Derry Girls review: The girls are back for a final series with a Hollywood star cameo

In the first episode of the new series we join the girls the night before Erin (Saoirse-Monica Jackson), Orla (Louisa Harland), Michelle (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell), James (Dylan Llewellyn) and Clare (Nicola Coughlan) receive their GCSE results.

On a trip to the video shop they find out from Sister Michael (who’s first name is revealed in the episode and let’s just she ‘gotta have faith’) that the school already has the results, so they decide to break in to see what their future holds.

What follows is an out there but still believable caper that sees them all being arrested. The interrogation is brilliant. You can tell the girls are out of their depth and this is solidified when the Chief Constable Byers comes to interrogate them, the Chief Constable is none other than Hollywood legend Liam Neeson, who brings the underlying menace of his role in Taken but is ultimately outwitted by Erin and the gang.

The girls are told they need an adult present for the interview, they know they can’t have their mams know what has happened so Erin decides to call the one person who won’t tell anyone and even if they did start the story anyone listening would have tuned out long ago....Erin and Orla’s great-uncle Colm. It is pitch perfect comedy masterclass in wit and dry delivery that you can feel the life draining out of Neeson’s Chief Constable Byers.

The episode has the touch of nostalgia that anyone who grew up in the 90s loves - the fashion and the trip to the video shop to rent a film for the night.

As much as I love the dynamic of the girls it was great to see more of Erin’s family, especially the tense relationship between Erin’s granda Joe and her da Gerry. Their focus is a particularly troublesome homicidal cat Seamus who has been accused of murdering the local wildlife and takes it too far with a neighbour’s rabbit. This whole storyline had me laughing out loud.

Everyone involved with the show has confirmed that this series will be the last and while I am sad at the thought of leaving Derry, this episode has given me high hopes for the rest of the series.

Derry Girls is on Channel 4, 9.15pm on Tuesdays. You can also catch the series on All4

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