Warning: this article contains spoilers for season three episode six of Derry Girls.

After five weeks of endless hilarity, some poignant moments and one very special flashback, the sixth and final episode of Derry Girls season three made its way to our screens last night.

While there’s still the 45-minute-long special to watch tonight, the conclusion of episode six marks the end of the show’s final season. And if one thing’s for sure, Lisa McGee didn’t hold back from delivering a suitably action-packed finale.

The episode opens with the gang preparing to secure tickets for a Fatboy Slim concert that’s going to be taking place in Derry on Halloween. The woman selling the tickets happens to be a lesbian (or ‘lezzy’, as Michelle puts it) and Clare gets talking to her. 

However, things quickly go wrong when a group of older men show up and thwart the group’s attempts to secure the final five tickets, and the pair’s conversation comes to a swift end.

Not all hope is lost, however, because Michelle has a plan. Unbeknown to the group, she contacts a local station with a made-up story about James being robbed of his tickets, and before long, she’s on TV being interviewed by a presenter played by none other than the incredible Sinéad Burke. Surprisingly, it works, and the group are given VIP passes for the concert, which they attend dressed up as a group of angels. 

After some transport difficulties (aka, Clare’s dad turning up in a tiny car to transport all five of the gang to the concert), they make it to the venue, where Clare decides to go on a hunt for the woman she met at the ticket sale (also known as Laurie).  

Some (read: a lot) of chaos later, the group find themselves being kicked out. However, while they’re being bundled out by the venue’s security guards, Clare ends up face-to-face with Laurie, who tells her she was planning on making a move that night. One thing leads to another, and the pair end up sharing a quick kiss before the security guards bundle the group out of the venue for good.

It’s at this point when Clare receives some awful news about her dad, but we don’t want to focus on that for the time being. After all, Clare’s kiss was the moment we’ve all been waiting for – and the joyful, romantic way in which it was handled felt particularly special in the run-up to Pride month.  

Indeed, while we knew Clare was likely to get some sort of love interest this season – Nicola Coughlan hinted as much when she spoke to Stylist earlier this year – it was brilliant to see the series affirm Clare’s identity in such an understated but beautiful way, especially because her decision to come out to her friends formed such a pivotal moment at the end of season one.  

It was also wonderful to see Clare react to the kiss in such a Clare way (as soon as the kiss is finished, she asks Laurie whether they’re now ‘going steady’), not only because Coughlan is so good at delivering Clare’s signature one-liners, but also because it’s reminiscent of the kind of awkward moments we all go through when we’re a teenager.

However, as we’ve already mentioned, Clare’s joy is short-lived. When the gang are discussing her first kiss, Erin’s dad shows up and tells them that Clare’s dad has been taken to the hospital – and after an agonising wait, we learn that he has passed away.

If one thing’s for sure, fans were not expecting season three to end this way. And in regular fashion, they took to Twitter to share their thoughts after the episode ended.

“How am I supposed to watch that episode of Derry Girls and just move on with my life???” read one response.

While another added: “I am not okay after that episode, so much happened I’m all over the place.”  

Fans also pointed out how brilliantly the episode highlighted the reality of loss.

“This new Derry Girls episode was everything, it’s exactly what death is like,” wrote one Twitter user. “Nothing prepares you for it, one minute everything’s fine and the next they’re gone – fucking amazing.”

“Derry Girls really said that life is not a linear series of events,” added another. “The worst parts of your life can and will co-exist with the best parts and there is no telling if/when those will be. So, you just have to try and make the best of every situation as it comes to you. They were right!” 

If there’s one thing for sure, Lisa McGee is brilliant at portraying all of life’s moments in the most relatable, sometimes heartbreaking way – and while we’re sad to be waving goodbye to Derry Girls, we’re glad we got one final taste of her magic before the show ended.

All six episodes of Derry Girls season three are now available to watch on All4. A special extra episode of Derry Girls will air tonight on Channel 4 at 9pm.

Images: Channel 4