"Derry Girls" Has Just Ended – Here Are 12 Side-By-Sides Of The Cast In The First Episode Vs. The Last Episode

I'm not feeling Mary Quinn's hair journey if I'm honest.

🚨 Warning, this post contains spoilers for Derry Girls season three!! 🚨

It's a sad time! Channel 4's hit comedy, Derry Girls, has come to a magnificent end, and we must bid farewell to the girls and their families for at least the time being.

Peter Marley/Channel 4

Fingers crossed for a movie or a spin-off series!!

This show was really in a league of its own, balancing brilliant comedy with poignant scenes, relatable storylines, '90s nostalgia, and an authentic insight into Northern Ireland's troubled history. Not to mention the terrific cast and their respective characters were simply sublime!

Channel 4

Let's have a look back at how every single Derry Girls main character has changed from when the show debuted in 2018, to when it ended today!

1. Saoirse-Monica Jackson as Erin Quinn

Peter Marley/Channel 4

Remember when Erin wanted to wear a denim jacket instead of a blazer to school, and her mother quashed her attempt at standing out? Well, not much changes! In tonight's special episode, Erin's still squabbling with her mum over her birthday party plans.

Our main gal has been through crushes, her first kiss (with James!), and voting for the first time in a seismic referendum. At the end of the special, she hints that she might write some of her experiences down, and I think we're supposed to believe – in a meta way – Erin's writing becomes Derry Girls. I'm not crying, you are!!

2. Louisa Harland as Orla McCool

Peter Marley/Channel 4

"Sub-normal" Orla has gone from likable goof to, well, an older likable goof! She's still as confident and kooky as ever, and I can't wait to see what our chocolate fountain-loving, shellsuit-wearing, step aerobics queen does next.

3. Nicola Coughlan as Clare Devlin

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Clare has probably been through the biggest transformation of all the girls, both in terms of her sexuality and the loss of her father. Even though she's moved to a different school and town, anxious Clare is still a Derry girl through and through!

4. Jamie-Lee O'Donnell as Michelle Mallon

Channel 4

Michelle is a complicated soul! Throughout the series, we've been mostly privy to her foul-mouthed, boy-loving side, but she's also shown that she really loves her friends – even her "prick of a cousin" James!

In tonight's special, we also learned that Michelle's brother is a paramilitary prisoner who could be granted early release as part of the Good Friday Agreement. Naturally, Michelle feels conflicted about her brother's early release due to his involvement in a man's death, and her disagreement with Erin on the subject is emblematic of how Irish people felt about this particular part of the Agreement. Though she's a bit of a horndog, it's clear from tonight's finale that Michelle is a deep thinker too.

5. Dylan Llewellyn as James Maguire

Channel 4

James arrived in Derry not knowing which side was up! From impersonating Posh Spice to nearly losing his virginity and finally confessing his love to Erin, James has definitely become a Derry girl, as seen in the emotional season two finale episode. Long live the wee English fella!

6. Siobhán McSweeney as Sister George Michael

Channel 4

The stern and often callous headteacher of Our Lady Immaculate College is probably one of the greatest comedy TV characters of the last five years. At the end of Derry Girls, it looks like Sister Michael's time at Our Lady Immaculate is almost up, but due to her tenacity and a visit of two from one Father Peter (who I think she quite likes deep down), Sister Michael lives to scald another day!

7. Tara Lynne O'Neill as Mary Quinn

Channel 4

Erin's tough but fair mother gets a new lease on life this season when she decides to go to university and study English. She's still as devoted to her family as ever, but at least now she has a microwave to help her juggle uni and homemaking!

8. Tommy Tiernan as Gerry Quinn

Channel 4

Erin's browbeaten father must continue to juggle the constant demands and lowkey abuse from his ~eclectic~ family, which is now even bigger due to cousin Eamonn moving in! Let's hope he still finds the time to perfect his Australian accent should he need it again.

9. Kathy Kiera Clarke as Sarah McCool

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As glamorous as she is inadvertently hilarious, Aunt Sarah is still forgetting she has a daughter nineteen episodes later! At least Episode One Sarah would be glad to know her eyebrows are still in great nick by the end of series three.

10. Ian McElhinney as Joe McCool

Channel 4

Joe is still fiercely protective of the women in his life, and pretty awful to the men in his life AKA Gerry. Across three series he's tried his hand at dating, tried to track down a president, and taken his granddaughter to a prom, amongst a whole host of other things. Also, shout out to young(er) Joe from Series Three, Episode Five!

11. Leah O'Rourke as Jenny Joyce

Channel 4

I gotta say, my lowkey fave is Jenny. Remember her "Monday morning" song, for Christ's sake — what a legend! Jenny is an overachieving teacher's pet to the very end, but you just know she'll take over the world one day.

12. Kevin McAleer as Colm McCool

Channel 4

From having his van stolen by thieves to facing off with the RUC (in the shape of Liam Neeson), Colm hasn't changed a bit! At the end of the show, it looks like he might have cousin Eamonn move in with him for a bit of company, but ironically, he finds him too boring to live with.

Who is your fave Derry Girls character and why? How are you feeling now the show has ended? Let us know in the comments below!