Say Nothing (2024) s01e03 Episode Script

1
Can you tuck this away for me?
That's not my problem.
I'll be sure and pass
that message along.
If you think that we're
just useful serving tea,
then you might be missing
your chance to win this war.
Better kick it
up to the big lad.
[Older Dolours] That
would be Gerry Adams.
[electrician] New face of the Palace
Barracks, Brigadier Frank Kitson.
Everything stops until
we locate the Dark.
[gunshots]
Come on out, Brendan!
They knew my face. They knew
my name. Somebody fucking talked!
[singer on radio] ♪
Talking of tomorrow ♪
And the money, love
and time We had to spend ♪
Loving her was easier ♪
[sings along] Than
anything I've had do ♪
- [laughs]
- [Dolours laughs]
- [Marian] Do you know this song?
- I bet he fucking doesn't.
[Joe] Who's this?
- You've said it before, Joe. Mm-hmm.
- Did I?
You've said it close on
three times, ya buck eejit.
Gordon Lightfoot.
- No.
- No.
- It's not Gordon Lightfoot?
- No.
- Kris Kristofferson.
- Kris Kristofferson.
Oh.
Right, here. Who
wants a wee cracker?
No, and you may stop spilling
them crumbs in this car, Joe.
Right. This is us
here coming up.
[Older Dolours] I remember Joe was the
one who took me on my first border run.
See, the plan was simple.
Head south into the borderlands,
stuff the car with as many
explosives as you can,
then smuggle it back to Belfast
without getting lifted or shot.
[drill whirring]
[Brendan clears throat]
Now, when I turn
the key, it won't, um--
The heat from the engine
- It's gonna be all right, like?
- What'd ya reckon, Peadar?
Will the girls make it
out of this alive or what?
Well [grunts]
in my experience,
you'll be grand.
[Brendan chuckles]
So, how many explosives
were you carrying that day?
Not much. 200 pounds.
About a car bomb's worth.
[Older Dolours] We'd gone
down south to meet Brendan.
We were taking over his route
now that he was out of commission.
Gerry
are we gonna find this loose-lipped cunt
that tipped me off to the Brits or what?
We'll find the leak.
Honestly, that's not
my top priority right now.
Not your top priority? What
the fuck you talking about?
The question that we
need to be asking ourselves
is how do we run an army
when we can't trust our own men?
[knocking]
[Dolours] Gerry,
we're all packed up.
Keep this under your
hat for now, okay?
- Okay.
- Come in, child.
Gerry.
Youse all set? Big
shoes to fill, aye?
- Aye. Size sevens.
- [Gerry chuckles]
- [chuckles] Cheeky wee bitch.
- Hmm.
Good luck, child.
Mind the roads.
So, what's our cover story?
Uh Well, we
should be sisters.
- [laughs]
- And Joe
could be our chronically
underappreciated single friend
who, despite being
unlucky in love,
constantly finds himself being
surrounded by beautiful women.
It's supposed to be
fiction though, Dolours.
- [Marian chuckles]
- Besides,
you can't be sisters because
we're using these ones today.
They're coming up.
- Just don't be a weirdo, Dotes.
- I know what I'm doing.
Pair of youse relax, all right?
It's gonna be absolutely fine.
How's about you?
I like your hair.
Aye? Nah, it's mucky.
Needs washing.
Suits your coloring.
I like yours and all.
- You don't think it's too short?
- I like short hair on a girl.
Where you headed?
Uh, we're just coming
back from a picnic.
Nice weather for it, Miss
Rosie.
If you ever find yourself
in Belfast, look me up.
Take you out for a
drink at the Pink Iguana.
We're gonna need you
three to step out of the car.
He's gonna feel the
weight in the door.
Hang on a wee
minute, mate. [grunts]
I really think these
three are fine.
[sighs, clears throat]
- Jesus Christ, Dotes.
- What?
You opened your legs so far,
he could see your future children.
Uh, you're welcome.
Listen. See, the next time,
just look 'em straight in the eyes.
- Jesus.
- Look 'em straight in the eye,
- and they'll wave you right on through.
- Aye.
- Ah, fuck.
- You're grand.
[Joe chuckles]
[explosions]
[alarms blaring]
[sirens wailing]
[Older Dolours] The IRA
planted 150 bombs in 1970.
