Say Nothing – Season 1 Episode 4 Recap & Review

Tout

Episode 4 of Say Nothing begins with Jean’s story after she’d been spotted helping the British soldier, but this time, it’s from Helen’s point of view, who never got to see her mother again. Helen and her brother Archie try to find their mother, but the only answers they receive are that Jean had been a sympathizer of the British and a tout—an informant. Helen believes them to be lying but cannot do anything about it. The children are split up the next day, possibly in foster care or orphanages.

Meanwhile, the narrative shifts back to Brendan and his team, who are in serious need of ammunition. They visit one of their storage sites but are attacked by the British. Now, they realize that someone is giving information to the Brits, and it’s possibly Seamus, as Seamus’ wife reveals that he’d been abducted and didn’t return home for two days. Brendan and Gerry find him, question him, and he confesses to revealing everything about the IRA and identifying all the members in exchange for avoiding prison. He further reveals another informant among them: 17-year-old Kevin, who’d been enticed by Frank with German guns.

Brendan knows that death awaits Kevin and Seamus but promises them he’ll talk to Gerry. He instructs Kevin to spy on the British instead. Kevin successfully plays the British and gathers valuable information on their operations. He also discovers that the British are spying on the community through laundry trucks and conducting extensive forensic tests on laundry to detect gunpowder residue.

Brendan and Jimmy ambush a laundry truck, successfully destroying the British surveillance. After celebrating their victory, Brendan finds Kevin and Seamus gone and later realizes that Gerry had them sent for execution. Brendan tries to convince Gerry to let them live, but Gerry argues that sparing them would set a dangerous precedent for the rest of the members. Eventually, Brendan tearfully complies. In an interview, when asked why he went along with it, Brendan says he trusted Gerry’s leadership and simply “went along” with his decision.

Dolours drives the two to the southern border, where they find two graves already dug. The episode ends with their execution and burial.

Frank deduces that the two spies might be dead, as they never return, but he considers this a strategic win for the British. By exposing informants, the British force the IRA to eliminate their own members, creating internal distrust while gaining intelligence.

Elsewhere, Dolours grows dissatisfied with her chauffeuring job and resolves to remind the British that there’s still an ongoing war. The episode ends with her decision.

The Episode Review

The plot is highly engaging and remains compelling throughout the episode. The emotional ending reinforces the recurring idea that, while the show centers on the Price sisters and their role as IRA revolutionaries, it delves into deeper, more complex questions. How far are individuals willing to go before they reach their breaking point? 

By the conclusion, the narrative effectively juxtaposes two starkly different realities: one, a land steeped in bloodshed where children are killed daily, and the other, a place of relative peace where people live ordinary lives, far removed from danger, cherishing small joys that those across the border can only dream of. This contrast evokes deep sympathy from viewers, particularly as Dolours decides to remind the British of the very real and ongoing conflict in her homeland—one that many have chosen to ignore.