Evil Little Maniacs – The episode opens in the past. Helen McConville (Emily Healy) and Archie McConville (Isaac Heslip) discuss Jean McConville’s (Judith Roddy) abduction four weeks prior. Agnes McConville (Ava-Rose Gallagher) hands Helen the mail which includes a postcard from Blackpool. Two cops (Laurence Saunders, Owen Mulhall) bring Michael McConville (Rylee Neilly-Large) home after he tried to steal biscuits. After seeing their deplorable living conditions, a social worker (Paula McFetridge) and a Priest at Divis (Dan Mullane) arrive to remove the children from the home. Helen assures them that Jean is coming back and shows them the postcard. An intruder who took part in Jean’s abduction watches as Tucker McConville (Lennox Loughran), Agnes, Susie McConville (Sarah Gordon), Jim McConville), Archie, Michael, and Billy McConville (Matthew Murphy) are put into two different vehicles. Helen curses the IRA before joining her siblings. The vehicles take different routes out of Divis.
Firefighters work to extinguish a fire at the Hawaiian. An officer places a blanket over a burnt corpse near an overturned burning vehicle. Teenage Dolours Price (Lola Petticrew) and Marian Price (Hazel Doupe) watch from a short distance away. Later, Dolours complains about how the war is impacting the Catholics. Gerry Adams (Josh Finan) and Brendan “Dark” Hughes (Anthony Boyle) play down the tragedies. She expresses her desire to bomb the Old Bailey Courthouse in London. Dark suggests one car bomb but she insists on using four to take out four targets. Marian wants to blow up Buckingham Palace. Dolours volunteers to be the OC. Daithi (Lloyd Hutchinson) questions her ability to pull it off. She tells him that she would die for United Ireland and to have the British experience what her family has gone through. Dark rushes Dolours and Marian out of the room. Gerry refuses to let Dark do it because he is too valuable to the IRA. Dolours asks Marian if she is okay with her being the OC. Marian says no but insists on it being perfect. Gerry informs them that it is a go.
Dolours warns Marian, Roisin (Mirren Mack), Frankie, Chalkie (Cuan Hosty-Blaney), and five other IRA insurgents that they will be killed if the bombings are not pulled off perfectly. When the insurgents agree, Francis (Art Parkinson) informs them that 200 pounds of ammonium nitrate and blasting gelatin will be installed in each of the four vehicles. Dolours and Marian install the first bomb successfully. The area fills with applause. Chalkie flirts with Dolours while they paint the vehicles. Marian tells Dolours that she kissed Francis and now, he wants to go further. Dolours says they all could be dead tomorrow. Later, Gerry voices concern about Dolours getting caught with the explosives. When she embraces Gerry, he says, “Your ancestors would be proud.” Dark wishes her luck. Dolours puts Marian in charge of the team because she is flying to London. Later at the border, A customs agent (David Nolan) says they don’t have a tax disc. Marian claim to have applied for one last week. Roisin panics and runs off. Marian goes after her. The customs agent moves on to a driver pulling a trailer over the limit. Marian tries to convince Roisin that the targets are buildings, not people. Chalkie and Francis hear a loud radio from a nearby vehicle. Chalkie asks the driver to turn down the volume. The driver complies. Roisin and Marian return to the vehicle. The customs agent allows them to pass.
Dolours meets Marian in London. Marian tells her about Roisin. Dolours decides to let Roisin stay at the hotel until the job is done. Inside an art museum, Dolours orders her team to keep quiet, so no one detects their accent. Later they watch a play at the Royal Court Theatre. Marian goes back to Francis’ room. When Dolours returns to the hotel, she finds Chalkie intoxicated. She and a good Samaritan (Darren Clarke) help him to his room. Chalkie asks where the cars are parked. She sends the man away, shoves Chalkie into his room, and goes to her own room. Marian asks what happened. Dolours fears they are screwed.
Palace Barracks Belfast, Ireland – A soldier (Nick Hardie) informs Private Sarah Jane (Amy Molloy) that an informant claims to know something about a planned attack in London. In London, Dolours prays. With their bags packed, Marian, Dolours, Chalkie, Francis, Roisin, and the others pick up the vehicles installed with bombs. At New Scotland Yard, Edgar (Ethan Moorhouse) shows Tommy (Dempsey Bovell) a photo of his pregnant wife. The Chief Inspector (James Doherty) tells them that 11 teenagers are planning to set off four bombs in London today. Dolours, Marian, Chalkie, and Roisin park in front of a building, set the bomb, lock the door, and walk away. At New Scotland Yard, a traffic cop (Derek Ezenagu) finds one of the vehicles illegally parked. While placing a ticket under the windshield wiper, he notices the paint peeling and a wire running to a box under the seat. Chalkie calls the police to alert them of the four vehicles carrying bombs. He provides a description, license plate numbers, and location of each of the four vehicles. The police tape off the area where the first vehicle is found. Tommy and Edgar utilize a clothes hanger to unlock the door and discover the bomb in the back. Tommy cuts the wires.
Dolours and the other IRA insurgents arrive at the airport. Marian says they should have stayed at the hotel. Dolours assures them that they will be fine. Tommy and Edgar successfully defuse the bomb. An alert is posted at the airport to be on the lookout for three women and eight men responsible for car bombings. One of the IRA insurgents takes off running. Dolours escorts the others through the airport as flights are being canceled. The Ford Cortina is located in from of The Old Bailey Courthouse. An officer stops Roisin. Tommy breaks out the car window with a hammer. Chalkie, Dolours, Francis, and Marian are apprehended at the airport. Edgar realizes the bomb wires are leading to the boot. Dolours and Marian are interrogated but neither talk. Chief Inspector tells Marian that the time has expired on the remaining bombs. She smiles. Tommy and Edgar rush to vacate the area. The car bomb explodes. Chief Inspector orders Marian to remove her clothes, so they can be tested for bomb residue. He grabs her and stops when she agrees to do it. Dolours and Marian refuse to wear inmate outfits. Inside a police van, Barrister Michael Mansfield (Bert Seymour) urges Dolours and Marian to plead guilty. They admit to blowing up The Old Bailey because they don’t recognize the court. Protestors call them traitors and pelt the van. Mansfield warns them Roisin has agreed to testify against them. Dolours blames herself and apologizes to Marian. A reporter (Mark Field) asks if they regret their actions. Turning to look at him, Dolours asks if the British soldiers regret killing the children on Bloody Sunday. The reporter asks if she supports IRA principles. She says yes. The episode ends.
Say Nothing Review
While the series does an okay job of sticking with the facts, some scenes are not played out as such. One example is the bomb disposal. The method Tommy and Edgar utilize to defuse the bomb is haphazard at best. Not wearing the proper gear, they utilize a clothes hanger to unlock the door. With the obvious wires exposed, they open the boxes containing the clock detonator and dynamite. It isn’t until they find the second car bomb wired differently that they don their helmets, no gloves or other gear.
More screen time should have been dedicated to Dolours and Brendan’s time in the IRA. Much of what happened is skimmed over, leaving a lot to be desired. The episode deserves a 5 out of 10.
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Jay Skelton is a fan of all television shows and movies. He tries his best to keep up with the latest foreign television shows and movies. Jay loves skinny dipping in the dark too.