By 1972, they
planted a thousand.
Now, I I wasn't
setting them just yet.
My job was to drive
the gear over the border.
You think they meant
to hit the grocer?
No, I think they meant
to hit the barracks.
Well, they missed.
[Older Dolours] The goal
was to kill as many soldiers,
as many policemen as possible.
We might be trying to
hit the police luncheon,
and hit the bingo
ladies instead.
Yes, that was the
most frightening year.
[people praying]
Gerry used to tell us every death was
pushing us closer to winning the war.
And I believed him.
By now, Gerry was
running all of West Belfast.
You all right, son?
Which meant he was the
most wanted man in Ireland.
He had a lookout
on every corner,
and he never slept in
the same house twice.
Well, except when
he was visiting his wife.
[Gerry's wife sighs]
[both breathe heavily]
[Gerry chuckles]
Easy there. I can
stay the night this time.
I want you on
the bed, facing up.
[distant gunfire]
[running footsteps approaching]
[muffled yelling]
[running footsteps]
Gerry. Gerry, someone's
here. Someone's here.
- Don't fucking move! Get down!
- Move!
[soldiers shouting]
- Stay there!
- Don't fucking move!
Well, you're not dragging him
off to the gulag in his jammies.
[door opens]
Hello.
- Mr. Adams.
- Mr. Adams.
Before we get started, we understand
your family's had a rough go of it, yeah?
Aye. Your mother lost her house
last year during internment, didn't she?
- How many children?
- Thirteen.
No, three born dead, I believe.
Aye. That's right.
We thought you might be interested in
discussing some kind of arrangement.
For the future.
Aye. For the future
of your family.
I'm not Gerry Adams.
[scoffs] Sorry?
There's been a mistake.
My name is Joe McGuigan.
McGuigan?
- Who the fuck is Joe McGuigan?
- That's me.
- Gerry--
- Nope.
Joe.
My name is Joe.
I'm not Gerry Adams.
Really, I'm not Gerry.
I'm not Gerry Adams.
[panting] I'm not Gerry Adams.
[grunts]
I'm not Gerry Adams.
[muttering]
I'm not Gerry Adams.
I'm not Gerry Adams.
Pick him up.
- [Gerry] I'm not Gerry Adams.
- We're definitely sure it's him?
- I'm not Gerry Adams.
- It's absolutely fucking him.
[splutters]
Now, Mr. Adams, can we
start with your name, please?
And then we'll move on to
the members of the leadership.
[grunts]
McGuigan.
- The man's a fucking lunatic.
- He's never gonna give up the leadership.
And he cares fuck
all about the money.
You say use the
carrot, we use the carrot.
You say try the stick, sir.
We tried the fucking stick.
Well, have you
tried letting him win?
[Elliot] Mr. McGuigan,
how are you?
Can you help him, please?
- I would like to lodge a formal complaint.
- Yes, we'll get to that.
But first, there's been a
terrible misunderstanding.
We were under the assumption
that you, Mr. McGuigan,
were noted terrorist
Gerry Adams.
I sincerely apologize for that.
I will make sure that you're interned
under your proper name, Joseph McGuigan.
Any of the McGuigan family will
be welcome to visit you, of course.
Those individuals, however,
associated with Gerry Adams--
his wife, perhaps,
Colette McArdle--
will have no business
visiting Mr. McGuigan
and will not be allowed
to see you, of course,
for the duration of
your internment, which
safe to assume
will be many years.
Gentlemen, sorry to trouble you.
We're holding for just one moment.
[Kitson] Is this a
fucking wind up?
I checked the telex three times.
Read me the message again.
"11:43 a.m.,
British Home Office.
Prisoner Gerry Adams to
be released for negotiations."
[grunts, pants]
- [engine starts]
- [Gerry grunts]
Go, go, go.
So Whitelaw met with the SDLP,
and they said that they thought
that the IRA might come to
the table if you were released.
[Gerry] Whitelaw?
Have some juice.
Ger, point is,
Brits are at their breaking point,
and they're ready to make a deal.
What kind of deal?
A deal-deal. They want
to meet with the leadership.
And, Mar, tell him
what the leadership said.
- They banged their fists on the table.
- Banged their fists on the table,
and they said, "No negotiations
without Gerry Adams."
