Epic nine part (six hour) series for FX, based on Patrick Radden Keefe's non-fiction investigation into true events starting in the times of the 1960s Troubles.
Lola Petticrew (who was also the star of the Northern Ireland drama Trespasses) is Dolours, becomes indoctrinated into the IRA, whilst an older version of herself (Maxine Peake) recounts her story to a journalist. She and her sister haven't much of a chance - their dad is always telling revolutionary stories, their mum is burying guns in the garden, their aunt was badly damaged by a bomb.
Whilst the show proclaims that Gerry Adams has always denied any involvement with the IRA he's shown here being a passionate and active member of said organisation. He's played by Josh Finan (The Responder, Waiting for the Out). All acting good. With Anthony Boyle / Tom Vaughan-Lawlor (Adams' No. 2 / older self), Hazel Doupe (sister), Frank Blake (turns informer), Ryan McParland (with spud gun!), Judith Roddy (disappeared mother), Emily Healy and Isaac Heslip (elder children), Martin McCann (new handler, Blue Lights), Abhin Galeya (sympathetic prison doctor).
Some good black humour, e.g. involving newly arrived General Rory Kinnear and Gerry Adams' dog, but the sound quality is poor and mixed with the sometimes thick Irish accents makes it difficult to understand at times. It's effective as it shows the Troubles from the Catholic / IRA perspective and manages to use humour to leaven a tough story.
The key element is a mum who is taken away, for an act of kindness to an injured British soldier. The girls are good at strategy - decide to free an imprisoned IRA member from hospital, dress up as nuns to rob a bank, decide to car bomb London... and then in Brixton start a hunger strike which almost kills the younger one in order to get sent back to Ireland.
Dolours grows up, realises it was all wrong. Then, we were not expecting Stephen Rea to come into the story! (Damien Molony).
Episode 3 is directed by Mary Bing Jamie Alfreda Leonara Quick Kit Nighy, daughter of Bill Nighy and Diana Quick! And Kirsten Sheridan (son of Jim and Oscar nominated for In America), Joe Murtagh (Woman in the Wall), and Clare Barron ('formidable New York playwright') were also in the writers' room.
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