Navigating Adolescence Amidst conflict: The Significant Contexts of Derry Girl’s Final Scene

Isabel Hay, University of Bristol, Film and Theatre BA, Year 1
Close up on TV, formative essay, awarded 76/100 first class.

Derry Girls (Channel 4, 2018–22) is a British sitcom written by Lisa McGee and directed by Michael Lennox. The series was inspired by McGee’s own experiences during The Troubles in Northern Ireland and follows five teenagers growing up in Derry. The plot balances fictional storylines and references to historical events to shape a coming-of-age story of family and friendship. The final scene of season 1 follows Erin (Saoirse-Monica Jackson), Clare (Nicola Coughlan) and their friends at a school talent show. Meanwhile, at Erin’s house, her mother, Mary (Tara Lynne O’Neill), aunt, Sarah (Kathy Liera Clarke), father, Gerry (Tommy Tiernan) and grandfather, Joe (Ian McElhinney), watch a shocking television broadcast of an IRA bombing. I will analyse how this sequence reflects themes of friendship and Irish history, whilst considering the context of the public service broadcaster (PBS), Channel 4.

Neale (2021, pp.47) asserts that genres are cultivated from repeated elements but are further developed by variation. This sequence depicts a tonal shift away from the conventional light-hearted sitcom; a ‘difference’ which achieves two objectives. Firstly, it reinvigorates the genre by subverting expectations, providing new interest and cathartic pleasures. Secondly, it explores the historical conflict in Ireland, adhering to Channel 4’s remits to ‘shine a light on stories untold elsewhere’ (www.channel4.com). Discontinuous editing constructs this tonal shift when the girls joyfully dancing onstage crosscuts to Erin’s house where Mary and Sarah nervously watch a TV broadcast of the bombing. Both actresses are positioned tightly in the frame, holding onto one another and portraying fearful expressions. Concurrently, the upbeat “Like a Prayer” (Madonna, 1989) cross-fades into a low-pitched, non-diegetic orchestral note, effectively evoking a gut feeling of visceral dread to align the audience with the character’s anxieties. The stationary framing directs attention to the broadcaster’s words and the stunned family’s reaction, emphasising this dark, pivotal moment. Furthermore, the two-shot composition of Gerry and Joe presents them in an unusual union, considering their petty conflicts throughout the series. Joe’s placing his hand on Gerry’s shoulder in solidarity conveys the sheer impact of the disaster and creates meaning that love triumphs in times of adversity. Costuming, like the women’s hair rollers, and mise-en-scene, such as the personalised fridge and home furnishings, establish a domestic setting. This, combined with the bombing broadcast, indicates the intrusion of external violence into the home, disrupting domestic security and highlighting the reality of the conflict. Audiences viewing from their own homes may come to a similar realisation, as the verisimilitude of Derry Girls resonates with real Irish conflicts frequently underrepresented in British media.

Channel 4 is publicly owned but commercially funded (careers.channel4.com), therefore faces dual pressures of appealing to advertisers and the public. Debrett (2010) suggests commercialisation sidelines minorities and discourages ‘creative risk-taking’ (pp.19), as the broadcaster seeks mass appeal and subsequent advertiser interest. Derry Girls does not conform to this with its genre-shifting approach and narrative focus on Irish nationality. Whilst this could be a response to 21st-century broadcasting trends of narrowcasting, it also aligns with Channel 4’s responsibility as a PBS. PBS’s may develop specialised channels with unique remit focuses (pp.20), such as Channel 4 which aims to ‘drive innovation’ (www.channel4.com). Through style and narrative, Derry Girls aims to educate its audience on the history of Irish conflict, supporting Channel 4’s purpose to inspire ‘social cohesion and a shared national identity’ (www.channel4.com).