And the Brits
said, "Okay," Gerry.
You fly to London
tomorrow for peace talks.
They're gonna fucking negotiate.
There's gonna be a ceasefire.
- [Dolours chuckles]
- That mean we're winning?
- [distant gunfire]
- [imitating gun firing]
[car approaching]
[horn honking]
Ceasefire! Ceasefire!
Ceasefire!
Ceasefire!
[reporter on radio, indistinct]
[IRA volunteer] Ceasefire!
- The IRA has sworn
- Ceasefire!
to make good on its
promise to uphold the ceasefire,
which is set to
begin at noon today.
- Ma, the shooting stopped.
- [reporter] It's uncertain
how long the truce
will be able to last,
but the news should be
a relief to British security
[Tucker] Does that
mean we can go outside?
- This time tomorrow ♪
- [gleeful shouting]
Where will we be? ♪
On a spaceship somewhere ♪
Sailing across an empty sea ♪
This time tomorrow ♪
What will we know? ♪
- Will we still be here ♪
- [laughing]
Watching an
in-flight movie show? ♪
So, are we all gonna fall in
love now that it's peacetime?
No. People get married during
war. In peace, they take their time.
- Or get divorced.
- [Dolours] Hmm.
Joe's in love.
- Dolours.
- Sorry. I'm excited.
- With who?
- With whom?
With Rachel. Oh, she's lovely.
They memorize poems
for each other and all.
Aye, she's very
literary, you know?
Have you shifted her yet, Joe?
Oh, nah. Joe doesn't shift nobody.
He just jags off to the look of them.
- Huh?
- Ah, no, when I like a girl,
just pull her onto the hip and
give her a wee pinch in the waist.
That's how you get a
slap in the fucking face.
- [Marian laughs]
- Even better.
How do you flirt, Marian?
I don't.
And I'll not lob the gob with any of
youse, so don't get your hopes up.
Another wee monk, just like Joe.
Mmm. Joe's a catch.
- He's sensitive, and he's worldly.
- Oh, is that attractive?
And you're just jealous that
Joe's in love and you're not.
Pfft! [chuckles] In
love with Rachel?
The mysterious Rachel
who nobody knows.
I'm meeting her tonight
at the Pink Iguana.
I wanted to take her dancing.
Dancing. Can we come, Joe?
Yeah. Can we come, Joe?
When youse grow up, youse
can come dancing with me.
I think you're gonna
like her, you know?
Are you nervous?
No.
Just focus on
making her laugh, Joe.
- Yeah?
- Don't need to win her over in one night.
All right. Yeah.
Look at me getting grease
on my good suit now. Honestly.
[pop music plays over speakers]
She's not coming.
Most fashionable women are late.
- Rachel's probably just taking her time.
- The place closes in an hour.
Right. Well, fuck
Rachel, you know?
Look. There's a lovely
wee woman over there.
- [border guard] Sorry, chaps.
- Fuck off.
Brits out, mate.
You've gotta get out.
Rosie. Hey, Rosie.
Hello.
Hiya.
Isn't that your friend
from the border?
Fuck.
[mid-tempo music
plays over speakers]
So, why'd you
recommend this place?
The drinks.
We like the drinks, yeah.
- Seems friendly.
- [Dolours] Yeah.
Maybe I wasn't,
you know, thinking--
I didn't actually
think you'd come.
That's all right.
Wee joke.
I like it.
- Uh, so you ship out tomorrow then?
- [Joe] Excuse me.
[chair scrapes on floor]
[Joe sniffles]
- [border guard] He all right?
- Yeah.
[Dolours] Don't mind him.
He just hates imperialists.
Hey, well, I'm not an
imperialist. I'm a peacekeeper.
Is that what they
tell you, yeah?
Someone's got to stand up
for the people what live here.
The people?
You think you
represent the people?
Majority of 'em. I do, aye.
Aye, well,
anyone can be the majority.
It just depends how
you draw the line.
Am I making you uncomfortable?
No.
Honestly, it's just
nice to sit here
with a smart, pretty
girl and just chat.
What are you doing?
Wanna dance?
Um
Let's go outside.
[Dolours] Come on.
- [passersby talking]
- Do you want my jacket?
No. This is my punishment
for acting like a stupid girl.
Ah, just take it.
You're freezing.
