Say Nothing

Quite the devastating story. Probably the most heart wrenching piece of "entertainment" I've ever seen was episode #6. The younger Price sisters are amazingly well portrayed by 2 actresses I had never heard of (Lola Petticrew and Hazel Doupe). Hope to see them get more mainstream roles going forward. Anthony Boyle also jumped off the screen in every scene he was in. The show couldn't have been cast any better.

I was only vaguely familiar with this story and haven't read the book, so I can't speak to the shows accuracy, but I can say the dialogue is well written and the directors did a fantastic job.

Would absolutely recommend watching this show. Although, I wouldn't suggest watching it in 1 day like I did as you'll lose some sleep.

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!

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.

This series begins with the IRA's shocking abduction of a mother, Jean McConville, in front of her children. Then it slows down a bit, and settles into the story of two sisters who facilitated a fair number of murders and bombings. The mystery of happened to Mrs. McConville--and why--looms over every episode, but there are many other compelling narratives.

It all looks and seems very authentic. Every episode has a disclaimer stating that Gerry Adams denies his involvement in IRA military actions, but the show defiantly suggests otherwise. Even if some of the details are wrong, the series does bring this ugly period to life in a way that feels real.

If I have one quibble, it is that the sisters are a little too appealing and charming, especially Dolores. No matter how much guilt they may express at any point, it has the effect of romanticizing their lives as terrorists/soldiers/whatever.

A person who plans and carries out a bombing designed to kill or maim hundreds of civilians has a screw loose, yet that scary, unhinged viciousness doesn't come through. Maybe it's impossible to depict it, but these two sisters, and their male IRA cohorts all seem a little too sane and likable. Whether it's seething hatred or callous obliviousness to the suffering of others, some additional exploration of the thinking of people who do this sort of thing would have been good.

The sisters' time in prison is also glossed over rather quickly. Some of the unpleasantness is shown, and they describe how bad it was, but it's all over rather fast.

Still, these are quibbles.

Much of this show is hard to watch. There is just so much sadness and futility and senseless death. And yet the reality was even worse, and this show does a good job of bringing the period back to life. It's definitely the best streaming series I've seen in a while.