Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘How to Get to Heaven from Belfast‘ follows the story of three friends who are brought together by the death of their estranged friend. Saoirse, Robyn, and Dara receive an email announcing the tragic passing of their friend, Greta. So, to pay their respects, they ride out to the small town where Greta lived with her family. Once there, the trio becomes convinced that the dead body is not Greta, and that their friend is alive and in trouble. Their search for truth leads them to cross paths with a woman named Booker, who seems to be connected to a secret organisation that is chasing Greta. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Booker and the Metamorphosis are Fictional Additions to the Netflix Series
‘How to Get to Heaven from Belfast’ is an entirely fictional story created by Lisa McGee. The idea came to the author from her own friendships with her childhood friends, and she wanted to present a similar flawed and deeply layered dynamic of female friendships. At the same time, the writer-creator wanted to delve into the genre of murder mystery, for which Booker and her secret organisation were thrown into the mix. Hailing from Derry and having written about her hometown in ‘Derry Girls,’ McGee wanted to write something new, which is why she shifted the location of her new show to Belfast. Still, she wanted to maintain a connection with Derry, and Booker and the Metamorphosis felt like the right way to do it. In the show, every member of the secret organisation is from Derry, including Feeney, played by Saoirse-Monica Jackson, who appeared as Erin in ‘Derry Girls.’
Even its headquarters are located in Derry, taking the audience back to a familiar place, which is rather different from what they have seen in ‘Derry Girls.’ While the Metamorphosis remains an entirely mysterious and seemingly villainous organisation, at least in the beginning, McGee wanted it to come across as “quite weird and heightened.” For this, all the members of the organisation were characterised in a unique way. Booker was created as an intimidating figure who knows how to blend in and sneak through places no one would expect her. Meanwhile, Feeney is intensely colorful and someone who stands out in a crowd, which might be considered a drawback in her line of work. But all the color on the surface hides the darkness inside her.
Her appearance might make people underestimate her, and that becomes her strength. The idea of deceptive looks is used pretty well, especially in the context of the organisation. At first, it seems that Booker and the Metamorphosis are the villains who want to kill Greta. Later, however, a completely different picture emerges, and it turns out that they’d been hired to help her disappear, even if that wasn’t exactly what she wanted to do at the time. By the end of the season, the whole board is flipped, staying true to the tone of the series that throws one curveball after another at the audience, keeping them on the edge of their seat and keeping them guessing about who the real villains are and who the real victim is in all of this.
Read More: How to Get to Heaven from Belfast Ending Explained: What Happened to Greta?
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