Pop Culture Happy Hour: How To Get To Heaven From Belfast

Date: February 17, 2026
Host: Linda Holmes
Guests: Greta Johnson (host of Happy to Be Here) and Jeff Yang (cultural critic, author of The Golden Screen)

Episode Overview

This episode spotlights the new Netflix series How To Get To Heaven From Belfast, created by Lisa McGee of Derry Girls fame. The hosts dissect the show's blend of dark comedy and mystery, focusing on the dynamics of three messy, lifelong friends who confront trauma from their youth as they try to unravel the circumstances of an old friend's death. The panel explores the show's unique tone, standout performances, cultural specificity, and McGee’s narrative techniques, offering a spirited review for fans of character-driven dramedies.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Series Setup and First Impressions

• Premise: Three middle-aged women—Saoirse (a TV writer), Dara (a caretaker for her mother), and Robyn (a mom of three)—learn of their friend Greta’s death and attend her wake, reigniting concern over a dark secret from their youth.
• Initial Thoughts
  • Greta Johnson: Found the show delightful and well-balanced, praising its substance beneath the comedic surface (04:24).
  • Jeff Yang: Admitted slow initial engagement due to expectations set by Derry Girls, but ultimately found the show's character work and payoff rewarding (05:14).

    "I went into kind of this place where by around the middle, I was like, I really don't like this show. And then I kept on going...over time, I not only turned around on it, but I ended up really kind of loving it." — Jeff Yang (06:09)

2. Tone, Pacing & Narrative Style

• Mix of Comedy & Trauma: The series juggles heavy themes like grief with "wackiness," which kept hosts engaged (04:24, 05:04).

  "There's definitely a mix of like heavy stuff and funny stuff that is hard to accomplish." — Linda Holmes (05:04)

• Pacing Critique:
  • Both Linda and Jeff discussed the show's deliberately slow, "pretzel-like" narrative that can initially frustrate viewers but ultimately pays off (06:35, 08:04).

  "But if you stick with it, it definitely pays off. And it's at the end of it, I mean, I just wanted to see more of these girls." — Jeff Yang (06:31)

3. Characterization & Performances

• Three Leads’ Chemistry: Panelists were unanimous in their praise for the unique, well-drawn main trio; no one is relegated to “straight woman”/wet blanket roles (10:55, 14:03).

  "So often in like a three-person group, I will have, like, a clear favorite...I was interested in all of them." — Linda Holmes (09:48) "There's not really a straight woman in that group. They're all funny and they're all silly, and I thought that was cool." — Linda Holmes (14:03)

• Standout Acting: Special mention of Kalyn Dunn as Dara for her “odd duck” energy and nuanced, queer representation (09:48).

• Casting Flashbacks: Hosts praised the casting of younger versions of the characters, remarking on their uncanny resemblance and emotional continuity (11:09).

4. World-Building & Cultural Texture

• Lisa McGee’s Signature Style:
  • Detailed, authentic sense of place and community, as with Derry Girls.
  • Jeff noted the “exotic fascination” and specificity of Irish culture, including references he had to research (08:20, 09:35).

    "All of a sudden I understood what it was like to stumble over the pronunciation of names and be confused by the political and ethnic differences...For me, it was very refreshing that way." — Jeff Yang (08:44)

• Cultural Jokes: The show’s use of Irish in-jokes, like mistaken references to the IRA and BUPA (a health insurer), highlighted by Linda and Jeff (09:41).

  "Nobody joins the IRA anymore, Mama. Your cousin Mary did. Only last month, Mary joined isis. Mommy." — Linda Holmes (09:42)

5. Structure & Meta-Narrative

• Meta Touches:

  • Show playfully references TV writing (Saoirse’s profession), nodding to creative self-awareness and including inside jokes about creators like Jesse Armstrong (Succession) (13:39).

• Comparison to Knives Out:

  • Jeff noted an initial “shaggy dog” setup reminiscent of ensemble mysteries, but credited McGee with skillfully landing the complex resolution (12:33).

6. Soundtrack & Tone Management

• Party tracks and lively background music balance out the darker narrative currents, preventing the show from getting too heavy (13:41).

7. Ending & Potential for More

• Satisfying Conclusion but Open Door:
  • The panel appreciates the “barreling” momentum toward the finale but note that certain threads are left for potential continuation (15:11, 15:51).

    "If they don't ever make it again, I feel fine about it. I don't feel cheated...But at the same time...maybe they'll be back. And I would watch them again." — Linda Holmes (15:11)

• Hope for More Lisa McGee Projects:
  • Greta is excited to see what McGee does next, praising her versatility beyond Derry Girls (16:23).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "There's a wackiness to it. And there's also still, like, a fair amount of substance, which I really appreciated."
  — Greta Johnson, on the show’s unique tone (04:24)

• "The narrative is very pretzel like and opaque for...the first five episodes. But if you stick with it, it definitely pays off."
  — Jeff Yang on pacing and reward (06:20)

• "These are not really actresses that, that I knew well. And so just watching them kind of, I don't know, hang out, I thought was so entertaining."
  — Linda Holmes, praising the cast's chemistry (07:55)

• "There's not really a straight woman in that group. They're all funny and they're all silly, and I thought that was cool."
  — Linda Holmes (14:03)

• "You don't have, like, the wet blanket, just, like, bummer lady, which is nice."
  — Greta Johnson (14:34)

• "It's kind of a mutual hands in the middle kind of thing. And she does that here really effortlessly."
  — Jeff Yang, on group dynamics (14:45)

• "I would never want there to be a mystery and have them be like, we're not solving it. Come back next time."
  — Linda Holmes, on satisfying endings (15:11)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [02:49] — Introductions of the panel
• [04:15] — Greta Johnson’s first thoughts on the show
• [05:14] — Jeff Yang’s shifting impressions and show’s pace
• [06:35] — Linda on pacing and character enjoyment
• [08:20] — World-building and cultural context
• [09:41] — Irish jokes and references
• [10:55] — Analysis of main characters and casting
• [13:39] — Meta TV references and humor
• [14:03] — Group dynamics: no “straight” character trope
• [15:11] — Discussion of season finale and potential for more
• [16:23] — Looking forward to Lisa McGee’s next work

Final Takeaway

The panel lauds How To Get To Heaven From Belfast for its sharp blend of humor and drama, complex but rewarding plot, rich sense of culture and place, and the winning performances of its three leads. While some found the pacing slow at first, all agreed the show sticks the landing—with enough lingering intrigue to hope for another go-round, or at least more Lisa McGee projects in the future.

For more lively commentary and pop culture picks, listen to the full Pop Culture Happy Hour episode.