Netflix’s new mystery series is the best TV show I’ve watched in 2026 so far — and it’s the perfect ‘Derry Girls’ follow-up

Tom’s Guide Verdict: ‘How to Get to Heaven from Belfast’

Rating: 4.5/5 starsVerdict: “How to Get from Heaven to Belfast” blends the hysterical and very Irish humor of “Derry Girls” with a well-paced mystery plot. Creator Lisa McGee strikes a perfect balance between sarcastic comedy and genre thrills, but it’s the chemistry and camaraderie between its three utterly fantastic female leads that is most heavenly in this Netflix show. Where to watch: “How to Get to Heaven from Belfast is on Netflix from Feb. 12

“How to Get to Heaven from Belfast” is a reminder that you don’t always know what you want. When Netflix confirmed it would be the streaming home of “Derry Girls” creator Lisa McGee’s latest TV project, my wish was a series that would merely offer more of the same. And while there is certainly common ground between the two shows, “How to Get to Heaven from Belfast” sees McGee take a wild swing into the mystery genre. And knock it out of the park.

Compared to “Derry Girls,” “How to Get to Heaven from Belfast” is bigger, both in overall scope and individual episode runtime, more narratively ambitious, and it trades comfort watch pleasures for a twisting yarn that even extends beyond the island of Ireland. But it smartly retains “Derry Girls’” biggest strength: phenomenal comedic writing and great characters.

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“How to Get to Heaven from Belfast” comes from “Derry Girls” creator Lisa McGee and centers on three lifelong friends, Saoirse (Roisin Gallagher), a successful TV writer, Robyn (Sinéad Keenan), a highly-strung mother of three, and Dara (Caoilfhionn Dunne), a kind-hearted carer for her ill mom.

Now in their 30s, they’ve remained close friends, even as life has pulled them in different directions. When they each receive an email informing them that the fourth, long-estranged, member of their childhood gang, Greta (Natasha O’Keeffe), has passed away, they’re reunited in Ireland for the funeral. But they’re back home to do more than pay their respects.

Greta’s death surfaces a buried secret from the friend’s adolescence. When this dark event from their past threatens to spill into the open, the trio is drawn into a knotty mystery that takes them across Ireland and beyond as they hunt for answers and try to figure out who’s behind it all.

(Image credit: Netflix)

McGee’s credentials as a comedy writer are without question. “Derry Girls” is regularly ranked among the funniest comedy shows of the 21st century. Those comedic talents are certainly on display again in “How to Get to Heaven from Belfast.” McGee finds highly creative ways to lace sarcastic humor into the proceedings, even while balancing the show’s mystery momentum

In what other mystery show will you see the lead character stumble upon a major revelation, the one that sets the entire plot into motion, and then seconds later be bickering about how much one character likes lemon drizzle cake? It would have been easy for this leap between tones to have clashed horribly, but McGee finds just the right balance almost every time.

(Image credit: Netflix)

Much of the show’s strengths rest on its cast. Gallagher, Keenan and Dunne are certainly up to the task of carrying the burden. It’s refreshing how much they actually feel like old friends. Saoirse and Robyn will make cutting comments to each other one moment, and then fiercely defend their pal the next. Dara often acts as the peacemaker, making her perhaps the most likable of the trio. But I quickly came to appreciate what each brings to the overall team dynamic.

There’s also great support from Darragh Hand, Michelle Fairley, Emmett J. Scanlan and Ardal O’Hanlon, who you might recognise from his time as Father Dougal McGuire in the beloved Irish comedy “Father Ted.”