[8.7/10] Another really sweet one. I love the juxtaposition of how, for most of Northern Ireland, this is a momentous day of peace that resonates across the country. But for our young heroes, it’s an equally momentous day -- their high school prom. It speaks to one of the core themes of the show, how there was all this dramatic stuff taking place on a national scale, and which was even present in the lives of young people at the time (see also: the bomb squad blowing up Michelle’s suitcase), but that for the teenagers at the time, this was just their lives, with the same ups and downs other folks had.
This one is definitely sweeter than some other Derry Girls episodes, without skimping on the humor. It’s very cute when Orla decides to take Granda to prom because “he’s the guy I like best,” and the two of them dance together to the 1950s throwbacks. It’s touching when Erin and Clare reconcile, admit they were jealous/miffed and that they’re best friends. And the most wholesome, heartwarming scene in the whole show may very well be James giving up his Dr. Who convention to escort Erin to prom after she’s been stood up and Erin coming down in her Easter dress, because she’d rather be herself with her friends. This show doesn’t often go for the sap, but when it does, they hit hard.
The humor’s top notch too! The girls buying prom dresses on Michelle’s mom’s credit card with the intent of returning them the next day, only for them to get splattered with pigs blood a la Carrie is a great setup and payoff. Mae’s a cool instigator, with the girls’ trying to be friends with her for surface level reasons and getting way more than they bargained for. Everyone freaking out about the television breaking, and Gerry’s harried attempts to fix it are a big laugh, and a nice way to deliver the peace accord news just when the show needs it to happen. Just the girls fretting over how prom will go, and whether Erin’s ex is dating a model or just a girl who’s “done some modeling” brings the same crackerjack dialogue and comical line-reads the show always delivers.
Overall, this is a high water mark for the show, mixing sentiment and humor in a way where both land like gangbusters.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2022-01-25T04:10:18Z
[8.7/10] Another really sweet one. I love the juxtaposition of how, for most of Northern Ireland, this is a momentous day of peace that resonates across the country. But for our young heroes, it’s an equally momentous day -- their high school prom. It speaks to one of the core themes of the show, how there was all this dramatic stuff taking place on a national scale, and which was even present in the lives of young people at the time (see also: the bomb squad blowing up Michelle’s suitcase), but that for the teenagers at the time, this was just their lives, with the same ups and downs other folks had.
This one is definitely sweeter than some other Derry Girls episodes, without skimping on the humor. It’s very cute when Orla decides to take Granda to prom because “he’s the guy I like best,” and the two of them dance together to the 1950s throwbacks. It’s touching when Erin and Clare reconcile, admit they were jealous/miffed and that they’re best friends. And the most wholesome, heartwarming scene in the whole show may very well be James giving up his Dr. Who convention to escort Erin to prom after she’s been stood up and Erin coming down in her Easter dress, because she’d rather be herself with her friends. This show doesn’t often go for the sap, but when it does, they hit hard.
The humor’s top notch too! The girls buying prom dresses on Michelle’s mom’s credit card with the intent of returning them the next day, only for them to get splattered with pigs blood a la Carrie is a great setup and payoff. Mae’s a cool instigator, with the girls’ trying to be friends with her for surface level reasons and getting way more than they bargained for. Everyone freaking out about the television breaking, and Gerry’s harried attempts to fix it are a big laugh, and a nice way to deliver the peace accord news just when the show needs it to happen. Just the girls fretting over how prom will go, and whether Erin’s ex is dating a model or just a girl who’s “done some modeling” brings the same crackerjack dialogue and comical line-reads the show always delivers.
Overall, this is a high water mark for the show, mixing sentiment and humor in a way where both land like gangbusters.