{"id":470480,"date":"2026-02-12T16:03:16","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T16:03:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/470480\/"},"modified":"2026-02-12T16:03:16","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T16:03:16","slug":"netflixs-new-mystery-series-is-the-best-tv-show-ive-watched-in-2026-so-far-and-its-the-perfect-derry-girls-follow-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/470480\/","title":{"rendered":"Netflix\u2019s new mystery series is the best TV show I\u2019ve watched in 2026 so far \u2014 and it\u2019s the perfect \u2018Derry Girls\u2019 follow-up"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tom’s Guide Verdict: ‘How to Get to Heaven from Belfast’<\/p>\n

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<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cHow to Get to Heaven from Belfast\u201d is a reminder that you don\u2019t always know what you want. When Netflix confirmed it would be the streaming home of \u201cDerry Girls\u201d creator Lisa McGee\u2019s 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, \u201cHow to Get to Heaven from Belfast\u201d sees McGee take a wild swing into the mystery genre. And knock it out of the park.<\/p>\n

Compared to \u201cDerry Girls,\u201d \u201cHow to Get to Heaven from Belfast\u201d 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 \u201cDerry Girls\u2019\u201d biggest strength: phenomenal comedic writing and great characters.<\/p>\n

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I will fully admit a personal bias to anything related to (Northern) Ireland, as my family hails from the region, but even putting that aside, \u201cHow to Get to Heaven from Belfast\u201d is easily the best TV show I\u2019ve watched on not just Netflix, but any streaming service in 2026 and it will take something seriously special in the months to come to remove it from its lofty perch.<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

What is \u2018How to Get to Heaven from Belfast\u2019 about?<\/p>\n

How to Get to Heaven from Belfast | Official Trailer | Netflix – YouTube
\n\"How<\/p>\n

Watch On <\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cHow to Get to Heaven from Belfast\u201d comes from \u201cDerry Girls\u201d creator Lisa McGee and centers on three lifelong friends, Saoirse (Roisin Gallagher), a successful TV writer, Robyn (Sin\u00e9ad Keenan), a highly-strung mother of three, and Dara (Caoilfhionn Dunne), a kind-hearted carer for her ill mom.<\/p>\n

Now in their 30s, they\u2019ve 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\u2019re reunited in Ireland for the funeral. But they\u2019re back home to do more than pay their respects.<\/p>\n

Greta\u2019s death surfaces a buried secret from the friend\u2019s 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\u2019s behind it all.<\/p>\n

\u2018How to Get to Heaven from Belfast\u2019 is good craic, and highly compelling<\/p>\n

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\"(L-R)\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Netflix)<\/p>\n

McGee\u2019s credentials as a comedy writer are without question. \u201cDerry Girls\u201d is regularly ranked among the funniest comedy shows of the 21st century. Those comedic talents are certainly on display again in \u201cHow to Get to Heaven from Belfast.\u201d McGee finds highly creative ways to lace sarcastic humor into the proceedings, even while balancing the show’s mystery momentum<\/p>\n

Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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\"(L-R)\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Netflix)<\/p>\n

Much of the show\u2019s strengths rest on its cast. Gallagher, Keenan and Dunne are certainly up to the task of carrying the burden. It\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also great support from Darragh Hand, Michelle Fairley, Emmett J. Scanlan and Ardal O\u2019Hanlon, who you might recognise from his time as Father Dougal McGuire in the beloved Irish comedy \u201cFather Ted.\u201d<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

The mystery itself, which I\u2019m being somewhat vague about so as not to reveal any secrets, is also extremely well-plotted and crucially well-paced. The first episode teases a flashback sequence hinting at something bad happening in the trio\u2019s youth, and viewers aren\u2019t made to wait the entire eight-episode run to get at least some answers.<\/p>\n

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\"Ardal\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Netflix)<\/p>\n

\u201cHow to Get to Heaven from Belfast\u201d rewards viewers regularly. It avoids the pitfalls of other mystery shows, where the lead-up to the finale is nonstop teasing, and the conclusion is rushed to tie everything up.<\/p>\n

\u201cDerry Girls\u201d was praised for its period-appropriate \u201890 music (and introduced a whole new generation to The Cranberries). \u201cHow to Get to Heaven from Belfast\u201d opts for a similar approach, leaning heavily on 2000s pop, though the throwback soundtrack is less successful this time around.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s undoubtedly nostalgic for anybody with fond memories of the era, but it doesn\u2019t always pair well with the events on screen, particularly in the more dramatic moments. The noughties school disco soundtrack robs some key scenes of impact.<\/p>\n

\u2018How to Get to Heaven from Belfast\u2019 sets a high bar for Netflix shows in 2026<\/p>\n

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\"Scene\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Netflix)<\/p>\n

\u201cHow to Get to Heaven from Belfast\u201d is the perfect follow-up from Lisa McGee following the success of \u201cDerry Girls.\u201d It doesn\u2019t entirely stray away from what made McGee\u2019s previous work such a worldwide success, but it brings in enough new elements to not feel like a rehash.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a mystery-comedy show with a compelling sense of mystery and dependably strong comedy writing. You can\u2019t really ask for more in the genre. Saoirse, Robyn and Dara make for an excellent amateur detective trio, and even with the longer episodes compared to \u201cDerry Girls\u201d (each runs 45 minutes long), McGee is pleasingly economical with her storytelling.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been looking forward to streaming \u201cHow to Get to Heaven from Belfast\u201d since I first heard it was in development several months back, and it certainly doesn\u2019t disappoint. It might not be as endlessly rewatchable as \u201cDerry Girls,\u201d but \u201cHow to Get to Heaven from Belfast\u201d is far more bingeable.<\/p>\n

Watch “How to Get to Heaven from Belfast” on Netflix<\/a> now<\/p>\n

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Follow Tom’s Guide on Google News<\/a> and add us as a preferred source<\/a> to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. <\/p>\n

More from Tom’s Guide<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Tom’s Guide Verdict: ‘How to Get to Heaven from Belfast’ Rating: 4.5\/5 starsVerdict: “How to Get from Heaven…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":470481,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[49,48,75,348],"class_list":["post-470480","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-entertainment","tag-tv"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/470480","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=470480"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/470480\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/470481"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=470480"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=470480"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=470480"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}