Part of the reason why Derry Girls has become such a rollicking hit is because of its colorful cast of oddball characters, all of whom get into hysterical situations at one time or another. Since the series takes place in Northern Ireland during the end of The Troubles in the '90s, it's an environment ripe for chaos and instability, as well as lasting bonds of friendship.
Everyone living in Derry is on edge, and between the armored checkpoints and bomb scares, Erin Quinn and her friends have enough to worry about just trying to survive adolescence and high school. As altruistic as she is, Erin's capable of quite a bit of mischief, just like her band of friends, and even her eccentric family.
Erin: The Toto Hoax
After Erin believed she'd lost her family dog for good, she spied what she thought to be Toto running free in the streets of Derry. She followed the scrappy terrier into a chapel where, while she was searching among the pews for Toto, the rest of the girls perceived the statue of Mary to weep.
In reality, Toto was taking a wee on the level above, a tributary of which passed through the floorboards and down the statue's face. While the rest of the girls thought the "miracle" was enough to get them out of their exams, Erin believed it would help her earn the affections of handsome Father Pete, and she kept the scam running to its horrendous, hilarious conclusion.
Michelle: Almost Burned Down The Chip Shop
When the girls were trying to come up with ways to earn their passage to Paris on a school trip, the nefarious Michelle had the brilliant idea of stealing the job board from the local chip shop. Despite thinking they'd have a monopoly on all the best jobs, Michelle was made before they were even able to begin working anywhere.
The girls had to clean up the chip shop for free as punishment, and if that wasn't enough, Michelle decided to raid Fionnula's liquor cabinet. She poured several shots for the girls and set them on fire for a bit of excitement, and as if that wasn't enough, she dropped them on the carpet and nearly set Fionnula's apartment and the chip shop below ablaze.
Clare: Cracked At The Pressure
At the very start of the series Clare made it known that despite the affinity with her friends, she'd crack at the slightest amount of pressure put on her by figures of authority. Clare had made a huge display of solidarity only moments before going into Sister Michael's office, but despite her vow that the girls needed to all accept the consequences together (regardless of Michelle's actions), she proved she had no loyalty.
Sister Michael didn't even have to apply any squeeze to the girls for Clare to expose Michelle, immediately naming her as the ringleader of the incident despite the fact that she had told all of them they should convey a united front. Clare's inability to back her friends was not only cringey, it was disloyal.
James: Tried To Hide The Scones
Michelle decided to bring "funny scones" to Aunt Bridie's wake, but no sooner had she shown them to the gang than they were ripped out of her hands and taken in to be served to the guests. This required the girls (and James) to hunt down all the scones (including taking one right out of Sister Michael's hands) and destroy them.
James had the brilliant idea of flushing them all down the toilet because he'd watched Goodfellas enough times to know that's what should be done with illegal contraband. Unfortunately, stuffing all the scones down one toilet made it back up and flood the bathroom entirely, causing water damage that even ended up affecting Aunt Bridie's exposed body.
Orla: Read Erin's Diary
While mostly being content to spend time in her own little world, Orla occasionally joined her family and friends outside the augmented, fantastical reality she'd built for herself and truly embraced her interests, whether it was step aerobics or reading Erin's diary.
Orla stole Erin's diary and not only read it aloud to the family and Erin's friends, but managed to get it confiscated so that it is read by sisters at Lady Immaculate as well. The worst part was Orla didn't even see it as an incredible breach of Erin's privacy.
Mary: Killed Aunt Bridie
Erin's mother Mary wasn't incapable of some mischief of her own (the Toto hoax was partially her fault after all, like mother like daughter), and nothing was more mischievous than Mary's venomous words to her own Aunt Bridie, which caused her to drop dead right in the middle of a wedding reception as though Ma Mary was some sort of witch.
For days afterward, Mary was convinced she was capable of making hexes, and even her own father acknowledged that the women in their family had the gift of the dark arts. Hex or no hex, Mary did try to prevent Bridie from being buried in her mother's earrings, which caused quite an upset with the rest of the family.
Aunt Sarah: Upstaged The Bride
Sarah is Erin's flashy aunt who seemed too self-involved to cause serious harm to anyone around her, including Orla, whom she left her own devices. Sarah's primary faux pas was upstaging the bride at a wedding the family attended by wearing a white gown, a white fur wrap, and a tiara.
While all eyes were on her, Sarah clearly didn't mean any harm by her ensemble, she just didn't know how to dress in any way other than outrageous. Unfortunately, no one else saw it as an innocent mistake, and she had to field a barrage of disparaging comments all night.
Gerry: Made The Waitress Cry
Erin's father Gerry was nothing if not friendly, compassionate, and encouraging. Despite his best efforts, his family tried to rob him of his ebullience at every chance, especially Grandpa Joe, who viewed him as a complete failure of a husband and a father.
In an effort to prove he could stand up for himself when he needed to, he caused a scene at a diner that was incredibly out of character, and one that he immediately regretted. Here's hoping Da Gerry can continue to show his newfound backbone without becoming as ornery as Grandpa Joe.
Grandpa Joe: Constantly Made Fun Of Gerry
One particular instance can't stand out from the incessant barrage of insults Gerry has suffered at the tongue of Grandpa Joe. Joe always saw Gerry as an inappropriate match for his daughter, and he reminded him of the fact every day, even going so far as to question his parenting choices with Erin when he disagreed with them.
There was the sneaking suspicion that Grandpa Joe was warming up to Gerry in a truly heartwarming episode at the end of Season 2, but Joe would never admit it. Instead, he hid any fond feelings behind a truculent mood and scalding words.
Sister Michael: Kept The Holy Statue
Fans of the Derry girls themselves might have viewed Sister Michael as a dictatorial tyrant who's every action was an act of aggression against them. Sister Michael was just doing her job, in fact, and the girls often had it coming with their wild and errant ways.
The one act that Sister Michael committed by her own volition was inviting members of St. Benedict's school to Lady Immaculate to hand off the Child of Prague, the visiting holy statue, and then at the last minute keeping it for herself. Had she just passed it along as protocol dictated, it wouldn't have been ripe for destruction from Erin and her Derry gang.