The finale of How to Get to Heaven from Belfast finally dropped all the bombshells viewers were waiting for. The Netflix thriller from Derry Girls creator Lisa McGee wrapped up its first season on February 12, 2026, and episode 8 delivered major answers about what really happened in the creepy town of Heaven‘s Veil. The truth about Greta, the fire, and that mysterious organization helping women on the run all came spilling out in the last hour.
The eight-episode series follows three lifelong friends—Saoirse (Roisin Gallagher), Robyn (Sinéad Keenan), and Dara (Caoilfhionn Dunne)—who get an email about the death of their estranged childhood friend Greta (Natasha O’Keeffe). What starts as a trip to her wake turns into a wild chase across Ireland as they discover Greta is actually alive and hiding from a dark past. By the time episode 8 rolls around, every secret from the ruined village of Heaven’s Veil finally comes to light.
The Childhood Nightmare in Heaven‘s Veil Finally Explained
The finale pulls back the curtain on what really happened in Heaven‘s Veil decades ago. The abandoned town isn‘t just some spooky location—it’s where Greta and her childhood friend Jodie (Selin Hizli) grew up in terrible circumstances. The series reveals both girls suffered abuse from their parents in this isolated religious community .
As children, Greta and Jodie made a desperate choice. They set fire to the local church, but they didn‘t know other kids were trapped inside. Multiple people died in that fire, and the secret haunted both women for the rest of their lives . This explains why Greta ran away and cut off contact with Saoirse, Robyn, and Dara for 20 years.
The town’s name—Heaven’s Veil—turns out to be deeply ironic. There was nothing heavenly about what happened there. The veil wasn’t protecting anyone. It was hiding years of pain and abuse that finally exploded in flames.
What Actually Happened to Jodie
One of the biggest questions throughout the series was who actually died. The body in the coffin at Greta‘s wake wasn’t Greta at all—it was Jodie. Episode 8 confirms that Jodie tracked Greta down after finding her in Portugal. She showed up at Greta‘s perfect life with husband Owen (Emmett J. Scanlan) and daughter Maria, determined to tell the truth about what happened to journalist Charles Sampson .
Charles (also called Jason Meadows and played by Josh Finan) was an investigative journalist who discovered the truth about the church fire. He tracked down Greta and Jodie, but things turned violent. Jodie stabbed and killed him, and Greta ended up burying the body with help from teenage Saoirse, Robyn, and Dara .
When Jodie showed up at Greta‘s house demanding they confess everything, a struggle happened on the stairs. Greta pushed Jodie, and she fell down the stairs, dying from the accident. This was the death that set everything in motion . Greta panicked and turned to Booker (Bronagh Gallagher), a fixer who helps women disappear.
The Women‘s Liberation Organization Turns Deadly
Booker works for a secret organization that started with a good purpose—helping women escape dangerous situations. But episode 8 reveals the group has gone completely corrupt. Their leader Rossa gives the order to kill Greta and anyone else who knows about them .
Booker, her young partner Feeney (Saoirse-Monica Jackson), and a woman called the Midwife (Shauna Bray) decide they‘ve had enough. Instead of killing Greta, they turn on the organization and take out the corrupt leaders. They promise to start fresh with a new group that actually follows the original mission of protecting women .
This subplot adds a wild twist to the finale, with Saoirse-Monica Jackson (beloved from Derry Girls) stealing scenes as the eccentric Feeney. Her character brings dark humor to otherwise tense moments, especially when she‘s eating ice cream while discussing murder.
Greta Confronts Her Past and Finds Her Real Mother
The biggest emotional punch in episode 8 comes when Greta finally learns the truth about where she came from. Through the organization‘s files, she discovers that the woman who raised her wasn‘t her biological mother. A woman named Nora actually gave birth to her and then sold her as a child .
This revelation explains so much about Greta‘s childhood trauma. She wasn‘t just dealing with abuse in Heaven‘s Veil—she was dealing with the knowledge that her real mother gave her away. The scene hits hard as Greta processes this new information and decides she can‘t keep running anymore.
Instead of escaping to a new life like Booker planned, Greta chooses to go back to Heaven’s Veil. She needs to face the place that ruined her childhood and finally make peace with it .
