The finale of How to Get to Heaven from Belfast dropped on Netflix on February 12, 2026, and viewers can’t stop talking about one thing—that pink bag. The eight-episode thriller from Derry Girls creator Lisa McGee wrapped up most of its storylines in episode 8, but deliberately left this one mystery unsolved. And it’s driving fans crazy in the best way possible.
The series follows three lifelong friends—Saoirse (Roisin Gallagher), Robyn (Sinéad Keenan), and Dara (Caoilfhionn Dunne)—who discover their missing friend Greta (Natasha O’Keeffe) is actually alive and on the run after a tragic accident. By the time the finale rolls around, they’ve uncovered decades of secrets, helped bring down a corrupt organization, and found themselves holding a bag they want nothing to do with .
What Actually Happened in the Finale
Before diving into the bag mystery, here’s a quick recap of how episode 8 ties everything else together. Greta finally confronts the truth about her past in the abandoned town of Heaven’s Veil. She and her childhood friend Jodie (Selin Hizli) grew up there suffering abuse from their parents. As kids, they set fire to the local church, not knowing other children were trapped inside. Multiple people died .
Years later, journalist Charles Sampson (Josh Finan) tracked them down. Jodie stabbed him, and a teenage Greta buried the body with help from Saoirse, Robyn, and Dara. When Jodie showed up at Greta‘s house years later demanding they confess, a struggle sent Jodie falling down the stairs to her death. Greta panicked and turned to a fixer named Booker (Bronagh Gallagher) .
Booker worked for a secret organization supposedly helping women escape dangerous situations. But the group had become corrupt. In the finale, Booker, her partner Feeney (Saoirse-Monica Jackson), and a woman called The Midwife (Shauna Bray) kill the corrupt leaders and let Greta go free, promising to start a new organization that actually helps people .
Greta discovers her biological mother sold her as a child. She returns to Heaven’s Veil to face her past, then reunites with her husband Owen (Emmett J. Scanlan) and daughter Maria. The three friends confess their role in covering up Charles‘ death to police officer Liam (Darragh Hand) and Charles‘ son Andrew (also Josh Finan), who let them go without charges .
The Pink Bag Mystery Explained
Now for the question everyone’s asking—what’s in that pink bag? The bag first appears earlier in the series when Greta gets a ride from a man named Conrad (Conor MacNeill), who owns it. He drives her deep into the woods to meet a mysterious group. Later, Conrad turns up murdered with a screwdriver to the neck. The killer is never identified .
In the final moments of episode 8, Saoirse, Robyn, and Dara end up with the pink bag. They look inside, gasp, and immediately agree they want nothing to do with whatever’s in there. The camera never shows us what they see .
Lisa McGee knows exactly what’s inside, but she’s keeping it secret for now. “I know right now what’s in the bag,” she told reporters. “But I’m not saying I might not change my mind, which is why I left it so vague” .
She added: “I have a very clear idea of what it is, but if I think of something that works better or that might be more interesting when I start to write season two, I want to be able to change my mind” .
Fan Theories About the Bag’s Contents
Viewers have been flooding social media with theories about the pink bag since the finale dropped. Some think it contains proof of the corrupt organization’s crimes—maybe documents, photos, or recording devices. Others suggest it holds money, fake IDs, or everything Greta needed for a new life before she decided to stop running .
A few darker theories point to something involving Conrad‘s murder. Could the bag contain the murder weapon? Or evidence pointing to who killed him? The fact that the three friends look inside and immediately walk away suggests whatever they saw was dangerous enough to make them think twice about getting involved .
One fan posted: “The pink bag better be in season 2 or I’m rioting. You can’t just show people looking in a bag and not tell us what’s inside.” Another wrote: “The way I gasped when they opened that bag and we didn’t see anything. Lisa McGee knows exactly what she’s doing to us” .
Will There Be a Season 2?
Netflix hasn’t announced a second season yet. The streaming platform typically waits several weeks to see how a show performs before making renewal decisions. Given the positive reviews and Lisa McGee‘s massive fanbase from Derry Girls, many expect the show to get another season .
If renewed, season 2 would almost certainly reveal the pink bag’s contents. McGee has already teased that she’s open to expanding the story, possibly bringing in more characters—maybe even some familiar faces from Derry Girls. “The idea that that organisation is all from Derry really makes me laugh,” she said. “It’s so stupid. And that they operate out of this hairdresser’s, it’s just ridiculous” .
The finale also sets up Booker, Feeney, and The Midwife starting a new organization. They could recruit Saoirse, Robyn, and Dara in season 2, giving the three friends a new purpose—and new problems .
What the Cast Hopes to See
The actors have their own ideas about where the story could go. Caoilfhionn Dunne, who plays Dara, hopes her character gets a chance at love in a potential second season. “I would like Dara to maybe have the opportunity of love in season two,” she said. “Or even, just a chance to exorcise those demons from season one. At least try… she couldn’t possibly get it right. She’ll make an absolute mess of it” .
Her co-star Sinéad Keenan cheekily added: “Dara needs a ride, basically” .
Where to Watch
All eight episodes of How to Get to Heaven from Belfast are streaming now on Netflix. The series is available globally, with each episode running between 47 and 60 minutes. The show filmed primarily in Belfast and across Northern Ireland, with additional scenes in Dublin and London .
Viewers in the UK and Ireland got access around 8am on February 12, while American audiences could watch starting midnight Pacific Time. The show quickly climbed to the number one spot on Netflix‘s most-watched TV shows list .
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Critical Reception
Critics have generally praised the series. The Hindu called it “sisterhood, suspense and sass” all wrapped together, noting that while the mystery won’t stand up to close scrutiny, McGee clearly had fun creating this world of social commentary, trauma, and female friendships .
The review highlighted the show’s humor, especially Dara‘s “attacks of the Catholics” and the running jokes about lapsed faith. The aerial shots of Ireland and the nostalgic pop soundtrack also earned praise .
For now, viewers are left waiting to find out if they’ll ever learn what’s inside that pink bag. Until Netflix announces a renewal, all we can do is guess—and hope Lisa McGee sticks with whatever idea she has in mind.
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