Say Nothing – Season 1 Episode 8 Recap & Review

I Lay Waiting

Episode 8 of Say Nothing begins with Gerry meeting the Father, who reinforces the idea that the IRA isn’t really helping their cause anymore. Gerry is about to do something significant: he travels to the U.S. for peace negotiations in Northern Ireland. The news reaches all members of the IRA, who gather to learn more about the decisions. By this time, Dolours’ marriage is over; she has become addicted to drugs and returns home after hearing Marian’s message about the peace talks.

At the gathering, unlike their demand for complete freedom, they are shocked to find that Gerry has sold them all out to the British since he agreed to a decommissioning process instead of complete independence. The members are left completely disillusioned by this outcome.

This is when Helen appears for an interview regarding Jean’s disappearance, blaming the IRA. Listening to her story, more people come forward with claims, and they eventually hold a press conference where Helen questions Gerry Adams about where the bodies have been buried.

Adams then visits Helen and realizes she won’t back down, so he formally requests a thorough investigation. One of Gerry’s associates visits Dolours for her help in locating Jean’s body, but she refuses, and he leaves after threatening her. They eventually find a body near the beach, which turns out to be Eamon’s—a British informant killed by the IRA.

Gerry’s team locates a region and gathers Jean’s children, but ultimately, they aren’t able to find Jean. Meanwhile, Gerry has been writing books and selling them. Dolours visits his book-signing event and publicly questions him about the London bombing, reminding him that he was one of the commanding officers. Later, Marian tells her about new developments—that they’re resuming activities again—but Dolours doesn’t want to be involved anymore. On her way home, Dolours sees Kevin and Seamus sitting in her car and panics.

Dolours calls Helen but isn’t able to talk to her. She later visits Brendan, expressing all her anger about Gerry and their time in the IRA. We learn that during Bloody Friday, when civilians were killed, Brendan had noticed the bombs were placed too close. This was another event where Gerry was the commanding officer.

Dolours wants a way to tell their story. This is when Brendan tells her about the Belfast Oral History Project conducted by his cellmate. He assures her that the tapes won’t be released until after their deaths.

Dolours begins her project and is assured her safety won’t be compromised. Elsewhere, due to erosion, a body is found at the beach, which turns out to be Jean’s. The detective counsels the family, stating they can press charges against Adams since the body was found by a civilian. Helen believes they need someone to talk, and, in parallel, the interviewer questions Dolours about Jean.

The Episode Review

Clearly, the show might have begun with the heroism of the IRA, but it soon lays bare the reality of a rotten organization filled with traitors and misdeeds. It began as a revolutionary group but descended into one that partakes in crimes against its own people. Not only that, the entire weight of the decades-long revolutionary movement is crushed by a single peace negotiation, simmering discontent among those who laid down their lives for the cause and rendering all their sacrifices meaningless.

“What was it all for?” questions Dolours—something that at least two generations of Irish revolutionaries begin questioning after the peace talks. It’s a powerful and emotional moment, especially when Dolours asks Gerry to sign her book for her aunt, who lost her eyes and arms to the cause—a futile sacrifice in the end.

Since Gerry has proven to be a rotten individual—a true politician—he ensured his identity remained anonymous while others carried out his dirty deeds and took responsibility for them. The entire ethical and moral weight of the deaths now lies heavily on Brendan and Dolours’ shoulders.