The third and final season of Derry Girls debuted on April 12, and the first episode had an exciting surprise for viewers of the show. Northern Irish actor, Liam Neeson, made an unexpected cameo on the show, playing a very deadpan Chief Constable Byers.
Derry Girls follows five Northern Irish teenagers in the 1990s, towards the end of the Northern Ireland conflict, through their exploits and many misadventures in Derry. The five friends often find themselves in absurd and crazy situations, which was the case when they ran into Neeson’s character. Chief Constable Byers is introduced when he is questioning the girls after they attempt to break into their school to find out their GCSE results. As these things go, they inadvertently help a pair of thieves stage a robbery of computer equipment in the process, leading to their arrest.
Without giving too much away, the entire scene perfectly encapsulates why Derry Girls’ brand of comedy has been a hit. A highlight of the nearly four-minute clip sees Neeson’s character go head-to-head with Saoirse-Monica Jackson’s character, Erin Quinn, and lose. However, it was Kevin McAleer’s Colm McCool that proved too much for Chief Constable Byers.
Neeson's appearance on the show was met with shock and delight from fans. Though he is primarily known for his dramatic and action roles, the actor has taken on several comedic roles in the past. Neeson has previously had comedic turns in A Million Ways to Die in the West, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, and Ted 2. However, he is widely known for his roles in the Taken franchise, Non-Stop, the Star Wars franchise, Batman Begins, and Schindler's List, for which he received a Best Actor Academy Award nomination.
After a three-year hiatus, Derry Girls' return to the small screen was positively received. Besides Jackson and McAleer, the TV show also stars Louisa Harland, Nicola Coughlan, Jamie-Lee O’Donnell, Dylan Llewellyn, Tara Lynne O’Neill, Tommy Tiernan, Ian McElhinney, Siobhán McSweeney, and Kathy Kiera Clarke.
The comedy series was created by Lisa McGee who tweeted after the episode, saying it was an honor to have the Oscar-nominated actor on their “wee show."
Derry Girls is currently airing every Tuesday on the UK’s Channel 4 until its finale, however, American viewers will have to wait till the season hits Netflix to catch up on the show. Until then, curious fans can watch Liam Neeson’s appearance on Derry Girls below: