Derry Girls creator compares “intense pressure” of writing series finale to new show’s “refreshing” ending

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Derry Girls remains a brilliantly written comedy for its fans, but creating the third season finale was particularly challenging for the show’s creator and writer, Lisa McGee.

McGee has talked before about her decision to end the show when she did. She’s also recently discussed unexpectedly becoming a voice for political opinions while she was writing Derry Girls.

In a recent interview with The I Paper, McGee explained that he felt no pressure to constantly have something new to share. He believes he said everything he needed to through the show itself, admitting the final episode was challenging to write, but ultimately something he’s very proud of.

How did writing the last episode of ‘How to Get to Heaven from Belfast’ feel compared to the finale of ‘Derry Girls’? In an exclusive interview with TopMob, writer McGee explained it was ‘a lot less pressure.’ While still challenging from a writing perspective – needing to wrap up storylines and deliver an emotional impact – it wasn’t as stressful as finishing ‘Derry Girls’.

I was aiming for a story that explored big questions – like, could there be a higher power? The title and certain story elements led me in that direction. It was a complex project with a lot of detailed work, which was difficult but ultimately rewarding. I enjoy pushing myself creatively, even if I don’t always succeed perfectly.

Reflecting on the final episode of Derry Girls, Nicola McGee shared that it was incredibly emotionally charged, as it needed to accurately capture a specific moment in time and people’s feelings. She recalled telling producers Liz Lewin and Caroline Leddy – who she also works with on ‘Heaven’ – that she had an idea for the finale, but secretly hoped they would advise against it.

I explained my idea to them, but they insisted I move forward with it – they really liked it! I was secretly hoping they’d suggest something simpler, maybe even something other than working on the Good Friday Agreement. But looking back, I’m glad I did it.

McGee’s latest show avoids directly addressing the Good Friday Agreement, but it’s full of Northern Irish wit and unexpected turns. The story centers around Saoirse (Roísín Gallagher), Robyn (Sinéad Keenan), and Dara (Caoilfhionn Dunne) who come together after the death of their friend, Greta (Natasha O’Keeffe). What starts as a wake quickly turns into a nationwide journey as the three women try to uncover the truth about what happened.

The show centers around a captivating mystery, but it’s also filled with funny and relatable friendships.

While I was working on Derry Girls, I realized something was missing. I just didn’t see the true feeling of that time period represented much in what I was watching, honestly. It felt like a part of the story was still untold.

We’re complicated people – messy, unpredictable, and often, the ones creating problems. I find those flawed characters the most compelling, and it’s frustrating that men often get to explore that side of themselves while projects focused on women tend to be very serious. We want to have fun and go on adventures too, not just deal with heavy topics.

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How to Get to Heaven from Belfast is available to stream on Netflix.

Authors

Morgan CormackDrama Writer

Morgan Cormack writes about TV and streaming drama for TopMob. Before that, she was an Entertainment Writer at Stylist. She also has experience in content marketing and freelancing, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature.

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2026-02-13 16:34