Say Nothing – Season 1 Episode 5 Recap & Review

Evil Little Maniacs

Episode 5 of Say Nothing begins four weeks after Jean’s disappearance, with her children being separated and sent away.

Dolours reveals her plan to bomb the courthouse as an act of propaganda and a symbolic statement against the British legal system, asserting that the IRA does not recognize British laws over a free Ireland. She takes charge, overseeing the loading of explosives into cars and training the younger members for the mission.

The team arrives in London, where Dolours and her companions attend an Irish theater performance the night before the bombing. Back in Ireland, the army receives a tip about the planned attack and informs the British police.

On the day of the bombing, the group sets the stage and heads to the airport, reassured by Dolours that everything will proceed smoothly. One member calls in the bomb locations to the police an hour before the explosions, emphasizing the symbolic nature of the act and the intention to avoid civilian casualties. However, a police officer discovers a car containing wires, prompting efforts to defuse the bombs. While three bombs are successfully neutralized, the courthouse car bombs detonate before the last could be disarmed, resulting in a catastrophic explosion.

As the police realize the bombers are trying to flee, the airport is placed on high alert, and the group is apprehended. Dolours and Marian undergo humiliating strip searches conducted in front of male officers before being taken to court, where their lawyer advises them to plead guilty. The episode concludes with Dolours defiantly affirming her allegiance to IRA principles in front of the British media.

The Episode Review

The episode delivers a gripping thriller atmosphere, capturing the tension as the group carefully smuggles bombs into London. The series try to portray as many subtle instances of both sides with the disastrous courthouse explosion which injures 200 people quickly followed by the Price sisters’ degrading treatment during their strip search after their arrest. This stark portrayal highlights the patriarchal structures of institutions, evoking sympathy for the women despite their involvement in the tragedy.

Dolours and Marian are presented as larger-than-life figures, embodying the image of true revolutionaries. This narrative lays the groundwork for a broader feminist commentary and human rights perspective on the Price sisters’ story.

The episode also incorporates the series’ signature dark humor, offering moments of comic relief amidst its weighty subject matter. One standout example is the bombers pretending to be travelers while avoiding conversation to conceal their Irish accents.