In Derry Girls, the most recent great series about Northern Ireland, the Irish Republican Army was always just offscreen stowing away in the main characters’ boots or bombing bridges so that they couldn’t get to school. While that show played the Troubles for laughs, FX’s new series, Say Nothing, invites viewers right into the heart of one of the most controversial paramilitary groups in modern history. While members of the IRA were encouraged to participate in a culture of silence (and silencing) around their crimes and membership—to “say nothing,” if you will—FX and Hulu are telling it all.
Say Nothing is based on Patrick Radden Keefe’s best-selling 2018 book of the same name. (This writer read it in 2020 and immediately wished there was a movie or documentary she could watch to follow it up, so this series feels long overdue.) Spanning four decades of history, the series (and book) opens with the disappearance of Jean McConville—a single mother of 10—in 1972 and uses that event to organize the rest of its complicated account into one groundbreakingly cohesive tale.
Per the show’s logline, Say Nothing “explores the extremes some people will go to in the name of their beliefs, the way a deeply divided society can suddenly tip over into armed conflict, the long shadow of radical violence for all affected, and the emotional and psychological costs of a code of silence.” That story is told through following the lives of several real-life members of the IRA: Dolours and Marian Price (Lola Petticrew and Hazel Doupe respectively), “young women who became potent symbols of radical politics,” Brendan Price (Anthony Boyle), “a charismatic but conflicted military strategist,” and Gerry Adams (Josh Finan), “a leading political operator who would go on to negotiate peace and has always denied having any involvement with the IRA.” Maxine Peake also stars as the older version of Dolours.
All nine episodes of Say Nothing premiere on November 19 on Hulu. Just remember that all of this was going on while Erin, Orla, Michelle, Claire, and James set a chippy on fire and practiced their step aerobics.
English (US) ·