How to Get to Heaven from Belfast

The central mystery involves the accidental death of Greta's childhood friend Jodie, who falls down stairs during an argument, leading Greta and her friends to bury the body of Charles Sampson, whom Jodie stabbed in self-defense. Later, a character named Conrad is found 'dead with a screwdriver in his neck'. A flashback reveals Greta and Jodie as children setting fire to a local church in 'Heaven's Veil', which results in the accidental deaths of people inside. Robyn also accidentally runs over Greta with her car, believing her to be dead, though Greta survives.

The narrative involves a 'dark, dangerous, and hilarious odyssey' for the friends, centered on a suspicious death and a 'dangerous conspiracy' with 'life-or-death stakes'. A flashback reveals a traumatic 'dark event' from their past involving a 'forest shack on fire' and a 'menacing-looking man'. The series is described as 'stress-inducing', and one actress, Sinéad Keenan (Robyn), expressed being 'scared of drowning' during a 'near-fatal situation on a boat'. The discovery of Conrad 'dead with a screwdriver in his neck' is a graphic moment.

The friends exhibit rebellious behavior and disrespect for rules, such as Saoirse stabbing Liam's police car tire to prevent him from following them as they try to cover up their secrets. Their 'love language is to freely insult each other as much as possible,' indicating a general pattern of sharp-tongued interactions. Most notably, Greta and Jodie, as neglected and abused children, 'set fire to the local church' in an act of profound rebellion and disillusionment.

A central and highly impactful anti-Christian theme is the act of Greta and Jodie, as children, burning down a local church in their village of Heaven's Veil. Their motivation stemmed from severe neglect and abuse, and a belief that 'God himself would save us' but 'God never came'. This directly depicts a rejection of faith and an act of violence against a religious institution. The show also features a 'biker priest who won't take confession out of hours', making a comment about 'Rome's encouraging us all to preserve our work-life balance', which could be seen as an irreverent portrayal of clergy. The show also examines 'intergenerational abuse' and 'Irish female suffering' within contexts that often have historical and societal links to Catholic Ireland.