Do No Harm – The episode opens in a flashback with young Dolours Price (Aoife Conlon) lighting a cigarette for Aunt Bridie (Eileen Walsh) and asking if she misses dancing. Bridie claims to like smoking, not dancing but she was good at it. Chrissie Price (Kerri Quinn) takes care of Bridie who gave everything for the Cause. Bridie urges her to be kind to Marian Price (Hazel Doupe) because she may need her help one day. In the present, teenage Dolours Price (Lola Petticrew) and Marian Price (Hazel Doupe) arrive at Brixton Prison to be greeted by the Governor (Iain Fletcher). After he reads them the rules, Dolours suggests they become friends. He says if it was up to him, he would bury her in a hole. The Deputy Governor (Matt Emery) asks them to undress. Dolours demands to be moved to an Ireland women’s prison. The Governor calls her a terrorist. She argues that they are prisoners are war and repeats her demands to be transferred. He threatens to do it for them. They eventually relent. As they are being escorted to their cells, the male inmates catcall them. They are placed in separate cells with filthy mattresses. Dolours discovers a porno magazine underneath her mattress.

A female guard (Lee Saunders) delivers a tray to Dolours’ cell. She says they wil remain on hunger strike until the Governor transfers them to Ireland. In the present, older Dolours Price (Maxine Peake) tells Mackers (Seamus O’Hara) of the Belfast Project that she really thought she was willing to die for the IRA.

Day 1 – Dolours promises to get Marian out of prison. Marian questions what they will do if the Governor doesn’t budge on their demands. Dolours assures her that he will.

Day 8 – As the hunger strike continues, Dolours starts to get anxious. Marian claims a screw told her that the inmates were paying 1.50 euros to watch them exercise. Dolours boasts of her tits looking bigger after losing seven pounds. Marian taunts the male inmates.

Day 17 – During a visit, Chrissie informs Marian and Dolours of Gerry Adams (Josh Finan) and Brendan “Dark” Hughes’ (Anthony Boyle) arrests. Gerry’s teeth were punched in. Marian sees Chrissie has lost weight. Chrissie tries not to weep while they discuss their hunger strike. It was the last night Marian and Dolours would see Chrissie alive. Dolours sees a guard goofing around by being restrained to a chair. Later, guards forcibly remove Dolours from her room, restrain her to a chair, place a wooden gag in her mouth, and insert a tube through the hole and down her throat. Dr. Mansuri (Abhin Galeya) assists in pouring liquid feeding into the tube. When the gag is removed, Dolours vomits. Later, Marian and Dolours agree to continue the hunger strike. At 10am, Dolours pushes her cot up against the cell door. The guards push their way in and drag her out of the cell.

Day 28 – Marian suggests relaxing their throats to make the feeding tube easier to insert. She vomits after each forced feeding. At 10am, Dolours follows Marian’s advice. After the procedure is over, she overhears a young nurse (Rachel Barnwell) expressing disapproval of forced feedings. Dolours greets Mansuri. He offers her a basin to rinse her mouth. She asks why he does it. He says as a doctor, it is his obligation to keep him alive and forced-feedings are the path of least harm.

Day 67 – Dolours reads from a porno magazine. Marian listens from her room via the laboratory. They listen to Chrissie’s interview with BBC via a handheld radio. The radio journalist (Caroline Harker) says the prison doctor claims Marian and Dolours may have gained five pounds and are healthier. Chrissie explains how forced feeding traumatizes them. The journalist insists a mother who loves their children wouldn’t want them to die. Chrissie assures her that she loves and is very proud of her daughters. She says the Governor should transfer them to an Ireland women’s prison.

Day 108 – A forced-feeding protest is held outside the prison. Mansuri makes his way through the protestors to the gate. A guard lets him in. While assessing Dolours’ tooth, Mansuri says he cares about her. In the present, older Dolours tells Mackers that Mansuri was a good man and she respected him for believing he was doing the right thing. The forced feedings continue through day 135. Chrissie notifies Dolours about her recent hospital visit. One morning Dolours goes for her feeding to find Mansuri missing. A nurse (Connie Ava Jackson) criticizes Dolours for her IRA involvement and assures her that they would gladly let her starve. In the yard, Marian is feeling down about Chrissy. Dolours takes her anger out on the male inmates by verbally abusing them.

Day 148 – Mansuri tells Dolours that he had a fever. She insists he not miss anymore and vows to not do the feedings without him. On day 179, Marian is too weak to shower alone. Dolours agrees to assist her. Later, Marian faints during a feeding. Mansuri explains to Dolours how the liquid nutrients entered Marian’s lungs and she fainted. Angry, she accuses him of prolonging their suffering. He vows to not let her die or hurt her. At 10am, Dolours arrives for her feeding, drops on the door, and attacks Mansuri. The guards restrain her to a chair. Mansuri pleads with her to open her mouth. When she refuses, he pries her mouth open and force-feeds her. After the feeding, she says to tell the Governor that it will be like this from now on and spits her tooth on the floor. The next morning, a guard delivers a tray to Dolours’ cell.

Day 202 – Two weeks after the Chief Medical Officer discontinued forced-feedings, Marian and Dolours’ health deteriorates. They are moved to the medical ward. On day 205, Marian becomes anxious. Dolours holds her. On day 208, Marian is unresponsive. Dolours pleads with her to not die first. The medical staff arrives with IV fluids and informs them that the Governor is transferring them to Ireland. Marian wakes and asks what is happening. Dolours says they are going home.

Aboard a plane, Dolours and Marian eat chicken pie. The plane lands in Ireland as the episode closes.

 

Say Nothing Review

The graphicness of the forced feedings is obviously intended to draw sympathy from the audience. The reception will vary depending on how viewers feel about Dolours and Marian’s strong commitment to the IRA. Whatever the case may be, the hunger strike earned the Price sisters a transfer to Armagh Prison for women in Northern Ireland.

The entire episode is dedicated to the forced feedings. After the first time, the shock wears off and it hardly matters. The episode deserves a 5 out of 10.

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