Netflix’s Derry Girls season 3 is hilarious — but one mystery demands answers

Derry GirlsNetflix has released season 3, complete with Liam Neeson appearance and all the hijinks that were shared by the Catholic girls (and James), in Northern Ireland. The show is still hilarious — it’s one of the best comedies you can watch on Netflix — but something in particular from the first episode provoked contemplation.

The Derry Girls visit the local video shop to briefly consider renting. Braveheart Before they leave to execute a scheming scheme, you should see the episode. But first, they run into Sister Michael, who teases them about their exam results before being called to the register to pick up “the new Martin Scorsese movie,” which had apparently been put on hold for her.

First of all — fantastic, no notes. Besides Scorsese being a famously Catholic filmmaker, his dark sense of humor is a perfect match for Sister Michael’s sensibilities. What movie was this? For this moment, I received my journalism degree.

Season 3 of Derry GirlsThe film was set in 1998, the spring. Two Scorsese films that were released at that time by Scorsese are Casino (1996) Kundun (1997). CasinoRenting would make Sister Michael laugh. It’s raunchy, violent, and arguably Scorsese’s sexiest movie. CasinoIn February 1996, the film was released in Ireland and the U.K. while the Oscar-nominated historic epic Kundun In the U.K., it was released in April 1998.

Since she’s at a video store and not at a theater, it’s possible she’s renting Casino and it’s just taken forever for it to come out locally on VHS. But I think the smart money’s on Kundun — it had just come out, and even if it wasn’t quite available on VHS at the time, we’ll allow for some storytelling flexibility from this fictional comedy series. After all, Sister Michael’s charmingly acerbic wit and fondness for colorful language would make her a great fit in just about any Scorsese movie — Mob variant, Catholic variant, or Other.

The show’s attention to detail with period accuracy is one of the many things that takes it from fun, breezy comedy to an actually great television show. It’s the little moments like these that make the world feel lived in (and make the show’s dramatic moments land in a more deeply felt way). Even the fact that the video store employee explicitly put it on hold for Sister Michael, rather than her calling in to reserve it herself, adds an extra layer of detail and insight into the show’s world and the characters that live in it.

It doesn’t matter how, I wish Sister Michael a wonderful time. Her thoughts are welcome. The Irishman Season 31.