Warning: The following contains spoilers for Derry Girls Season 3.
Derry Girls might just be one of the quirkiest and most hilarious sitcoms out there to stream right now, and this beloved and unique cast brings these dynamic and relatable characters to life. While most of them have their comedy, intelligence is a whole other thing when it comes to this group.
From the parents to the teens, there is sometimes a lack of brains, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some strong minds among this bunch. It’s time to stack up these characters in terms of intelligence and see who is actually the most intelligent.
Updated on October 18th, 2022 by Amanda Bruce: In fiction, as in life, there are different types of intelligence. Among the characters of Derry Girls, Clare might best embody academic intelligence, but Michelle is better at reading people, and James usually has more common sense than all of his friends. All of that continues to be true in the third and final season of Derry Girls as well. Even as the characters grow and mature, they tend to pay to the same strengths when it comes to their intelligence.
Sarah
Sarah can have some redeeming moments, but, whether it’s totally missing what her sister says or letting sarcasm fly right over her head, Sarah also lives in the world of Sarah—and that’s it.
She’s a likable and sweet character, but, if any fan had to rely on one of these characters for literally anything that involved common sense, intelligence, or problem-solving, Sarah would be one of their last choices. She does prove that she’s great at getting out of complicated social situations in Season 3 and she certainly has a great mind for makeup and style, but outside of that, she definitely lacks some sense.
Orla
It’s no secret that Orla is one of the purest and most hilarious characters on this show, but that doesn’t exactly mean she’s the smartest. Orla is all about the moment, but she’s certainly a bit ditzy, and it makes for some pretty hilarious and cringy Derry Girls moments.
She certainly takes after her mother, and it’s not really a debate that these two are at the bottom of this list. Orla probably has a lot of wild thoughts that are out of this world, but there’s really nothing to show fans that she’s actually intelligent in a more conventional sense. Orla does prove herself a great test-taker in the third season as she and Erin end up with the same exam results, but everyone is very surprised by that.
Joe
Joe has a different kind of intelligence, and it’s hard to really reflect on all of it through this list. Joe has experience and wisdom, but his age definitely holds him back.
Whether it’s radio stations or the president visiting, Joe has had some pretty cringey moments, and he also definitely doesn’t really understand anything about the girls and their adventures, as wholesome as their relationship may be.
Colm
Though Erin’s family and friends might find Colm boring, it’s clear that he’s not unintelligent. He might not entirely be able to read the room when others don’t want to listen to his stories, but he’s definitely a knowledgeable man.
Colm appears to know a lot of seemingly random trivia. He can list historic dates for Ireland, for the United States, world leaders, and recount details of family stories from the past pretty easily. Even when he thinks he gets information wrong, he’s quick (or at least, quick for Colm) to clarify that he’s made a mistake.
Mary
This mother is very similar to her dad, and, while Mary has a good head on her shoulders, she also seems to miss the mark with her close-mindedness. Of all the Derry Girls characters, she makes a lot of mistakes, and she also lets a lot get past her.
She certainly isn’t dumb, but Mary might actually not be as smart as she thinks she is. It’s not to say she doesn’t have wisdom, but her one-track mind makes her a little less intelligent than she should be. Mary seeks to rectify that in the third season with a desire to go back to school and expand her world.
Father Peter
Father Peter made it through seminary school, and he certainly has quite a few creative ideas to get teenagers engaged with the church. His execution of those ideas isn’t always the best, but he is trying.
He’s also more emotionally intelligent than he first appears. He’s fully aware that Sister Michael doesn’t particularly like him, but he persists in trying to team up with her anyway. He even shows a bit of admiration for her decision to push back when the archbishop wants her to leave her post at the school in Season 3. Where Father Peter sometimes misses the mark is in common sense. He is sometimes blinded by his own emotions instead of using logic to see what’s right in front of him.
Jenny
Jenny is clearly academically inclined. She seems to do well in her classes compared to Erin and her friends. She even gets straight-As on her exams in the third season, much to Clare and Erin’s annoyance.
What Jenny lacks is emotional intelligence. She doesn’t see how much other people might resent her when she pushes them, or how badly she sometimes treats her best friend. Jenny doesn’t skip school with the rest of her peers because she doesn’t understand that Sister Michael’s warning is just the headmistress pretending to play by the rules.
Erin
It might seem weird for Erin to be more intelligent than her mother, but Erin does have a more open mind that lets her absorb a lot more information. Of course, out of all the teens, Erin might actually be the least intelligence.
She tries her absolute hardest, but Erin really lacks the whole aspect of common sense, and she also is guilty of living in her own little world. She doesn’t think about the whole plan before she acts, and that puts her in the middle in terms of intelligence.
James
There aren’t a lot of moments in which this quiet guy has a chance to show his hand, but fans already know that James can be both totally smart and totally dumbfounded. Sometimes, things just fly right over his head, and it makes James a totally heartfelt and wholesome Derry Girls character.
However, James can also have moments where he’s literally the only one that calls out the absurdities of the girls’ plans. James knows what’s up, and that makes him one smart cookie.
Clare
Clare is either really smart or way too stressed out, and it might be a combination of both. Clare is another character that really always knows what is happening and what is going to happen, and her anxiety is definitely warranted.
She calls it like it is, and she is the voice of reason that often gets muffled by the spontaneity of the rest of the group. She tries, though, and the group could actually stand to listen to her more.
Michelle
Michelle is a reckless and wild character, but she also proves that it isn’t because she’s short on intelligence. Michelle is the hilarious one that will point out with a one-liner everything that’s wrong or outrageous.
This intelligent character knows herself super well and actually knows others just as much. She has an open mind that allows her to be smart about just about anything. Plus, when it comes to common sense and street smarts, Michelle has it coming in spades.
Sister Michael
There’s absolutely no reason for fans to think that Sister Michael is anything less than intelligent. She sits in the background, but she also knows exactly what is going on at all times—she just doesn’t really care.
Though Sister Michael is a sarcastic and hilarious secondary character, she also has a pretty great mind. She just seems like she would be a good person to ask about pretty much anything—if she would give someone an answer, that is. She’s just as likely to give a snarky response as she is to give a thoughtful answer.
Gerry
Gerry is that sweet and tragic character that says things in the background that no one else really seems to hear. Joe is always on his back, and his kids and his wife are always giving him a hard time. Still, Gerry is always the first to point out something dumb or odd.
Regardless if it falls on deaf ears, nothing really gets past Gerry, and he’s the voice of reason. If no one was going to admit it, fans can at least agree that Gerry is the glue that keeps everyone from falling apart, and he’s definitely the smartest of them all.
