“Derry Girls” creator, Lisa McGee has done it again with her new Netflix show, “How to Get to Heaven from Belfast.” The dark comedy, eight episode series released on Feb. 12 and is a murder mystery, “whodunit,” story that features the same chaos, ridiculousness, and humor that made “Derry Girls” stand out.
“How to Get to Heaven from Belfast” follows three life long friends, Saoirse (Roisin Gallagher), Robyn (Sinéad Keenan), and Dara (Caoilfhionn Dunne), who are called together when they get an email saying their estranged friend, Greta (Natasha O’Keeffe) has died and inviting them to the wake in County Donegal. The supposed reason for her death, falling down the stairs. When the three arrive in County Donegal, they immediately realize something suspicious is happening. For starters, they are the only ones at the wake and Greta’s family is unsettling to say the least. They act in a robotic, hive-mind fashion and seem emotionless.
After the girls are thrown out of the wake, they decide to investigate Greta’s death, albeit they are not very good at it. They end up in a car chase, stranded at sea on an inflatable banana, locked in a tower, etc. McGee stated, “The idea of finding nearly the worst people to solve this thing was very amusing to me.” Their journey takes them all across Ireland and Saoirse, Robyn, and Dara must face Greta’s strange family and an underground protective order, all while also staving off the Garda aka the police. McGee craftily wrote the show, weaving together multiple story lines to keep viewers on their toes.
Saoirse, Robyn, Dara, and Greta were a tight knit friend group during their time at Our Lady of Sorrows School. However, one night changed everything. After a horrific accident that was ultimately Greta’s fault, the girls had to keep a dark secret between them. Eventually, the weight of it became unbearable for Saoirse, Robyn, and Dara, deciding they could no longer be friends with Greta.
When Saoirse, Robyn, and Dara come together to solve this mystery they become school girls again. Making fun of each other, arguing with each other, but ultimately working together. The dynamic between the three is similar to that of friends in “Derry Girls,” Erin, Orla, Clare,
Michelle, and James. Both groups continuously end up in absurd, comical situations that seem impossible to get into in the first place. In both shows, one of the themes is life-long friendship. That even though relationships can and will change over time, true friends will always find a way back to each other.
In fact, fans of “Derry Girls” will be able to recognize multiple actors from “How to Get to Heaven From Belfast” from McGee’s previous show. Saoirse-Monica Jackson who played Erin in “Derry Girls” plays Feeney, an eccentric, crazy young girl who is a part of the underground order. It was originally established to help young girls in horrific situations find a way out and offer a fresh start at life. Even though Feeny is an extremely different character than Erin, Jackson was able to create a realistic, authentic performance.
A unique element to this show is McGee’s use of flashbacks to develop the main character’s past experiences. Most of these flashbacks center around Greta, making her elusive. Much of her character is developed through her younger self, giving viewers a sense of who Greta is before she comes to terms with who she actually is. These flashbacks also portray the internal struggle within Greta, something McGee did for the adult character Saoirse as well. In her adulthood, Saoirse is haunted by what happened with Greta, and almost feels responsible for it. McGee shows this turmoil by having young Greta “appear” as a figment of Saoirse’s imagination.
While another season has not yet been announced, the final episode of “How to Get to Heaven from Belfast” ends on a cliffhanger. Viewers are hopeful it will be renewed as critics continue to praise the show. It seems to be a matter of how well the show does on Netflix, with McGee noting, “I’ve left it open for a second series but it’s all completely down to how many people watch. I’d love to do one.
