Say Nothing – Season 1 Episode 1 Recap & Review

The Cause

Episode 1 of Say Nothing begins with a sarcastic introduction to Irish history, ending with the British control of Northern Ireland.

It’s Belfast, 1972, and a woman, Jean, is abducted by masked men in front of her children in the middle of the night while her eldest daughter, Helen, is out getting dinner for the family.

The scene cuts to an interview setup with an older Dolours Price narrating the story of her time with the IRA. We are introduced to young Dolours and Marian Price, two sisters born into a family of proud, retired members of the IRA.

Dolours describes the socio-political situation in Northern Ireland, characterized by a segregated society where Catholic Christians were treated as second-class citizens, with limited blue-collar jobs and no voting rights altogether. The Price family takes pride in their contribution to the Irish cause, with their father having served two years in prison, their mother two weeks, and their aunt having lost her eyes and arms for the cause.

Initially, Dolours is against an armed struggle, like that of the IRA, and the sisters participate in a peace march against British occupation in Northern Ireland. At the march, the protestors are ambushed by the opposition, with the police complicit since they insisted on a specific route for the march. Dolours and Marian, mercilessly beaten, experience the futility of peaceful protests. Dolours realizes she’ll never be able to change the minds of people who harbor so much hate against her. This is when Dolours decides to fight back.

However, Dolours isn’t interested in joining the Cumann na mBan, the IRA wing for women, of which her mother was a member. Despite her mother’s knowledge of guns, shooting was reserved for men.

The sisters go to watch rioting, where Dolours finds that her childhood friend, Gerry Adams, is in charge. She suggests a couple of strategic changes to gain an upper hand over the enemy and is offered to join the Cumann, but this isn’t what she wants. She wants to do what the boys are doing: robbing banks, bombing, and engaging in active resistance.

One night, soldiers arrive in their neighborhood and begin forcefully searching houses. They enter her house looking for her father, but he has already crossed the border to Ireland.

The scene cuts to the sisters meeting the IRA leadership, trying to convince them to let the sisters join active resistance, the same as the boys. Dolours is taken to “Big Dad,” who turns out to be Gerry. Gerry, keeping a low profile, is initially unsure about the idea of the sisters joining a men’s squad. Eventually, however, Dolours and Marian are accepted, and they take their oath as members of the IRA.

Meanwhile, Brendan mentions the Divis Flats as Jean McConville, a single mother, and her family move into them.

The episode ends with the older Dolours confessing during the interview that she trusted Gerry and his leadership until she realized it was all lies.

The Episode Review

Say Nothing begins by laying the mystery out in the open with the opening sequence depicting Jean’s abduction by her family’s neighbors, assumed to be acting under IRA command. Jean’s story intertwines with the Price sisters’ induction as the first women to join the active branch of the IRA, which was previously reserved solely for men.

The episode is an interesting critique of the IRA, while portraying their beginnings in a very humanizing manner, set against the backdrop of British occupation of Northern Ireland and the many atrocities and injustices faced by the Catholic community on the island.

Moreover, it serves as a feminist critique, with the Price sisters at the center of it all, especially when Dolours confronts the IRA leadership with: “If you think we’re just useful for serving tea, then you might be missing your chance to win this war.”

Overall, the episode is a strong start, keeping viewers intrigued while peppered with instances of black comedy reminiscent of the popular show Derry Girls, also set against the backdrop of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.