Compare How to Get to Heaven from Belfast, Season 1 vs DTF St. Louis

The leads stay recognizably themselves even while making disastrous choices. Reviewers appreciated that later scenes tend to explain apparent contradictions through history, personality, and the long habits of friendship.

One critic felt Floyd’s willingness to cheat clashes with the kindness established elsewhere, making that choice feel out of character.

The finale earns credit for a clever turn and for resolving major questions, but the reaction is far from unanimous. Other reviewers found it perplexing, tonally split, or less satisfying than the stronger start.

The season-ending episode is praised for delivering a satisfying emotional wallop while tying the mystery back to the characters’ loneliness and vulnerability.

The opening is an immediate hook: reviewers call it a doozy, sharply funny, and fascinating. It establishes danger, friendship, and mystery quickly enough to make several viewers want to keep going almost at once.

The premiere sharply divides reviewers. One calls it especially strong, while several others find the opening disjointed or off-putting before the series improves in episode two and beyond.

The central friendship and buried-secret mystery give the season a strong narrative engine, and most reviewers stayed invested. The recurring caveat is sprawl: side plots, identities, and escalating conspiracy can become more complicated than the emotional core needs.

The broader story draws some of the harshest disagreement. Supporters see a fresh, well-written mystery about loneliness, while detractors think the crime framework stretches or obscures stronger character material.

Opinion splits sharply here. One critic saw familiar shows being reworked and rehashed, while another argued that McGee turns the genre mash-up into an exception through meta storytelling and a distinctive comic voice.

Reviewers frequently call the show unique, audacious, fresh, or difficult to compare with anything else. Even critics who note a familiar murder hook often praise the unusual way it is told.

For many reviewers, the comedy-mystery-thriller blend is exactly the appeal: strange, dark, funny, and unpredictable. The dissenters found the same mixture overstuffed, uncertain of its identity, or weaker when the crime mechanics took over.

The dark comedy and character drama generally fare better than the murder-mystery machinery. Some critics call the blend ideal, while others think the crime framework is conventional, distracting, or unnecessary.

The friendship does more than trade insults: the women are pushed to own their choices and repair damaged trust. Reviewers found that reckoning genuine, especially when the story connects present behavior to older wounds.

The ending gives Clark meaningful consequences for his neglect and selfish choices, and one finale analysis finds that isolation a fitting outcome.

The early run is commonly described as propulsive and addictive, while the later stretch divides opinion. Some liked the escalating road-trip energy; others felt the mystery stretched, repeated itself, or lost momentum near the end.

Season pacing is mixed: the show often grows stronger as it proceeds, but several critics feel the seven-episode shape stretches thin material or becomes ponderous in places.

The leads' messy flaws are part of the design, and many reviewers found their chaos endearing or outright lovable. Others found the bickering trio difficult to believe as best friends or not likable enough to sustain another season.

Floyd emerges as the most consistently lovable figure: warm, sincere, decent, and emotionally generous even when his choices are messy.

McGee's rapid-fire dialogue is a major strength: sharp, profane, layered, and often devastatingly funny in the same breath. Its speed can demand concentration, but reviewers repeatedly say the banter crackles.

The dialogue is one of the show’s most divisive signatures. Many critics love its repetitive, awkward, precisely observed cadence, while a strong detractor calls it reliably terrible.

The show often moves at a breathless clip, which many reviewers found electric and addictive. Others reported a sluggish middle, overstimulation, or moments that needed more room to land.

Pacing is a recurring weakness. Several critics say the mystery scenes stall momentum or the early episodes take too long to click, although one review appreciates the deliberate slow-burn buildup.

Flashbacks, road-trip detours, and overlapping clues often keep the mystery lively and reveal character along the way. Repeated scenes and a recurring trouble-clue-escape pattern made the structure feel formulaic to some binge viewers.

The flashback-and-flashforward construction is praised as complex but controlled, helping the story reveal motives and relationships piece by piece.

The adult friends are given meaningful midlife frustrations, old wounds, and evolving self-understanding, with Saoirse especially well developed. Some reviewers wanted more depth for Dara, Greta, and a few supporting figures.

The strongest praise centers on how Clark, Floyd, and Carol gain layers as new perspectives expose their loneliness, contradictions, and hidden needs. Reviews often describe the shift from pity or suspicion toward empathy.

Eight episodes is the most repeated structural complaint. Multiple reviewers independently suggest the story could lose one or two installments—or simply be six episodes—without sacrificing its core mystery or character work.

