FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024

As a survivor of the Troubles and having lost loved ones to the senseless violence that plagued Northern Ireland for decades, I found “Say Nothing” to be a poignant and powerful portrayal of a tumultuous era. The series masterfully weaves together the stories of Jean McConville, Gerry Adams, and Dolours Price, offering a nuanced exploration of radicalism, regret, and the legacy of the Troubles.

In 1972, during the intense conflict known as The Troubles, a widowed mother of ten named Jean McConville was forcibly taken from her Belfast home by intruders. Her family never saw her again alive. For decades, they sought explanations from the Irish Republican Army, which was infamous for “disappearing” fellow Catholics during that period, regarding McConville’s fate and reasons behind it. This search forms the basis of Patrick Radden Keefe’s award-winning 2018 book, Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland. Now, this best-seller has been brilliantly transformed into a nine-episode miniseries on FX, sharing the same title as the book, offering more than just a thrilling crime tale – it also serves as a powerful piece of contemporary political art with striking relevance.

The enigma surrounding McConville’s disappearance serves as the framework for the story, with creator Joshua Zetumer and executive producer Keefe skillfully intertwining multiple connected narratives into a deep contemplation on radicalism, remorse, and the intricate aftermath of the Troubles. At a glance, we witness the ascension of Gerry Adams, who later led the Irish republican party Sinn Fein. Although a disclaimer on screen acknowledges that he has consistently denied being an IRA member or participating in its violent actions, the series portrays a ruthless young Gerry (played by Josh Finan), who is depicted as planning bombings and ordering the deaths of fellow suspects.

At the heart of “Say Nothing,” set to air fully on Hulu starting Nov. 14, is the tale of Dolours Price. Played by Belfast native Lola Petticrew as a young woman and Maxine Peake as an older woman, these performances leave a lasting impression. Born into Catholics who served time for the republican movement, fiery Dolours and her more militant sister Marian (Hazel Doupe) briefly experimented with nonviolence in the ’60s. However, this approach resulted only in beatings at the hands of Protestant police officers. The Price sisters later joined the Belfast IRA, opting for active combat over the domestic duties their mothers’ generation had been assigned. In one humorous scene early in the series, they rob a bank disguised as nuns.

In a less glamorous part of Dolours’ IRA service, she was responsible for transporting suspected informers and other individuals deemed risky across the border into mainland Ireland, where her associates would carry out their executions. Though she might have been overly perceptive for her own wellbeing, she wrestled with the moral implications of this violent act. “I never imagined my role in this conflict would be taking the lives of Catholics,” she admits. At a young age, Dolours yearned passionately to strike at London and sow terror into the hearts of Northern Ireland’s English rulers, mirroring the constant fear her family had experienced.

A disputed border. A generations-spanning conflict layered in land, identity, and faith. The downtrodden population of one side resists the military occupation of the wealthier overlord, but endures the bulk of the carnage. Questions of war vs. insurgency, freedom fighter vs. terrorist, the ethics of either side’s making civilians collateral damage for the sake of what they see as justice. The Troubles seem more than a little relevant to the tragedy now playing out in Gaza; earlier this year, Ireland recognized a Palestinian state, and Irish artists like Nicola Coughlan and Sally Rooney have criticized the Israeli government. Without sacrificing the specificity of Dolours’ story, Say Nothing captures the moral, ideological, and emotional complexity of such struggles, past and present.

In times when rigid viewpoints dominate, some may find it jarring that the show portrays its main character with sympathy. One episode, full of the fast-paced tension of a spy drama, depicts her as the shrewd yet anxious leader of a group of teenagers setting off car bombs. However, as the story unfolds over four decades, guided by an honest interview given by an older version of the character for a secretive Belfast oral history project, it reveals that life endures. Even if their beliefs are noble, a youthful revolutionary with a sense of morality will mature into someone tormented by the darkest deeds they committed in pursuit of those ideals.

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2024-11-14 18:06