Derry Girls’ effectiveness lies in how it establishes meaningful character relationships to encourage audience identification and then juxtaposes this positivity with the portrayal of Irish conflicts. The re-establishing of Erin and Clare’s friendship before the bombing reveal is crucial for the ending’s emotive impact. Earlier in the episode, Erin’s unfavourable reaction to Clare’s coming out causes a rift between them. The cinematography establishes this with a panned tracking shot of Erin looking mournfully past the camera, underscored by melancholy diegetic piano music. Clare is then revealed from Erin’s subjective point-of-view, unreciprocated eye contact emphasising their disconnect. In the reverse shot, Erin is framed objectively and thus a visual division is created. However, after they both defend Orla (Louisa Harland), their visual treatment changes. Clare and Erin are afforded equal, mirrored framing in a shot-reverse-shot with their eye line meeting, symbolising their reconciliation. The conflicts and reconciliation of friendship is a relatable theme likely to increase audience identification and sympathy. However, when followed by the graver conflict of the IRA bombing, the girls’ personal struggles are brought into perspective, highlighting the contrast between personal and political conflicts.

The spatial change between the school and Erin’s house is matched with a temporal parrel which holds the scenes in direct opposition, establishing a thematic and tonal dichotomy and creating a saddening unity. At the talent show the characters are shown dancing and embracing with joyful facial expressions, establishing an uplifting tone which juxtaposes the sombre scene at the house. The cross-cutting reminds the audience that the friends are oblivious yet surrounded by the harsh realities the adults witness, highlighting the blissful ignorance of youth. The use of slow-motion emphasises the teenagers’ detachment from reality, whilst the realist editing of the parallel scene portrays adults contending with real-world conflicts. The presence of Mary’s baby interrupts the young/old divide, perhaps indicating the inevitable impacts of the IRA violence on future generations.

Concluding the series with ‘Dreams’ (The Cranberries, 1993) creates a cyclical structure echoing the use of the song in the first episode. This reflects the inescapable nature of the violent political landscape in which the girls are growing up, indicating it will deeply shape their adolescence. By focusing on universal themes like friendship and the dichotomy of innocence and maturity, Channel 4 can deliver the niche and culturally relevant narrative of the Irish conflict in a palatable manner, broadening the show’s appeal beyond those who directly relate to the contexts. Ultimately, this was a success as the series received critical acclaim (The Irish Film & Television Academy) and was renewed for a further two series.

Filmography

‘Episode 6’ (2018), Derry Girls, Series 1, episode 6.Channel 4, 8 Feb 2018. Available at: https://www.channel4.com/programmes/derry-girls. [Accessed 11 Feb. 2024].

Bibliography

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Channel 4 (n.d.). Channel 4’s remit. [online] http://www.channel4.com. Available at: https://www.channel4.com/corporate/about-4/what-we-do/channel-4s-remit [Accessed 11 Feb. 2024].

Channel 4 (n.d.). Public service media | Channel 4. [online] http://www.channel4.com. Available at: https://www.channel4.com/corporate/about-4/who-we-are/public-service-media [Accessed 11 Feb. 2024].

Debrett, M. (2010). Reinventing public service television for the digital future. Bristol and Chicago: Intellect: Intellect, pp.15–30.

Madonna (1989). Like a Prayer.

Neale, S., Krutnik, F. and Maltby, R. (2021). FILM, CINEMA, GENRE : The Steve Neale Reader. [online] S.L.: Univ Of Exeter Press, pp.47–56. Available at: https://web-p-ebscohost-com.bris.idm.oclc.org/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook?sid=69bd47c6-31ea-42f4-95ee-d63b39fbf402%40redis&ppid=pp_47&vid=0&format=EB [Accessed 13 Feb. 2024].

The Cranberries (1993). Dreams.

The Irish Film & Television Academy (n.d.). IFTA GALA TELEVISION 2018 WINNERS. [online] http://www.ifta.ie. Available at: https://www.ifta.ie/awards/nominees_tv_2018/index.html [Accessed 13 Feb. 2024].