Ending Explained: How to Get to Heaven from Belfast (Full Spoilers + What It Means)
Spoiler warning: This post contains full trailer spoilers (and major setup details released by Netflix). If you want to go in totally blind, stop here.
If you clicked because you wanted How To Get To Heaven From Belfast: Ending Explained (Full Spoilers + What It Means), there’s one important catch: as of February 4, 2026, the series hasn’t premiered yet (it’s scheduled for February 12, 2026). That means nobody outside official previews/screeners can truthfully recap the real finale.
So what I can do (without making anything up) is: break down the trailer’s ending twist, pull out the clearest clues about the central mystery, and explain what the title and themes are strongly pointing toward—plus round up what Reddit is already theorizing.
Quick setup: what the show is about (before we “explain the ending”)
How to Get to Heaven from Belfast is an eight-episode mystery/comedy-thriller from Lisa McGee (the creator of Derry Girls). It follows three childhood friends—Saoirse (a chaotic TV writer), Robyn (a stressed mother of three), and Dara (a dependable carer)— who are pulled back together by the news that the estranged fourth member of their old friend-group, Greta, has died. The wake kicks off a chain of eerie events and sends them on a dangerous (and funny) odyssey across Ireland and beyond.
Genre-wise, Netflix is positioning it as a blend of mystery + comedy with a darker edge—exactly the mash-up McGee has said she wanted: a puzzle-box story where the laughs aren’t separate from the suspense… they’re part of the engine.
Trailer ending explained: the coffin twist changes everything
The trailer’s big “end of trailer” hook isn’t just that Greta is dead. It’s the moment the friends realize the situation is wrong in a structural, story-breaking way: the body in the coffin isn’t Greta.
Once that lands, the show’s core mystery snaps into focus: this isn’t a straightforward funeral + grief story. It’s a disappearance (or identity-swap) story—where “Greta is dead” might be a lie, a mistake, a cover story, or the first move in something bigger.
And then the trailer escalates from “awkward wake weirdness” into full-on chase-mode: the trio start talking like Greta is still “out there,” and that Greta needs them. That suggests two things at once:
- There’s urgency (someone is hunting someone, or the friends are being watched).
- There’s unfinished business (a past secret, a debt, or something they did that’s coming back).
The funniest (and most revealing) line near the end of the trailer—about being ready for “an exorcism maybe”—also matters. Even if the show isn’t literally supernatural, that line tells you the vibe: the past isn’t just remembered here… it haunts.
The 5 biggest questions the trailer wants you to obsess over
- Who is actually in the coffin? If it’s not Greta, then whose death has been folded into Greta’s story?
- Is Greta alive? The trailer strongly teases that possibility—but it can also be misdirection.
- Why was Greta “estranged”? Estrangement usually means betrayal, shame, or a line that got crossed.
- What’s the friends’ shared secret? Multiple official blurbs tease the idea of buried secrets and a past they can’t outrun.
- Who benefits from Greta being “dead”? Money, custody, reputation, protection, revenge—pick your poison.
What the title means: “Heaven” as escape, judgment, and the lie we tell ourselves
A title like How to Get to Heaven from Belfast sounds like a joke (and it is), but it also reads like a mission statement for the characters: how do you get from where you’re from… to where you think you’re supposed to end up?
In practice, “heaven” can mean at least three overlapping things here:
- Escape: “Heaven” as a fantasy version of adulthood—success, stability, being “sorted.” (And the bitter comedy comes when you realize nobody feels sorted.)
- Judgment: “Heaven” as moral accounting—what you did when you were younger, what you allowed, what you covered up.
- Peace: “Heaven” as closure—finally telling the truth, finally forgiving someone (or yourself), finally letting the past stop driving the car.
The reason the title works for a mystery is that it sets up a brutal contradiction: the more you chase “heaven” (a clean ending, a pure truth), the more you dig up the mess you tried to bury. And in stories like this, the buried thing is usually the real plot.
What Reddit Theories Say About This Mystery (so far)
Reddit’s early reaction (based purely on the trailer and premise) is basically: “Yes, give us the banter, but we’re here for the body-swap chaos.” People are already comparing the vibe to other darkly funny mystery shows, and debating how “Irish” the tone feels.
Another fun corner of Reddit attention: the trailer music choices and the whole “deadly craic” marketing line—because tone is everything with a genre mash-up. If the show nails the balance, it’ll be addictive. If it tips too far into wackiness, the mystery stops feeling dangerous.
Ending predictions (clearly labeled speculation)
Everything below is speculation based on official synopsis + trailer language. I’m including it because this is exactly the kind of show that invites theory-building:
- The “Greta is dead” email is the spark, not the truth. The coffin reveal is telling you the show is built around misdirection, mistaken identity, or a deliberate setup.
- The friends’ “dark secret” will be the real villain. In these stories, the scariest thing isn’t the murderer—it’s the moment the protagonists realize they helped create the conditions for the tragedy.
- “Heaven” will end up meaning “the truth,” not “a happy ending.” The most satisfying finales in mystery-comedies don’t give everyone a perfect outcome; they give characters an honest one.
More clue-drops on Instagram
Netflix UK & Ireland has been posting first looks and promo bits for the series on Instagram. If you want to stay spoiler-light, this is usually safer than watching breakdown videos.
Release date, episode count, and where to watch
- Streaming: Netflix
- Premiere date: February 12, 2026
- Episodes: 8
- Rating: TV-MA (per Netflix listing)
If you’re in the UK and like seeing things early, there has also been at least one public preview event for Episode 1 with a Q&A. That’s a good sign Netflix expects strong word-of-mouth.
If you like this vibe, watch these next
While you’re waiting for the full season to drop, here are easy “same mood” picks:
- Derry Girls (Lisa McGee’s signature voice: heart + chaos)
- Bodkin (Irish-set mystery energy)
- Bad Sisters (darkly comic family secrets; a common comparison people make off the trailer alone)
FAQ
Is this a supernatural show?
The trailer uses supernatural-flavored language for comedy (“exorcism”), but the official positioning is mystery/thriller/comedy. The safest assumption is: it’s grounded, with spooky vibes—unless the show later reveals otherwise.
Is the “ending explained” available yet?
Not in a reliable way before release. Once the season premieres (February 12, 2026), a real full-spoilers ending breakdown becomes possible.
What’s the central mystery?
The wake. The coffin. The missing Greta. And the secret the friends clearly don’t want dug up.