
Derry Girls Season 2 was a joy to behold and with another season on the cards, JOE had the chance to chat with the cast and reflect on the last six episodes
Cracker!
With Season 3 of Derry Girls on the horizon, now’s the perfect time to reflect on those last six episodes, and unlike that famous wake when Michelle brought the ‘funny’ scones, things were slightly more normal when JOE had the chance to chat with Lisa McGee (writer/creator), Nicola Coughlan (Clare), Dylan Llewellyn (James), Louisa Harland (Orla), and Saoirse-Monica Jackson (Erin).
Here’s what they had to say on…
The opening scene when Orla interrupts Erin taking a bath.
Just like the very first scene in the show, Season 2 opens with Orla gatecrashing a very private moment of self-reflection for Erin when she’s in the bath and imagining what it’s liked to be interviewed by Terry Wogan.
“I want it to be a tradition with Orla just having no sense of personal space and always eating! Lisa did that very well, it’s a throwback to the Season 1 opening scene and it was so funny. One of our favourite things that’s never referenced in the show is that we just assume that the McCool’s live with the Quinns. It doesn’t need to be referenced, it’s not an issue. I don’t think I ever leave that house!”
The famous chalkboard.
We may only be in April but the scene depicting the differences between Catholics and Protestants is already a strong contender for the TV moment of 2019.
Protestants keep their toasters in cupboards, Catholics go to Bundoran.
You know what we’re talking about.
“Some of it was scripted and some of it was from our art department, they just went to town,” said Lisa McGee.
“A lot of it was quite freeing for the art department because they got to write down so much. It was hilarious to see the final board. When we filmed it and turned the board around – even though we all knew that it was going to happen – it was just hilarious. We were all in bits trying to film that scene. It’s just ridiculous seeing all these things but there’s so much truth to all of these statements!”
Louisa Harland really hopes that every season of Derry Girls opens on her character being hilariously-intrusive!
“I want it to be a tradition with Orla just having no sense of personal space and always eating! Lisa did that very well, it’s a throwback to the Season 1 opening scene and it was so funny. One of our favourite things that’s never referenced in the show is that we just assume that the McCool’s live with the Quinns. It doesn’t need to be referenced, it’s not an issue. I don’t think I ever leave that house!”
Given the popularity of the show, Nicola Coughlan said that this platform will never be something that the cast take for granted.
“I think a lot of the time, you’re given such a huge platform and it’s a privilege. Especially working on a show that people love so much. I think that you can choose what you want to do with that. You can use it to self-promote and, you know, get stuff like free teeth whitener sent to you! But it’s a choice. Or, you can use your own voice to amplify those that don’t”.
“That’s why I choose to do that march through Westminster which was a terrifying thing to do. However, the thing is that the women in Northern Ireland were 100% behind us during the repeal the 8th campaign. So, I feel that it’s wrong to turn our backs on them now. Also, the fact that I play a gay character on TV, I take that very seriously – even though it’s a comedy. That’s why I take so much of an interest in LGBTQ issues. Shooting a scene like Clare coming out, I took that so seriously because I wanted to get it right.”
Getting the music right.
Music has consistently played such a key role in Derry Girls because the soundtrack is pure cracker.
“For some of the songs, they’re written into the scene. Like, getting Dolores and The Cranberries into the show was always a very deliberate thing because she’s on Erin’s bedroom wall. Erin and myself are massive Cranberries fans and also, Dolores’ voice does so much work for you. You know, she’s just so enchanting,” said McGee.
“We need so much music that there are moments when you realise that we need more. The rest of the choices are sort of a collaboration between me, the director, the editors, the music supervisors. We all come in with ideas and that’s where Independent Love Song came in. That was an editor that made that decision. It was such a brilliant, brilliant idea. There are bits of music that aren’t in the script, so it’s a massive collaboration. It’s so mental, I’ve only been listening to ‘90s music for the last three years!”
Potential romance between James and Erin?
After James showed up to save Erin’s night, plenty of people were think that their might be a romantic spark between the pair.
Here’s what Lisa McGee had to say on that: “I think that I’ve always had a feeling that there might be something between James and Erin. I think though that it might not develop until they’re older, you might never see it. I think a reason why James puts up with so much is because of Erin. You know, that’s just my thinking. I don’t know how much of that we’ll see, or where that will go.”
What’s in store for Season 3.
There was no need for the studio executives at Channel 4 to catch themselves on because straight after Season 2 ended, a third season was commissioned.
Here’s what Lisa McGee had to say about what fans can expect:
“Obviously, the political timeline is a bit tricky and I’d need to do a lot of sitting down and thinking about how to work the plot out. I’d love to get the story up to the Good Friday Agreement but that’s tricky. You know, we’ve ended Season 2 with Clinton’s speech in Derry that took place in ’95. It’s a bit of a way off but I just need to work all that out. Definitely, the Good Friday Agreement was the biggest moment in my lifetime and it was huge for Northern Ireland. It would be a shame not to try and tell that story”.
Source: Derry Girls cast and creator break down the best moments from Season 2 | JOE.ie