. “Derry Girls” ends the show after three seasons, acknowledging that the actors began approaching their thirties. They also leave the audience satisfied with the group growing out of their teenage years and finding their way through adulthood. The characters move on to fulfilling their dreams, showing that adolescence does not last forever. 

“I would obviously love to see more of the characters that I have grown to love in the more seasons but with the timeline of the show and the history behind it, I like how it left off. It leaves the future of the characters open to viewers which I really like, especially because I can’t be disappointed by them,” junior Layza Wenclevski said. 

The Chant’s Grade: A-