Say Nothing

Historical accuracy: 9

Acting: 9 Dialogue: 9 Camera work: 8 Editing: 8 Budget: 9 Story: 8 Theme: 9 Pure entertainment factor: 8 Video quality: 8 Special effects: 7 Pacing: 8 Suspension of disbelief: 9 Non-cringe factor: 6 Lack of flashbacks: 5

I read the book and watched the new documentary on The Troubles. I think this TV show is basically as good as you can make it today far surpassing all other media. I was afraid it would be a typical British low budget historical TV series with very few small sets and comedic acting. But this is on par with big American productions as it is one. Mainly what needs to work is the history and setting and it does. When you follow a terrorist group you can't really make them look fully inhumane and cruel as that would be boring to watch. On the other hand you can't sympathize with a group whose main purpose is to kill and harm people to achieve a goal so vague they can't even define it themselves 50 years later. It's hard to make a TV series about such a group as you need to explain what they are doing and why and then also show the bad sides without making viewers turn away in disgust. We need the flair and charisma to feel engaged, but in real life there was little to none of it.

The TV series starts out with a few seconds long intro about Northern Ireland and that's that really. We get no more background info. Unless you know about the voting rights you will not be able to understand what they mean when they mention it. Households voted not people. So the big Catholic households where the pope forbids them to use condoms would have more people per household. This made them feel marginalized. But the bigger households also meant they had less money for day to day stuff so they were poorer too and felt the system was unfair. We hear the English people mock the Catholics after the terrorist attacks like when the terrorist sisters went to prison. Their statements are based on hate at that point, but this is what the TV show uses to show us a tiny bit more without offending anyone who doesn't already understand this history. These offensive statements are actually used to convey history the TV show doesn't dare go into.

What is shown in the book and documentary is just how low-brow the IRA members were. You can't really show a sheer lack of elegance and glory in a movie. They have to be younger, more attractive, more heroic, and have more exciting lives and indeed the initial episodes are flashy heists and young people flirting. Later on the show becomes more grounded. The book goes over how they decorated their cells with their excrement in protest and how dirt poor some of these IRA followers were. The apartment complex was so rundown that when an apartment got available inhabitants came by to demolish everything inside so that no one could move in forcing the government to finally tear it down. In the TV show the poverty is seen a bit in edges. The various bars they visit don't show poverty but rather affluence as they get to relax and have fun in every second scene and never hold a real job. I guess the indoor sets were too clean, but that's just TV for you. I get why some viewers who experienced the deaths from IRA may not love this show. But at the end the last few episodes do show us how it was not all glory and I think this is a show for everyone. For me it's one of the best TV series ever. It's that high quality.

I'll start by saying that the production of this series is excellent, the acting is great, and the overall story is gripping. As someone from Northern Ireland it's always great to see anything from here portrayed in T. V or film, but there is usually a sense that it's a "B rate" production at best. I am thrilled to say that is not the case with 'Say Nothing', this series was so we'll done that I imagine it will be viewed and praised by people the world over. Things like this are usually only interesting to people from the island, people that were directly involved, or history buffs. But I think this will appeal to a broader audience as it is portrayed as a drama series with characters at it's heart.

I can't tell you how many times I have been watching something and have heard the Nortern Ireland accent butchered to the point where I cringe. I have always thought to myself 'if only we had some top actors (that aren't Liam Neeson) who could star in these roles'. We'll im not sure where they've been hiding, but they finally found them! The acting was excellent throughout the entire show, and it's great to see some home grown talent getting some much needed and deserved recognition. I was unfamiliar with most of the cast in this show, but if at least one or two don't go on to be house hold names in the UK I will be surprised (particularly the actors who played the Price sisters).

I haven't read the book, though I would imagine it's more historical and focused on the facts of what happened during the troubles. The show definitely keeps this in mind the historical and cultural impact throughout, although it is mostly character driven. It does a great job of developing the characters and portraying all sides of characters involved and showing a multitude of emotions for people we'd probably rather see as one dimensional in real life.

My only reservation with this show is that I felt the narrative of the troubles was slightly one sided. The focus is of course on the IRA/ republican movement, as such, it's no real surprise that they are viewed as the protagonist. However, there are two sides to the story with the Belfast conflict and it feels as thought the protestant/ unionist side was left out completely.

That being said, I think they done a good job of showing how nasty things got and how the lines got blurred between what is right and wrong, even in war times and even when you are convinced that the only right opinion is yours.

I expect this will be a hard watch for many people, especially those directly effected and those who may still be grieving the loss of loved ones. My hope is that people can enjoy it for what it is, an excellent piece of television on a topic that most of the world may have forgotten or never even heard of, and I hope prejudice doesn't get in the way of enjoying a good show.

As someone from the north, it's very surreal to see such a high quality TV series about this period. The series clearly attempts to provide balance when looking at this period. Obviously the main focus towards the end is the disappeared, particularly Jean McConville and a few ex IRA volunteers, but it does an excellent job in portraying the motivations and circumstances of those who got involved with the IRA. The characters on all sides are developed and acted brilliantly, particularly Dolours Price and Brendan Hughes, and the odd bout of humour is very welcome and lands well. Overall this is a sometimes exhilarating but also thought provoking watch, I certainly felt it was worth taking a day out to watch!

I highly suggest reading the book for additional context/info, but the series does a fantastic job covering the material.

Really well-acted across the multiple age eras of the principal characters.

The larger themes to me are: -in war, everyone thinks they are on the right side -how far will you go for a cause you believe in, and what happens when that belief is tested or wanes -the sacrificial pawns of war who carry the most risk typically are easily discarded in the end -the larger "code" of silence within communities goes too far sometimes -the spoils of war tend to go to the bureaucrats, not the soldiers

Overall an incredibly well-done miniseries.

As Episode 1 of "Say Nothing" (2024 release from the UK; 9 episodes ranging from 41 to 50 min each) opens, it is "Belfast 1972" and we are reminded that this is "Based on a True Story". A woman is being taken away from her house, leaving her kids behind. We don't know why or who took her. We then go to "Dublin, Ireland, 29 Years Later" and we meet. Dolours Price. She is about to be interviewed as part of an oral history of the Troubles. At this point we are 10 minutes into Episode 1.

Couple of comments: there have been many movies and TV series and documentaries about the Troubles before, but I don't recall ever having seen anything like "Say Nothing", which brings the 3 decades that were the Troubles with a fresh look. The series follows several events and jumps back and forth in time, but somehow it brings the main themes of the Troubles with a clearer perspective than ever. While the differences and the fighting fighting between the Protestants/British Army versus the Catholics/Irish-minded gets of course plenty of attention, less obvious issues such as the Disappeared by the IRA are also included. There are plenty of solid acting performances, none more so than Lola Petticrew as Dolours. Beware: this mini-series is not for the faint of heart. At the end of it all, I felt like I had received an emotional gut punch. This mini-series is riveting from start to finish, even if some moments are uncomfortable. (As an aside, within minutes of watching Episode 1, I realized that I needed English subtitles, as I was missing about half of what I was hearing (Northern Ireland accents and all...)

"Say Nothing" started streaming on Hulu a week ago. I read a positive review of it in the New York Times, and then I found out that it is currently rated 91% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, and for good reason. I watched this in night nights of 3 episodes each and I was simply transfixed. If you are in the mood for a top notch drama or simply curious to learn more about the Troubles, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.