One critic wonders whether the material might have worked better as a movie, though the same review says the occasional stretching never fully derails momentum.

The central trio's chemistry is the clearest point of agreement. Their bickering, affection, old grudges, and effortless rhythm make the decades-long friendship feel lived in and often carry the show when the mystery wobbles.

Bateman and Harbour’s odd-couple friendship is widely praised, and several reviews also like the lead trio and detective pairing. One sharply negative review found chemistry lacking across the cast.

A sizeable group finished wanting more time with the trio and explicitly hoped for another season. That enthusiasm is tempered by a few reviewers who either disliked the characters or worried that the final tease could become frustrating if the story stopped there.

A full-series reviewer wanted to spend more time with the characters and even floated interest in seeing them return in a spin-off.

The 40- to 50-minute format gives the mystery room to expand, but one reviewer found that length less inviting for casual comedy rewatches. Shorter episodes would have made it easier to throw on again.

One full-season reviewer felt several near-hour episodes contained too much material that did not advance the characters or mystery, making the runtime feel padded.

The foul-mouthed slang and dense local wisecracks are treated as part of the show's comic identity rather than a drawback. One reviewer recommends subtitles simply to catch every fast-moving line.

The sexually explicit talk is treated as deliberately excessive but amusing; one critic finds its blunt phrasing part of the show’s comic appeal rather than a drawback.

Having all eight episodes available at once suits the bingeable story, but one reviewer worried that the drop-everything release could also make the series easy to miss. The concern is discoverability, not the viewing flow itself.

One reviewer found weekly viewing difficult and thought the series played better once all episodes were available to binge.

The central mystery reaches a real resolution, and several reviewers found the ending effective or satisfying enough. Others thought it was tepid, anticlimactic, overly perplexing, or too eager to leave certain characters available for more.

Most finale reactions are strongly positive, praising the ending as haunting, emotionally satisfying, and the show’s greatest strength. One full-season viewer calls it mostly neatly resolved.

The mystery is engaging but often asks a lot of the viewer. Some found the knots involving, while others needed notes or complained about identities, side plots, false leads, and late-season complications becoming confusing.

The nonlinear mystery becomes clearer after the first episode for some viewers, but the harshest review finds the narrative unable to cohere at all.

The humor is frequently described as laugh-out-loud, quick-witted, dark, and unmistakably Irish, with the trio's insults doing much of the work. A smaller group felt the laughs thinned out as the series became busier and darker.

Most reviewers respond well to the dry, surreal, sexually awkward comedy, with several calling it hilarious. A minority finds the jokes muted, forced, or only mildly funny.

The dramatic material can be intimate and emotionally sharp, especially when grief, memory, and friendship take precedence over spectacle. The main criticism is that the serious mystery sometimes sits awkwardly beside the show's zany default mode.

One mixed review finds the dramatic material humane but not quite poignant, suggesting the emotional intentions land more fully for other critics than for this one.

The crime plot is often proudly absurd, yet reviewers found the friendship, arguments, and emotional reactions surprisingly authentic. Even improbable situations can feel grounded when the women start talking like people who have known one another for decades.

The deliberately awkward speech is praised for sounding true to the strange, repetitive ways people actually talk, even when the larger world remains stylized.

The best twists repeatedly overturn expectations without feeling arbitrary, and several reviewers praised how earlier assumptions are reframed. Their sheer frequency can create whiplash, but unpredictability is a major part of the fun.

The shifting perspectives and suspicion keep many critics guessing, with repeated praise for reversals that change how characters and motives are understood. One mixed review finds the puzzle connections less revelatory than hoped.

Friendship, memory, guilt, identity, trauma, midlife disappointment, Catholic inheritance, and the stories people tell about themselves all give the caper extra weight. Reviewers often found the emotional and cultural ideas richer than the literal whodunit mechanics.

This is the strongest consensus beyond the acting: reviewers repeatedly praise the exploration of loneliness, shame, midlife dissatisfaction, male vulnerability, desire, and the need for genuine connection.

The tonal juggling is the season's biggest fault line. Some reviewers admired how comedy, dread, grief, and absurdity flow together; others felt the series became stressful, inconsistent, or like two different shows by the finale.

The show’s mix of absurd comedy, melancholy, sexuality, and mystery is admired by many as a difficult balancing act. Others find the shifts forced, inconsistent, or tonally nightmarish.