The Three Friends Come Clean
Meanwhile, Saoirse, Robyn, and Dara have their own reckoning. Police officer Liam (Darragh Hand) and Andrew (also Josh Finan), Charles‘ son, figure out the truth about the buried body. Andrew has been searching for his missing father throughout the entire series, and now he finally knows what happened.
Saoirse makes a huge mistake that blows everything open. She wrote about burying Charles‘ body in her TV show Murder Code, and Liam puts the pieces together . When he confronts her, she breaks down and tells him everything.
The three women confess their role in covering up Charles‘ death. But here‘s where things take a surprising turn—Liam and Andrew let them go. No charges get filed. Andrew understands that his father was chasing a story about abused children, and the women were just kids themselves when they helped Greta bury him . The decision feels right, even if it stretches believability.
That Mysterious Pink Bag Everyone‘s Talking About
The finale leaves one huge question unanswered, and it‘s driving viewers crazy. Throughout the last episodes, a pink bag keeps appearing. Greta gets a ride from a man named Conrad who owns the bag, and he ends up murdered with a screwdriver to the neck . The killer is never identified.
In the final moments, the three friends end up with the pink bag. They look inside, gasp, and immediately agree they want nothing to do with whatever‘s in there . But the camera never shows us what they see.
Lisa McGee knows exactly what‘s in the bag, 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. 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” .
Fans are already speculating wildly online. Some think it‘s proof of the organization‘s crimes. Others suggest it contains money or identification for a new life. A few dark theories point to something involving the murdered Conrad. Whatever‘s inside, it‘s clearly dangerous enough to make three women who just buried a body and helped a friend escape murder walk away without a second look.
Will There Be a How to Get to Heaven from Belfast Season 2?
Netflix hasn‘t announced a second season yet . The streaming platform is waiting to see how well the show performs in its first few weeks. Given the positive reviews and the massive fanbase of Lisa McGee from Derry Girls, renewal seems likely.
The finale sets up plenty of material for another season. The pink bag mystery needs resolution. The new women‘s organization that Booker and Feeney started could cause problems or provide help. And the three friends now share an even bigger secret than before.
The Hollywood Reporter praised the show‘s ending, noting that Saoirse spends much of the finale talking about how hard it is to write endings for TV—a clever meta moment from McGee . The review suggested the series works well as a complete story but wouldn‘t suffer from continuing.
Fan Reactions to the Finale
Social media lit up after the finale dropped. Viewers who loved Derry Girls found plenty to enjoy in McGee‘s new project. One fan wrote: “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 commented: “Saoirse-Monica Jackson as Feeney is everything I didn‘t know I needed. Give her a spin-off.”
Some viewers found the ending satisfying despite the cliffhanger. “The Heaven‘s Veil backstory was darker than I expected. This show went places,” one person posted. Another added: “Three women confessing to covering up a death and just walking away free? That‘s the power of friendship I guess.”
Critics have generally praised the series, with The Hindu calling it “sisterhood, suspense and sass” all wrapped together . Radio Times had a more mixed response, saying the show tries to do too much at once but still has great moments .
Where to Watch How to Get to Heaven from Belfast
All eight episodes of How to Get to Heaven from Belfast are streaming now on Netflix. The series is available globally, with release times varying by region. Viewers in the UK and Ireland got access around 8am on February 12, while American audiences could watch starting midnight Pacific Time .
Each episode runs between 47 and 60 minutes . The show filmed primarily in Belfast and across Northern Ireland, with additional scenes in Dublin and London . The gorgeous Irish landscapes provide a stunning backdrop to the dark comedy and tense mystery.
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The Bottom Line on Episode 8
The finale delivers on the promises the show made across its first season. The truth about Heaven‘s Veil is appropriately grim without becoming exploitative. Greta gets a chance at freedom and healing. The three friends survive their adventure with their bond intact. And that pink bag ensures viewers will be talking about the show for weeks to come.
Whether Netflix orders more episodes or leaves the mystery hanging, Lisa McGee has created something special. It‘s not Derry Girls, and it‘s not trying to be. How to Get to Heaven from Belfast stands on its own as a messy, chaotic, funny, and surprisingly touching story about friendship and the secrets we bury.
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