Derry Girls' Season 3: An Uncertain but Hopeful Future for the Youth of Northern Ireland

 The political backdrop of the Irish comedy is more prevalent than ever before in Season 3.

The final season of Derry Girls, Netflix's hit comedy about spirited Northern Irish teenagers Erin Quinn (Saiorse-Monica Jackson), Orla McCool (Louisa Harland), Clare Devlin (Nicola Coughlin), Michelle Mallon (Jamie-Lee O'Donnell), and "wee English fella" James Maguire (Dylan Llewellyn), debuted this October. Featuring guest stars from Liam Neeson –– playing a beleaguered Royal Ulster Constabulary officer –– to Chelsea Clinton, the series ticks along at a more frenetic pace than usual, at times appearing unfocused and frantic even amid its trademark absurdist humor.

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However, the show's finale brings to light the complexity of Northern Ireland's future after the Troubles, a more than two-decade period of sectarian conflict that provides an uneasy backdrop to the friend group's mostly adolescent concerns. The teenagers and adults of Derry Girls must decide whether to accept the peace deal –– landmark legislation designed both to broker a power-sharing agreement between the country's various political parties and to mark the official cessation of hostilities between the IRA (Irish Republican Army), the British government, and Protestant paramilitary groups.

The Girls Grow Up

Image via Channel 4/Netflix

Where before their national and political identities were determined by forces beyond their control, Erin, Orla, Clare, and Michelle finally have the opportunity to make a choice about their country's future, however uncertain it feels. Michelle is particularly affected by the outcome of the deal, as her older brother, Niall, has long been imprisoned for a political murder. Since the deal stipulates the early release of paramilitary prisoners, she's under significant pressure to vote "yes," which puts her at odds with Erin, who's horrified by the idea of convicted criminals walking the streets. However, Erin comes to believe that peace –– and a safe future for her family –– might matter more than punishment for wrongdoing in a decades-old sectarian conflict.

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An Agonizing Choice

Image via Channel 4/Netflix

This agonizing choice reflects the questions posed in the wake of the prolonged civil strife in Northern Ireland. How can Catholics and Protestants reconcile the legacy of such heinous acts with the deep need for an end to the conflict that has torn their country apart? What does it mean to achieve peace at any cost? The lack of a clear answer to this predicament is understandably difficult for Erin, the show's moodiest protagonist, to handle. Ultimately, it's her grandfather, Joe (played by an ever-hilarious Ian McElhinney), who reminds Erin of the overwhelming need for positive change –– for his battle-scarred generation, which had its young adulthood stolen by the Troubles; and for millennials like his granddaughter and her friends, who can't remember a time before the conflict. The strategic camera time given to Erin's much-younger sister, who won't remember the decades of fighting, suggests the promise of a peaceful future, despite the immense personal and political sacrifices that voting for the deal entails.

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More importantly, young people like Erin Quinn and her friends at last have the opportunity to decide what their futures should look like. The show thus beautifully balances its characters' raucous coming-of-age with the complicated political realities they've inherited –– and now have the chance to participate in.