Episode synopsis
S1 EP6 – Erin is over the moon when she becomes editor of the school magazine; Orla’s obsessed by step aerobics; Da Gerry is in trouble with Ma Mary; There’s romance for Aunt Sarah.
Cast
Saoirse-Monica Jackson…Erin Quinn
Louisa Harland…Orla McCool
Jamie-Lee O’Donnell…Michelle Mallon
Nicola Coughlan…Clare Devlin
Dylan Llewellyn…James Maguire
Tara Lynne O’Neill…Mary Quinn
Kathy Kiera Clarke…Sarah McCool
Siobhán McSweeney…Sister Michael
Tommy Tiernan…Gerry Quinn
Jamie Beamish…Ciaran
Ian McElhinney…Joe McCool
Beccy Henderson…Aisling
Leah O’Rourke…Jenny Joyce
Best character
It obviously has to be Clare, purely because of her coming out scene. When she says to Erin “I’m not interested in you like that, look at the state of you” makes me cry with laughter every time. Clare doesn’t have many moments of sass but when she does, they’re brilliant.
Favourite scenes
*I do not own the rights to any videos in this post, no copyright infringement was intended. All rights go to the production studio*
Best quotes and one liners
ERIN: [to Orla] Since when have you been troubled by exams?
ORLA: (confused) Exams? What are you on about, Erin?
ERIN: What are you on about, Orla?
ORLA: Step.
ERIN: I’m sorry?
ORLA: Step aerobics!
SARAH: Orla’s got really into step aerobics. Her instructor says she’s a natural. Says she’s got what it takes to go all the way.
MARY: All the way in… step aerobics?
SARAH: But it’s out of control now, Mary. She’s stepping morning, noon and night. Apart from anything else, it’s dangerous. She nearly came through the ceiling yesterday. Okay, she might be gifted, but I just want her to have a normal childhood.
ORLA: I won’t give it up. I can’t.
MARY: How could you have lost the wee docket, Gerry?
SARAH: Aye, everybody knows you have to hang onto the wee docket.
GERRY: Look, I’ve said that I’m sorry!
MARY: There were my birthday photos, for God’s sake.
JOE: There’s definitely grounds for an annulment here, Mary.
MARY: I mean, you only turn thirty-three once.
GERRY: You’ve been thirty-three a few times now, in fairness, Mary.
MARY: Well aren’t you a brave man, given the circumstances.
ERIN: (looking deflated) Where is everyone?
AISLING: (appearing from behind a computer) They quit.
ERIN: What? You’re not serious.
AISLING: They all think what you did was pretty out of order, Erin.
ERIN: I see.
AISLING: And that you’re a bit ruthless.
ERIN: Okay.
AISLING: And cold.
ERIN: Right.
AISLING: And nobody really has any respect for you.
ERIN: Yes, all right! Thank you. Well, I appreciate that you’re still here, Aisling. I really do. I’m not gonna lie. Just the two of us, it’s gonna be tough, but if you’re not afraid of the challenge… (drops briefcase) then neither am I.
AISLING: Yeah. I only came back because I forgot my inhaler.
ERIN: Fine. Puff off! I don’t need you. I don’t need any of you. I’ve got my own people, and we’ll show you up for the amateurs that you are. (shouting after Aisling down the corridor) My people are shit hot! Do you hear me? Shit hot!
ERIN: Let’s just run through some of our favourite ideas. So, firstly, animals.
JAMES: Animals. Can someone elaborate?
ERIN: Yeah. So, this concept would focus on animals, alongside pictures of famous people who look a bit like animals.
ORLA: (stretching) Michelle Pfeiffer looks like a cat.
JAMES: Uh, what’s the next one? Shoes of the-
ERIN: Shoes of the world.
JAMES: And that involves…?
ERIN: So, this piece would concentrate on different shoes from around the world, sitting alongside pictures of… you know, different shoes from around the world.
JAMES: (nods with worry) Okay.
ERIN: So, like, how in Russia they wear boots because-
MICHELLE: It’s Baltic.
ERIN: And in India they wear sandals because-
MICHELLE: It’s boiling.
CLARE: The writing competition?
ERIN: Exactly. There’s bound to be something in here we can steal. We can just steal something, and we’ll-we’ll just steal someone’s idea and we’ll pass it off as our own.
JAMES: Journalistic integrity at its finest.
ERIN: She basically told us we can’t print the story because it’s about a lesbian.
SARAH: Do you not think there’s an awful lot of lesbians about nowadays? You can’t move for lesbians. It’s wall-to-wall lesbians out there.
GERRY: Really?
JOE: Oh, it’s true. Brigitte Gallagher, she’s a lesbian.
MARY: (shocked) Brigette Gallagher, who works in the post office?
JOE: I believe so.
SARAH: Is she not a vegetarian, Da?
JOE: Sorry, you’re right. (nods) Vegetarian, Brigitte is.
SISTER MICHAEL: You know, every year, I sit backstage listening to the singers and it really makes me realise just how talented the professionals who originally recorded these tracks were.
Final thoughts and fun facts
Derry Girls is so good at making season finales that are so emotional, yet full of joy. The very end of the episode where the newscaster is talking about the bombing and it switches between the adults looking concerned, but the girls dancing and having fun at the talent show is just so thought-provoking. Makes me want to cry every time.
According to Lisa McGee (the creator of Derry Girls), the step aerobic routine received lots of praise for being 1990’s specific. McGee admitted that at the time of shooting, she was addicted to step aerobics. She hoped to learn new routines during the production of this episode, but it didn’t happen.
The bomb at the end of the episode isn’t based on a real incident. However, show creator/writer Lisa McGee intended it to be reminiscent of the infamous Omagh bombing, which was the deadliest attack to occur during “The Troubles”. She says: “There were lots of times when your family stood around the TV and just couldn’t speak because this was people in your own place doing it to each other.”
In the original edit, the end sequence occurs during the Madonna song “Like a Prayer”.
I’ve really enjoyed reviewing the first season of Derry Girls, I think it’s been the most fun to do so far. This show is one of my all time favourites and it’s one I will watch time and time again for the rest of my life.
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