STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning
Whilst most of the world has moved on, in recent times Northern Ireland's abortion laws have failed to catch up with the rest of the world, and only a landmark recent ruling has caused this to change. In 2013, Theresa Ryan (Sinead Keenan) lives with her partner Mark (Owen McDonnell) and her daughter Orla (Lola Petticrew) from a previous relationship. Their world is plunged in to chaos when they learn Lola is pregnant, and wants an abortion. Meanwhile, lawyer Jonathan Kennedy (Colin Morgan) learns his wife Hannah (Amy James-Kelly) is pregnant, but that the foetus has an inoperable condition that will cause it's life to end upon birth.
The producers of the controversial, uneasy drama Three Girls have followed up that production with another true life drama that steps on uneasy ground, called Three Families. Creating something with an almost identical title does give it a bit of a cheapening effect, even if the product itself is perfectly sound. In a time of extremes, abortion is a hot potato topic that those with right leaning views or those of a strong religious bend still have quite powerful views on, but few places around the western world still have very restrictive legal stances on it as NI did until only recently.
This is certainly highly charged stuff, dramatising a situation that had profound implications for those living in the little corner of the world where the law was how it was in what were only very recent times, and director Alex Kalyminos has chosen two highly stirring tales to depict the situation to everyone, with solid performances from all involved. Sadly, with only two episodes (down from TG three!) the production isn't given enough time to explore the story in quite as much depth and substance to do it justice.
While it does leave you feeling a little short changed, without the emotionally impacting payoff it could have, it's still compelling drama, shining a light on the detrimental impact of staying stuck in the past. ***
