Derry Girls

Derry Girls is one of Netflix’s newer tv shows, first coming out in January of 2018. The show revolves around a group of four teenage girls in the mid 1990’s in the tumultuous city of Derry, or Londonderry, in Northern Ireland. Early in the first episode, the audience gets a taste of the normalcy of the civil conflict of the area when it is reported that there is a bomb on the city’s main bridge, but everybody’s main concern is whether the bus will be able to pick the kids up for the first day of school. Although the sparse exposition on the conflict that takes place during the show makes some parts confusing, the lack of knowledge on the conflict doesn’t interfere with the enjoyment of the teenage comedy.

 Knowing about the conflict only deepens the meaning and engagement of the already enjoyable show. The writing of the show is also genuinely good as it is able to create a storyline that is funny, dramatic, and heartwarming. This is also because the characters in the show are compelling and plausible while still being entertaining and having good chemistry. The show keeps it interesting by putting its characters into situations that are unique to their circumstances while still being reminiscent of the American teenage comedies we all know and love. The show currently has two seasons on Netflix with six episodes each—each episode is 22 minutes long.