Say Nothing Series-Premiere Recap: The Whole Sordid Story

As I delved deeper into the captivating world of “Say Nothing“, I found myself utterly enthralled by the intricate tapestry of human experiences woven within its narrative threads. The show masterfully navigates the complexities of war, politics, and personal growth, all while maintaining a unique balance between drama, humor, and suspense.

In 2001, Anthony “Mackers” McIntyre, a former member of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), collaborated with several other ex-paramilitaries to collect testimonies about the conflicts in Northern Ireland as part of an oral history project known as the Belfast Project. This initiative was based in Boston College. The IRA was just as committed to achieving a free, united Ireland as they were to never revealing their military operations. Revealing such information, referred to as “touting” or informing, was considered a capital offense. To ensure the safety of those involved, the Belfast Project tapes were kept strictly confidential and under top-secret protection. The plan was to release these recordings only after the speaker had passed away.

Mackers’ interviews serve as the foundation for the storyline in FX/Hulu’s fresh take on Patrick Radden Keefe’s 2018 book “Say Nothing.” This adaptation delves into the tales unveiled by these interviews, shedding light on significant events during the Troubles. The Troubles, lasting from the early 1970s to the mid-1990s, were a time when the IRA waged war against Britain. Most of the conflict took place in Belfast, a city divided along religious lines with West Belfast being predominantly Catholic and East Belfast Protestant. In the western part of the city was a housing estate called Divis Flats, where Jean McConville, a widow with ten children, resided. On one cold December night in 1972, she was taken from there, disappearing without a trace ever since.

In Keefe’s book, Jean’s abduction serves as the starting point; it demonstrates that the turmoil that gripped Belfast in the 1970s didn’t spare anyone, not just those engaged in the armed conflict. The series kicks off at this juncture, but first, we hear Dolours Price’s voice – a captivating IRA member and the show’s leading character and narrator. Relaxing with Mackers, she consents to share “the entire grim tale.

In the Price household, there’s an expectation that family members should join the Irish Republican Army (IRA). While Dolours briefly entertains the idea of pursuing art at university, her focus swiftly shifts towards political freedom. This is because Albert Price, her father, was an active IRA member, and Chrissie, her mother, was a respected member of Cumann na mBan, the women’s auxiliary of the IRA. Aunt Bridie, who resided with them, served as a constant reminder of the sacrifices the Price family was willing to make for their cause; she lost both her eyes and hands in a bombing incident.

When Dolours and her sibling Marian express curiosity towards Dr. Martin Luther King’s nonviolent philosophy, Albert feels disheartened. Their discussions about the ideal approach for achieving independence echo family debates over academic performance. However, the Price sisters’ perspective shifts drastically following their participation in a peaceful protest that unanticipatedly turns into an ambush. Assisted by local law enforcement, Catholic protesters are trapped under the Burntollet Bridge by hostile attackers. A hail of stones assaults them from every direction. Dolours bravely places herself between her sister and the onslaught, receiving numerous blows to her abdomen and head. The revelation that their opponents are driven purely by hate fuels her transformation — she concludes that dialogue alone is insufficient; they must resort to resistance instead.

Through various shifts in her beliefs, Dolours consistently employs her sharp, straightforward humor in the pursuit of armed conflict. From the outset, the Price sisters express no interest in being auxiliary members, caring for men throughout the night; instead, they aspire to actively participate alongside the males, hurling Molotov cocktails and toppling telephone poles even when unsure which lines connected to Catholic phones or military barracks. The new IRA leadership, steered by the old guard, is spearheaded by the ambitious young Gerry Adams, a childhood acquaintance. Gerry often barks orders into a megaphone like a stage director, while his trusted associate, Brendan “The Dark” Hughes, carries them out. It’s Gerry they must convince to allow them into the army, and he is sympathetic towards them. If circumstances were different, this quartet would have made for an engaging group of friends; as it stands, their camaraderie is confined to hidden rooms and clandestine gatherings. Neither Marian nor Dolours ever feel compelled to yield submissively – they always voice their opinions freely.

As a film enthusiast, I found myself captivated by the jovial spirit that permeated their initial projects with the IRA. They dared to pull off an unsanctioned bank heist – quite the bold move for rookies like them. Their ingenuity in devising more strategies earned them respect from Gerry and Brendan, who initially seemed displeased. The group’s dynamics were fascinating: Dolours was outgoing and charismatic, while Marian was reserved yet fearless. Their bond mirrored that of Gerry and Brendan; where Gerry possessed a scholarly demeanor, Brendan compensated with street smarts. The dialogue between them was delightful, but “Say Nothing” skillfully reminded us not to lose sight of the high stakes involved in their struggle.

To compensate for their overconfident bank heist, the Price sisters devise a plan to free Jimmy Doyle – their friend and a crucial member of Brendan’s dynamic D-Company – from British detention. After sustaining severe injuries, including a ruptured appendix that required surgery, Jimmy was hospitalized. Their audacious plan involves rescuing him from the hospital, an operation that proves to be a tight squeeze. When faced with the need to shoot the British guards, Dolours hesitates. It’s Marian who takes action and starts firing. The guys jokingly remark, “It’s always the quiet ones.” This incident unsettles Dolours, making her question her resolve in combat situations. However, Brendan offers comfort, saying, “I don’t trust those who don’t hesitate,” before sharing an experience where he couldn’t bring himself to shoot a British soldier – upon closer inspection, the soldier reminded him of his own brother.

