There's a scene in the second season of "Derry Girls" in which the cool new teacher at Our Lady Immaculate College oversees a bit of hurling practice, encouraging her students to hit the ball while thinking of something they really hate. "Injustice," shouts Erin (Saoirse-Monica Jackson); "Prejudice," yells Claire (Nicola Coughlan). "That the people here use the word 'wee' to describe things that aren't actually that small," squawks James (Dylan Llewellyn), the school's only boy and a British transplant.
It is important to keep James' observation in mind when thinking of "Derry Girls," which recently dropped its third and (sob) final season on Netflix. It went out with a bang, so it did, with a constellation of guest stars, including Liam Neeson playing an increasingly flustered copper, Chelsea Clinton playing herself and a finale that will enter the pantheon of best closing episodes ever.
With a sum total of 19 episodes, most of which run less than a half hour, "Derry Girls" could accurately be described as a lovely wee series. But it's small only like the Kohinoor diamond is small: It may fit in the palm of your hand, but it's still priceless.
