The weakest episode of the season.
It was quite tame for most of the first half but quickly escalated during the latter, a relief to my attention span.
I just love the fact that Erin and her father Gerry seemed particularly similar in this episode in how they both were the only ones rationalizing and feeling anxious all the time, albeit in their own way, unlike the rest of the bunch.
Something that I also enjoy about this series is how the comedy and the social satire never feel forced or too on the nose. Many story beats would seem like I've already seen them somewhere else yet not the least bit unentertaining bcoz there have been some pretty impressive minds behind them. The elegance of it all is what makes this absolutely madcap series grounded and easy to connect to and love.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2021-10-03T00:57:44Z
[8.4/10] Oh man, the comic dialogue in Derry Girls is just so good. I’ll confess that I need subtitles to follow it sometimes, but the rapid-fire, back and forth lines about this and that are so darn funny. I just love it.
I also love Gerry as the last sane man in this family, trying to keep all of these nuts together and getting no respect for it. I feel bad for the poor chap, but I’d be lying if I said it weren’t hilarious to watch him finally stand-up to someone, at his family’s urging, only to get nothing but guff from them when he inadvertently makes a waitress cry. Likewise, Granda’s big talk of knowing what to do and having a handle on things, only to get his family trapped in the middle of the Orange parade is a hoot.
If that weren’t enough, the unexpected arrival of a Catholic rebel in the family’s trunk is a nice bit of comic escalation. Emmett is an amusing character in and of himself, with his matter of fact tone about needing to get out of Derry and hiding in a random family’s boot to do so. Everyone’s debates about what to do about him leads to even more laughs.
Plus hey, comedy about people overreading into psychic predictions is always my jam. Sarah’s tarot card guess that they’ll face grave danger on the road, Erin’s attempt to deny it as nonsense, only for her to mistake the “big clock” for a bomb and Emmet’s lighter for a gun is a hoot. There’s some great physical comedy from the actress who plays Erin, and everyone’s deadpan response to it is great.
The smaller gags are good too. Michelle also buying the tarot reading that she’ll meet her soulmate soon, and trying to talk herself into Emmett as the beau got a laugh out of me. Clare’s obsession with finishing Moby Dick and applying it to everything they’re experiencing was worth some yuks. And poor James, everyone slating him for being English/”gay” and making him responsible for the neighbor’s “second best tent” is quite amusing as well. His rant about wanting someone to explain Derry to him because “sometimes I feel like I’m through the fucking looking glass here” is classic.
More than anything, I just love a taste of this cultural experience. I know vaguely about The Troubles, but putting the experiences of cultural anxieties and tensions and even freaking out about having to use different money in a lens of comedy makes it feel like an off-kilter but still fascinating form of tourism. I guess I’ll have to put on my best Australian accent for it.
Overall, another real winner from this show.