No digas nada

It's not often that I write a review but this series it's extremely well done and moving.

It narrates real events that took place in northern Ireland between 1971 to recent years, including the bombing of the old Bailey in London.

The fact that it's not fiction it makes it a lot more interesting to watch. It's very raw, and at times very painful to watch. Rightly or wrongly, It was incredible for me to see the conviction of some of the IRA members, especially the two sisters, and what they were prepared to do for the cause of a unified Ireland.

I think everyone should be watching it to remember and not forget this tragic contemporary history.

The casting is absolutely spot on. The main players, Gerry Adam's, Brendan Hughes and Dolours Price were cast absolutely perfectly. You'd swear you were actually there reliving History. It's gritty, it's exciting and they have Belfast of the 1970's to a tee.. You'd honestly think you were watching a documentary is that well shot.. I'm only a few episodes in but so far it's edge of your seat stuff..

So far they have done a good job of showing two sides of the story and they didn't shy away from showing how the troubles started. The Protestant/Loyalist Population with the help of the Police beating and burning the Catholics out of their homes..

As someone from the north, it's very surreal to see such a high quality TV series about this period. The series clearly attempts to provide balance when looking at this period. Obviously the main focus towards the end is the disappeared, particularly Jean McConville and a few ex IRA volunteers, but it does an excellent job in portraying the motivations and circumstances of those who got involved with the IRA. The characters on all sides are developed and acted brilliantly, particularly Dolours Price and Brendan Hughes, and the odd bout of humour is very welcome and lands well. Overall this is a sometimes exhilarating but also thought provoking watch, I certainly felt it was worth taking a day out to watch!

This series asks the difficult question, if the State discriminates against you, and you use non violence to seek justice. But are met with violence, is the use of counter violence justified. The fact that the story allows us to see the view point of all players adds to the depth of this issue. Traces the evolution of the recent conflict in Northern Ireland through the the lives of two sisters. Fast moving and beautifully filmed and directed. Powerful acting by both male and female leads, especially the two sisters. High degree of realism. You feel you are there witnessing events, rather than just watching. This series is a must see for anyone with an interest in the 30 year conflict in Northern Ireland.

As Episode 1 of "Say Nothing" (2024 release from the UK; 9 episodes ranging from 41 to 50 min each) opens, it is "Belfast 1972" and we are reminded that this is "Based on a True Story". A woman is being taken away from her house, leaving her kids behind. We don't know why or who took her. We then go to "Dublin, Ireland, 29 Years Later" and we meet. Dolours Price. She is about to be interviewed as part of an oral history of the Troubles. At this point we are 10 minutes into Episode 1.

Couple of comments: there have been many movies and TV series and documentaries about the Troubles before, but I don't recall ever having seen anything like "Say Nothing", which brings the 3 decades that were the Troubles with a fresh look. The series follows several events and jumps back and forth in time, but somehow it brings the main themes of the Troubles with a clearer perspective than ever. While the differences and the fighting fighting between the Protestants/British Army versus the Catholics/Irish-minded gets of course plenty of attention, less obvious issues such as the Disappeared by the IRA are also included. There are plenty of solid acting performances, none more so than Lola Petticrew as Dolours. Beware: this mini-series is not for the faint of heart. At the end of it all, I felt like I had received an emotional gut punch. This mini-series is riveting from start to finish, even if some moments are uncomfortable. (As an aside, within minutes of watching Episode 1, I realized that I needed English subtitles, as I was missing about half of what I was hearing (Northern Ireland accents and all...)

"Say Nothing" started streaming on Hulu a week ago. I read a positive review of it in the New York Times, and then I found out that it is currently rated 91% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, and for good reason. I watched this in night nights of 3 episodes each and I was simply transfixed. If you are in the mood for a top notch drama or simply curious to learn more about the Troubles, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.