Performance quality is one of the safest bets here. Reviewers repeatedly call the ensemble excellent or brilliant, with the actors selling both the manic comedy and the heavier emotional turns.

The performances are a major strength, with the ensemble repeatedly praised for making the show’s odd mix of comedy, melancholy, and mystery feel human.

The series is repeatedly praised for feeling unmistakably Northern Irish and Irish, from Catholicism and language to pop culture, geography, humor, and the lingering aftereffects of the Troubles. Several reviewers saw that specificity as one of its richest qualities.

One review specifically praises the show’s sharp understanding of midlife and Middle American anxieties rather than treating its Missouri setting as generic backdrop.

Ireland is photographed with real atmosphere, from lovely scenery and striking locations to vibrant or ominous visual shifts. Even mixed reviews often acknowledged how good the series looks.

The visual work is widely admired for careful framing, desaturated suburban spaces, sharp lighting contrasts, and compositions that reinforce the show’s emotional chill.

Lisa McGee's writing is praised across the set for wit, specificity, fast dialogue, character insight, and the ability to find humor in darkness. The main knock is overreach: the plot sometimes grows so elaborate that the machinery starts to show.

Most assessments praise the writing as sharp, exacting, original, and emotionally observant, though the strongest negative review rejects the dialogue and narrative construction.

This is widely described as a hard show to stop watching, and several reviewers tore through all eight episodes quickly. The main drag on the binge is repetition and a season some felt could have been shorter.

Several reviewers found the show hard to stop once its mystery and character layers took hold. One weekly viewer explicitly thought the completed series works better as a binge.

At least one small continuity choice earned explicit praise: damage to the women's car remains visible instead of magically disappearing after the mishap. That kind of follow-through helped the chaotic road trip feel coherent.

Despite the fragmented timeline, scenes are praised for flowing into one another in unorthodox but intuitive ways.

Direction drew direct praise for keeping the chaos visually lively and emotionally legible. Michael Lennox is singled out as captivating, while another review applauds the fish-eye choices and comic quick-cut technique.

The direction is praised as confident and precise, with deliberate staging, camera movement, and visual control supporting the offbeat tone.

Quick cuts are used deliberately for comic effect and were praised as part of the show's energetic technique. The editing helps reinforce the frantic rhythm rather than simply documenting it.

The nonlinear cutting is repeatedly praised for making flashbacks and flashforwards feel purposeful and for adding to the mystery rather than simply scrambling chronology.

Beneath the jokes, reviewers found a meaningful emotional current about grief, regret, friendship, and the lives the women did not end up living. Small lines and exchanges often linger after their immediate punch line.

The show is repeatedly described as moving, heartwarming, heartbreaking, devastating, and deeply poignant. Later reviews especially praise the finale for turning the mystery into a painful study of isolation.

The script draws emphatic praise for its wit, character conflict, and ability to make chaos feel natural. Even when the plot is criticized, the actual scene writing and comic construction are often treated as first-rate.

One full-series assessment calls the writing top-notch, praising how the script handles midlife crisis, friendship, and emotional discomfort without feeling manipulative.

The show scatters enough danger, clues, eerie imagery, and withheld information to keep most reviewers curious. Suspense is strongest when tied to the women's past; the more labyrinthine conspiracy material can blur that focus.

The slow-burn mystery keeps suspicion moving from person to person, and one reviewer says the first four episodes kept them nervous even when the comedy stayed restrained.

Rewatch appeal is mixed. One reviewer thought a second viewing could reward the dense plotting, while another would not revisit it because the long comedy-thriller episodes are less casual than a short sitcom.

The finale’s reinterpretation of earlier behavior gives the opening episode new meaning, prompting one reviewer to say the ending practically demands a rewatch.

The dominant response is that the show is enormously entertaining, with reviewers calling it a belter, a rush of joy, great craic, and one of the year's best. Even several mixed reviews concede that the trio makes it very watchable.

Most reviews find the series compelling or highly entertaining once it settles into its rhythm, though one severe pan sees little value and others describe a slower, more selective appeal.

One roundup highlighted a wave of four- and five-star notices and a very high critic aggregate, matching the generally enthusiastic tenor across much of the coverage. Critical dissent centers more on plotting and tone than on the cast.

Critical reaction is broadly positive but not uniform: several outlets praise the show’s originality and character drama, while others object to the murder-mystery framing.