In West Belfast, the civilian population stood by the IRA, as loyalty was their guiding principle. Residents of Divis Flats assisted the members of the organization whenever possible. For instance, after a hospital operation, Brendan handed over the used weapons to a familiar face in the building, who then asked Jean McConville to keep the bag; her own apartment was frequently searched. However, she declined to help, which is why we recognize her face – she was among the men who took Jean from her apartment in the initial scene of the pilot.

The intricate network of assistance significantly complicated the British forces’ efforts to understand and apprehend the IRA. Instead, figures like Brendan and Gerry outmaneuvered the British Army, remaining elusive due to the British soldiers’ unfamiliarity with their appearances. In the meantime, the IRA had informants within Palace Barracks, the British Army’s command center. General Frank Kitson, who refers to such incidents as “insurgencies” rather than wars, arrived in Belfast to consult the British forces. He strategically positioned intelligent officers in civilian attire to gather intelligence at a funeral service—a rare occasion for an enigmatic and overly cautious paramilitary group to congregate.

Capturing Brendan turns out to be more challenging than easily apprehending Seamus Wright, who is swiftly nabbed just outside a funeral. Brendan is sharp-witted – he’s always on alert, even when an ice cream truck passes on a chilly day like he calls “freezing cold.” With the British police in pursuit, Brendan can count on every door in his neighborhood to be open for him, offering shortcuts through the city. The series cleverly depicts his escape route with a bird’s-eye view, showing West Belfast as Brendan’s playground. Eventually, he crashes through the window of a house where he immediately locates a weapons chest. After a brief gunfight, the British police disperse; they weren’t necessarily trying to capture Brendan, but to identify him – a subtlety that Brendan is all too aware of. When Gerry Adams arrives to help him with a doctor (Brendan hurt his arm when he jumped through glass), they speculate that someone must have tipped off the British; otherwise, how could they have so quickly discovered his identity?

In 1972, a year that Dolours deemed as the most violent, the IRA placed great emphasis on maintaining secrecy about their activities to ensure smooth operation. As the Price sisters transported explosives and built a bond with Joe Lynskey, Gerry and Brendan worked tirelessly to identify the spy within their ranks. Following a close call for Brendan, it was Gerry who was apprehended by the British in his marital bed. During interrogation, Gerry adopted a strategy of denial that would later become synonymous with his political persona – he claimed to not be Gerry Adams at all but rather a civilian named Joe McGuigan, causing quite a stir among the British authorities. However, Gerry’s release from custody was not due to this ruse; instead, it was because the IRA leadership had secretly agreed to engage in peace talks with the British Home Secretary, provided that Gerry attended the negotiations alongside them.

While discussions are underway in London, the IRA announces a truce, bringing relief to a frightened and tired populace. Children like the McConville family can even play outside again. However, despite Gerry being the main figure leading the revolution on the ground, the older leadership, including Chief of Staff Sean Mac Stiofain, remains in control. In the meeting, the veterans reject any chance of a peace agreement by insisting on the immediate withdrawal of British troops from Ireland and an apology from the British government within three days. The Brits refuse this demand, leading to the resumption of violence.

Concerned that one of her children might be harmed amidst the conflict, Jean McConville makes her family sleep on the floor with mattresses. In the hallway, there’s a cry for assistance; initially reluctant, Jean is touched by the sight of an injured British soldier and provides him with a pillow to rest his head, despite her eldest daughter Helen urging against it. The same woman who seemed suspicious earlier, appears to be observing Jean, and witnesses this act of kindness. Upon exiting her apartment the next day, Jean discovers that someone has painted “BRIT LOVER” in red on her door.

Amidst all the commotion, it’s almost effortless to overlook the fact that the Price sisters, such as Gerry and Brendan who are only a few years their seniors, are merely teenagers, not yet 18. They grow up in the army, and the typical experiences of adolescence are intertwined with the harsh realities of war. The same Dolours who playfully flirts with a British soldier to conceal 200 pounds of explosives at the border (and takes pride in her strategy) later has to take her friend Joe Lynskey to his own execution. In an ill-considered attempt to gain the affection of a woman he admired, Joe had one of his subordinates shoot his husband — a fellow soldier — on the doorstep of his own home. This kind of maneuvering serves as a teaching moment for Dolours: even when used in righteous causes, violence can quickly spiral out of control.

In the army, Gerry and Brendan were on high alert due to internal politics, and learning about Joe’s betrayal paved the way for a tighter policy. Gerry then established a clandestine team, called “The Unknowns,” and invited the Price sisters to work under a man named Pat, who reported directly to Gerry. Dolours’ initial task was to drive Joe across the border. Unfortunately, Joe knew his fate and remained calm; when Dolours hesitated outside the car to call Marian, he waited instead of trying to escape. The scene was heart-wrenchingly sorrowful; Dolours wept openly, and Joe tried to console her as much as possible. Over time, the emotional burden of this task would fester into resentment for Dolours, causing her to bluntly tell Mackers that although she’d been taught since childhood that joining the IRA was the most honorable action, it turned out to be “all deception.

In terms of recent depictions of The Troubles, Say Nothing stands out due to its distinctive tone. Shows like Derry Girls focused on finding humor in daily life during the conflict, while movies such as Hunger adopted a more serious stance. Say Nothing , however, combines character-driven drama with elements of a political thriller and still manages to be amusing; it’s “good craic,” as Brendan or Dolours might say. Initially, I was concerned that the show might oversimplify Dolours’s feisty personality for easy understanding, but by the Joe Lynskey sequence, it became apparent that the series aimed for more than just portraying the sensational aspects of her IRA involvement. Both the TV adaptation and Keefe’s book share a common goal: to present characters not as mere perpetrators or victims, but as real people with complex lives.

2024-11-14 17:54

Say Nothing Series-Premiere Recap: The Whole Sordid Story

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