Say Nothing – Season 1 Episode 2 Recap & Review

Land of Password, Wink and Nod

Episode 2 of Say Nothing begins with Dolours and Marian dressed as nuns successfully robbing a bank, although the amount of money they bring back is a cause for disappointment.

The scene cuts to a new brigadier, Frank Kitson, arriving at the British army’s headquarters in Northern Ireland. An older Brendan humorously narrates the sheer inefficiency of British intelligence, recounting how they ended up kidnapping Gerry’s dog when they couldn’t find him, hoping the dog would recognize its owner someday. Along with the dog, Brendan’s associate Jimmy Dooley had been captured, but Dooley refused to say anything. Meanwhile, Frank decides to target “Dark,” Brendan’s code name, using counter-revolutionary techniques he had honed during British imperialist campaigns in Africa.

While discussing Jimmy’s arrest, Dolours suggests a jailbreak to free him while he’s receiving treatment for his injuries at the hospital, framing it as propaganda against the British. They pull it off successfully, garnering significant attention in the papers.

The scene then shifts to Brendan, better known as “Dark,” a close associate of Gerry’s, taking over the narrative in an interview. He describes the Divis Flats, which had become a ritual hideout for IRA members after a “job.” It was a community hub that supported the IRA cause, where representatives could always seek help. Here, we see Jean refusing to hide IRA ammunition in her house, expressing her unwillingness to get involved—a decision that doesn’t sit well with the community members.

The British had spies, but the IRA had their own as well. An electrician, one of the few jobs available to Catholic Irish, informs IRA members that Frank is after Brendan. While attempting to spy on Frank while changing a light bulb, an Irish Protestant woman enters to provide Frank with updates. She expresses her suspicion of the electrician, believing he is working for the IRA, while revealing her disdain for the Catholic community and loyalty to the British.

Later, Brendan shows concern for civilians being injured in IRA operations, but Gerry considers him too soft. At a wake, a rare event where all IRA members gather, Seamus, an IRA member, is kidnapped by the British. This happens amid British efforts to uncover the identities of the Price sisters. Although Seamus initially refuses to reveal anything, Frank decides to take a different approach.

The scene cuts to Brendan being attacked by Protestant civilians, who claim to know his name and identity as “Dark.” After they leave, Gerry arrives with a doctor, and Brendan reveals that someone has leaked IRA secrets to the British and that civilians are now collaborating with them.

The Episode Review

This episode delves deeply into themes of colonialism, with Frank’s expertise highlighting the tactics of British colonial occupation and resistance movements against it.

The episode also explores the theme of loyalty, a cornerstone of the IRA’s foundation and its ideology of silence as a form of power. This loyalty to the national cause begins to unravel as Seamus succumbs to British pressure despite his IRA training. Frank cleverly identifies Seamus’s silence as stemming from fear of IRA leadership, which he successfully exploits, in contrast to Jimmy’s unwavering resistance.

Additionally, the episode juxtaposes the “noble” ambitions of the IRA with Jean’s possible abduction, ostensibly due to her non-compliance. This complicates the idealized notion of nationalism on which the IRA was founded, challenging the viewer’s perspective.