One of the most underrated TV sitcoms has to be Derry Girls. Set in the 1990s in Londonderry, at the heart of the show is a group of 16-year-olds who get themselves in all sorts of trouble. The Northern Ireland based comedy may have only had two seasons but it has accrued a mass following, with fans watching it across the globe.
While season 2 ended on a light-hearted note, we can’t help but think about some things that have remained a mystery or foreshadow future plotlines. With series 3 set to air sometime this year, here are 10 unanswered questions we would like to have answered.
Why did Orla stop doing step-aerobics?
In the season 1 finale, fans discovered that Orla had a passion for step-aerobics and was considering making a career out of it. The episode even closed with the Derry Girls all getting up on stage and dancing with her as she performed in the school talent show.
However, by season 2 there was an implication that Orla wasn’t doing this anymore, but there was no reason given. Did she simply lose interest? Did she suffer an injury that stopped her from doing it anymore? Even if the writers put in a small reference for series 3, we’d like to know what happened.
Who are Jenny Joyce’s parents?
One of the most underrated characters of the show has to be Jenny Joyce. Although the Prefect can be annoying when she tries to get the gang in trouble or boasts about her wealth, we can’t help but love the scenes Jenny has with Sister Michael. There is no doubt that these two have provided us with plenty of comedy gold.
However, one thing the fans would like to know is more about Jenny’s background. Up to now, the only thing we know about Jenny is that her father is a surgeon and she has a trust fund. But could there be another element to her life? Jenny appears to be a perfectionist and a stickler for the rules, but could this be due to her parents? After all, they have never made an appearance, suggesting they are not as involved in her life.
Why didn’t anyone confront Cathy for abandoning James?
In “The President,” fans were shocked to discover that James was thinking about returning to England with his mother. For the past two seasons, he had been taking residence with Michelle and his aunt after Cathy abandoned him without explanation.
However, Cathy made a surprise return to ask James to be a partner in her business. Even though Michelle is the one who delivers the home truths about his mother, none of the parents confront Cathy for abandoning James when he needed her the most. There did seem to be a history between Mary, Sarah, and Cathy, which we would love to see explored. Maybe they were an older version of the Derry Girls.
Where are all the teachers?
Fans of the show are well aware that the gang attends Our Lady Immaculate Girls’ School. However, have you ever noticed that Sister Michael teaches the majority of the classes? Except for Sister Declan (who died in season 1) and Ms. De Brun (who left), there seems to be no one teaching James and the girls.
Is this another running gag or is there another reason for it? Not that we don’t love Sister Michael (because she deserves her own spin-off) but it just seems unusual that she chaperones and teaches all the time. We are probably a couple of episodes away from seeing Jenny take matters into her own hands and teaching everyone.
Did Grandpa Joe see Clinton?
In the season 2 finale, Erin and Orla’s family is excited by the news that Bill Clinton is set to visit Derry. While Erin and Orla are planning to watch Clinton’s speech with their friends, Gerry is dragged into a scheme with Joe to meet the president.
Joe’s determination to meet Clinton is derived from the fact that his brother, Colm, had already met Kennedy. Although Joe is hesitant to invite Colm on the trip, the road trip ends up being pointless when they end up tracing a taxi firm rather than the CIA. However, there was still the question of whether Joe made it back to watch the President’s speech at Guildhall Square? It would have been nice for him to get a win for a change.
The aftermath of Scone-gate
“The Curse” saw everyone get into a pickle when Michelle decided to bring hash scones to a funeral. The girls and James are forced to scramble around the wake for the cakes when they are accidentally distributed among the guests. Once they collect most of them, they end up clogging Eammon’s toilet.
However, when Erin and the family return home, she finds that Grandpa Joe has preserved a few of the scones and watches as he gives them out to the family. However, we didn’t get to see the aftermath. Did Erin stop them from eating the drugged desserts or did they end up getting high? Feels like we missed a key opportunity for some comedy.
What happened after the prom?
In the episode “The Prom,” Clare and the gang take in new pupil Mae, who had transferred in from County Donegal. Clare and Mae become quick friends and plan on going to the Prom together. However, a spanner is thrown into the works when an old classmate of Mae’s reveals she was thrown out for being a bully.
This episode ends with Michelle, Erin, James and Jenny all covered in punch after Mae decided to get revenge on the Prefect. However, the next episode didn’t explain what happened in the aftermath. Did Michelle end up getting a refund on Erin and Clare’s dresses? Did Mae get excluded again? Did Michelle and Erin get suspended for fighting? No one knows.
What’s with Gerry and Grandpa Joe’s rivalry?
From the beginning, it was clear that there was some animosity between Gerry and Grandpa Joe. However, we don’t know why. If Gerry wants to go left, Joe will always be adamant that you go right. If Gerry tries to give Mary a reality check, Joe immediately berates him and threatens to beat him up. He seems determined to oppose Joe.
Fans would like to see this relationship explored more in season 3, especially looking into the source of this hostility. Could it be Joe’s protectiveness over his daughters is it something else? Did Gerry use the last bit of milk? Did he finish his crossword in the paper once too often? We would like to know.
Why doesn’t Michelle’s mother want her bowl back?
One of the many mysteries we will never get to the end of is why Michelle’s mother doesn’t want her bowl back. In the episode “Across The Barricade,” Mary was blindsided by Michelle when the teenager told her that her mother doesn’t want the big bowl back.
The remainder of the episode sees Mary worrying about the object, going so far as to ask Erin to find out if “the big bowl was given to Michelle’s mother by someone she has since fallen out with.” Mary decides the best result is to confront Deidre about it but ends up backing out last minute. The mystery remains unsolved.
Will Erin and James get together?
Another enduring question is whether the writers are plan to put Erin and James together. For the past two seasons, there have been subtle hints that the pair’s relationship could go beyond friendship. The first instance occurred in the episode “Episode 4,” when Erin was the only one worried that James was being taken advantage of by Katya.
It didn’t seem out of the ordinary at the time and was something a friend would care about. However, the episode “The Prom” hinted that there could be something more between the teens when James decided to ditch his Doctor Who convention to take Erin to prom. Is this something the writers are hoping to develop?