Most reviewers found the series highly enjoyable and easy to recommend, with several calling it a must-watch or hoping it finds a larger audience. A minority saw its sensory overload and tonal excess as likely to make it a love-it-or-hate-it watch.

The show looks capable of reaching beyond Steven Conrad’s cult following, though its deliberately peculiar style remains a hurdle for broader viewers.

The visual package is bold, atmospheric, and often beautiful, shifting from Irish landscapes to neon and ominous imagery. That stylization is also divisive: some found it cartoonish or a case of style overwhelming substance.

The desaturated palette, brutalist spaces, off-kilter angles, and carefully controlled compositions give the series a distinctive look. One reviewer finds the grayness dull, but most see it as purposeful.

The pubs, roads, villages, police stations, cultural references, and eccentric locals create a vivid Irish world. Some reviewers wished the increasingly large conspiracy and supporting cast had been explored as deeply as the setting itself.

The peculiar dialogue, brand-heavy suburbia, specific habits, and recurring visual details create a world that feels intentionally strange despite its mundane setting.

The show gets strong marks for polished, detail-rich environments, especially the early-2000s material and the money visibly put on screen. Period touches and Irish locations make the world feel textured rather than generic.

The stark sheriff’s station earns especially strong praise, with its brutalist spaces and oppressive colors helping define the show’s strange, hostile atmosphere.

The music is a standout for many reviewers, with early-2000s pop and Irish-flavored selections called exquisite, perfectly timed, or tremendous. One critic did tire of repeated needle drops, so the enthusiasm is strong rather than unanimous.

Needle drops are repeatedly praised for adding energy and contrast to the gray suburban mood, including songs that make the show’s odd flourishes feel playful.

The bench is unusually strong, with several tiny roles earning specific cheers and guest performers making vivid impressions quickly. A few mystery figures are underwritten, but the performers themselves are rarely the problem.

The supporting players are another strength, with Joy Sunday’s presence and Peter Sarsgaard’s layered turn receiving especially enthusiastic praise.

Roisin Gallagher, Sinéad Keenan, and Caoilfhionn Dunne are repeatedly identified as the engine of the series. Their timing, emotional range, and ability to play off one another keep the story afloat through its messier stretches.

The lead trio is the clearest point of agreement. Bateman, Harbour, and Cardellini are repeatedly described as excellent, nuanced, career-best, or central to why the strange material works.

The Belfast and Donegal speech is part of the fun, with slang, wisecracks, and Derry-accented digs adding a strong sense of place. One reviewer even recommends subtitles so none of the craic slips by.

The larger action set pieces add momentum without having to carry the series. One reviewer specifically liked that the comedy and character clashes remain the main attraction even when the show gets bigger.

The three central characters get comparable opportunities to carry the story, with each lead receiving meaningful screen time and moments to stand out.

The closing hook creates interest in another season, but it also frustrated one reviewer because renewal was uncertain. The tease works as a continuation device more than as a fully comforting stopping point.

Derry Girls echoes, cameos, mural nods, and Easter eggs delighted many fans without preventing this series from developing its own identity. A few critics thought the callbacks lingered too long or made the follow-up feel derivative.

Rather than recreating the Troubles directly, the series brings their cultural aftereffects into the present through memory, language, borders, Catholicism, and inherited caution. Reviewers praised that contemporary framing for being both specific and understated.

Familiar brands such as Purina, Outback Steakhouse, and Jamba Juice are seen as purposeful texture that reinforces the story’s aggressively ordinary suburban setting.

The score is praised for building dread without obvious musical cues, complementing the show’s restrained and uneasy suburban atmosphere.

The finale produces sharply split interpretation. Two reviews praise its emotional force and human reveal, while another argues the ending retreats into a damaging cliché after a more nuanced season.

The series talks explicitly about sex and kink, but a positive review praises its nonjudgmental empathy and its refusal to make unusual preferences the punchline.

Booker stands out as an enjoyably vivid threat within the oddball ensemble. Her menace, visual presence, and blunt attitude make the antagonist side of the caper memorable without losing the show's comic flavor.

One reviewer specifically praised the thriller for avoiding gratuitous spectacle, with emotional consequences carrying more weight than violence. The darker material stays secondary to character rather than becoming an endurance test.

Costuming gets its biggest boost from Saoirse-Monica Jackson's escalating comic looks. Her wardrobe is singled out as part of what makes the character's appearances so memorably funny.

Muted sound is singled out as part of the show’s cool, emotionally twilight atmosphere, working with the stark imagery rather than competing with it.