Hit comedy series Derry Girls is about to return for its final season, and it looks like the group are going to have some tough times ahead.
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The coming-of-age sitcom set in 1990s Northern Ireland has seen the girls (and James) get up to all sorts of mischief together, but the show's cast has now hinted their dynamic could be about to shift.
Speaking exclusively with RadioTimes.com, Orla actress Louisa Harland said: "They face challenges. There's definitely some difficult moments. There are difficult topics that crop up within friendships."
Erin actress Saoirse-Monica Jackson explained: "I think that we've all grown up a lot. And I think they're all starting to think about what they want to do with their lives. And I think that always then has a knock-on effect within the dynamic of a group of friends."
However, she added: "When push comes to shove, they always really have each other's back. So it's lovely to see them all going about their own journeys this time around.
James (Dylan Llewellyn), Clare (Nicola Couglan), Michelle (Jamie-Lee O'Donnell) and Erin (Saoirse Jackson) in Derry Girls season 3 Channel 4
"When you're teenagers, when one person starts to lean outwards, that can often have an effect on a group of friends. So there’s real growth there. And it's nice to see them have their own individual things going on.
"And it's nice to see them really support each other within that, even though they make it very difficult for each other at times to get what they want, or even to be allowed to be heard in terms of how they’re feeling."
It sounds like the characters will really be branching out and discovering themselves as individuals this season, as Michelle actress Jamie-Lee O'Donnell agreed.
O'Donnell said: "All of us have this real individual growth and you can see them maturing as their own individual people, as well as being part of the gang.
"You see characters realising the similarities within themselves and realising that they can help each other grow in certain ways. And we develop and learn new layers to our friendship, and new layers to who we are as people as we're growing up."
Derry Girls season 3 airs on Channel 4 and All4 on Tuesday 12th April. Looking for something else to watch? Visit our Drama hub or check out our TV Guide.
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James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
