The Channel 4 hit series Derry Girls season 3 blasts back onto UK screens on April 12, but the trailer for its third and final season hints at its dark true story. Despite the show's happy-go-lucky nature, being set in 1990s Northern Ireland presents a set of sinister circumstances that have been confronted in the first two seasons. With the release of the Derry Girls season 3 trailer, audiences were left clinging to snippets to inform them of what can be expected from the upcoming season, including the political elements of the story.
When Derry Girls first came on the scene in January 2018, it was "the most watched series in Northern Ireland" (via The Irish News) and quickly became a favorite of amny, particularly once the show joined Netflix in late 2018. Derry Girls revolves around four Derry teenagers, Erin (Saoirse Monica Jackson), Orla (Louisa Harland), Michelle (Jamie-Lee O'Donnell), and, despite rumors of a reduced Derry Girls season 3 role, Clare (Nicola Coughlan), along with their unlikely companion, James/the wee English fella (Dylan Llewellyn). The five of them attempt to navigate their unruly teenage years in Northern Ireland while the streets around them are patrolled by the military. Set in the midst of The Troubles, the show reflects the political unrest to the audience through the lens of the protagonists - five teenagers who are more worried about whether they should wear a denim jacket to school than daily bomb threats.
The Derry Girls season 3 trailer strongly suggests that the religious politics of 1990s Northern Ireland will remain a key feature in the atmosphere of the final season. This is hardly surprising considering season 2 concluded with the announcement of a ceasefire in Northern Ireland. Yet the political relevance in the trailer suggests a deeper look at how the protagonists are directly impacted by the unrest, similar to Kenneth Branagh's recent movie Belfast. 1990s Northern Ireland was riddled with military occupation, and the Derry Girls season 3 trailer begins with a news anchor informing her audience of a troubled peace protest, followed by Michelle exclaiming that "it's all anyone ever bangs on about"- a perfect example of the show's brilliantly developed teenage lens. Even when the trailer alludes to the characters being involved in some kind of raid, the only thing James can muster is that he is "going to die a virgin." Though the teenage perspective is more than obvious, audiences have yet to encounter the protagonists in a genuinely threatening situation, and the allusion to a raid hints that that may be the case in the third season.
Having English James as one of Derry Girls' protagonists amidst The Troubles presents an opportunity for plenty of jokes, and moments where the characters are lovingly mean to James. Derry Girls season 3 will be no exception, judging by the trailer. Michelle makes a dig at James because of the "racket [he's] making," which he says is only his breathing. "It's English breathing, James," Michelle retorts, backed up by Erin who calls his breathing "oppressive." Though this moment in the trailer is fleeting, it acts as another important hint that season 3 will continue to dig into the political atmosphere in Derry.
Exploring a serious historical moment can often lean in a serious direction, but by using the perspective of teenage protagonists, Derry Girls creates a tone that invites the audience to relate to the real people who experienced The Troubles. This technique of manipulating perspective was recently highlighted in Kenneth Branaugh's Oscar-winning film Belfast, inspired by Branaugh's upbringing in Northern Ireland. In that instance, the audience is dropped into the middle of the conflict along with nine-year-old Buddy (Jude Hill). In Derry Girls, the protagonists are slightly older, but still children with a fresh perspective.
Derry Girls season 3 will mark monumental moments in Irish history while waving goodbye to some of modern television's favorite characters. The new trailer hints at a political focus, but that the show will not sacrifice its signature coming-of-age humor. It will be interesting to see how the final season and its characters finally confront The Troubles head-on.
Derry Girls premieres April 12th on Channel 4.