So, how long do you think
the ceasefire will last, then?
I have no idea. Why?
Just thinking.
War could be over by
Christmas, couldn't it?
Could.
Be nice to come back here and,
like, take you out for a proper drink.
Sounds terrifying.
[people chattering, laughing]
Why are you looking
at me like that?
Your shoelace is untied.
You gonna come back up?
Dunno if I should.
We could go somewhere.
Only if you wanted to.
Like, no expectation. I just--
I have a room.
I should go inside.
["Wishing Well" by Free
plays over speakers]
Hey. Sorry. Are you all right?
You women complain
about men not respecting you
when you're the ones
without any kind of self-respect.
Throwing yourselves at whichever
moron's in front of your nose.
Okay. Joe--
If your da could
have seen you tonight,
he'd have spat in your face.
- Right. Well, I'm gonna go. No, Joe--
- Sorry, Dolours. I didn't mean it.
- I can't be arsed with this tonight.
- I wrote her a letter.
Dolours, I wrote it to Rachel,
and I told her everything.
Everything that I was
feeling and my-my plans,
my thoughts about the future.
Okay. Well, clearly, she
doesn't feel the same.
Arsehole.
Yeah, she does.
[Older Dolours] The peace negotiations
were a closely guarded secret.
So, no one noticed when six
scruffy members of the IRA leadership
came out of hiding and showed
their faces in Central London.
So, the Irish rebels
had not had the chance
to meet face-to-face with
their sworn enemy since 1921.
It's like we're at a
fucking wedding.
Adams, switch with me.
I want to keep an
eye on the door.
[clears throat]
[Older Dolours] The IRA Chief
of Staff, Seán Mac Stíofáin,
was dead certain the
whole thing was a trap.
Either way, this was a
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Gerry.
It was his chance
to end the war.
[clears throat] We are so
happy to welcome you to London,
and I trust your journey
was without incident.
[Whitelaw clears throat]
And I am full of optimism that we can
reach some kind of agreement here today.
Uh, so, shall we
begin with, uh, what?
The political
status of prisoners.
Actually
I have a statement.
Thank you, Mr. Home Secretary,
for your words of welcome.
But I want to be clear.
We are here today for one thing:
to demand the removal of British
troops from occupied Ireland immediately
and to insist that the British
government apologize publicly
by Monday 10th of July, 1972.
That's in three days.
[Older Dolours]
And that was that.
Gerry's career as a negotiator
was over before it began.
And then the killing
resumed the next day.
- [gunfire]
- [soldiers shouting]
[radio news reporter
speaks indistinctly]
brings the death
toll up to seven
since the IRA announced
the end of its ceasefire.
- [people shouting]
- British security forces
[gunshots]
[sighs] Tucker, get back
from the window, please.
- [shouting]
- [gunshots]
Tucker. Come on, Son.
All right. [sighs]
Get your mattresses.
We're sleeping
on the floor tonight.
Tuck that sheet
under the pillow there.
Mummy, can we do a fort?
[gunshots]
Sure. It's grand idea, Mick. As
long as it's away from the windows.
[person outside] Help. Help me.
Ma, do you hear that?
It's a [sighs] a dog.
Help me.
No.
- Or a cat.
- We heard him, Ma.
[person outside] Please.
[speaks indistinctly]
Help me.
[groaning]
Stay there.
[door opens]
[person groaning]
[person breathing heavily]
- What are you doing?
- There's a wounded soldier.
Don't talk to him. No.
Please just leave him, Mum.
- Helen.
- Just ignore him, please.
Honestly.
[grunting]
[gasping]
It's all right.
It's all right. It's all right.
[wounded soldier] Don't let
me [sobs] Please don't
They'll come.
[child gasping]
- [dog whimpers]
- [dog barks]
[people chattering]
I can't believe I'm
about to say this,
but I think that you might actually
look worse than the last time I saw ya.
- Do you want a drink?
- Go ahead.
So, how was London?
- Grand success?
- Look.
I actually wanted to talk to
you about something specific.
I'm forming my own unit.
New blood. People we can trust.
Was it that bad?
[inhales deeply] Actually, the
jobs might not be to your taste.
There's no costumes. There's
no one taking your photograph.
- I don't care about the costumes.
- Really?
I don't mind the costumes.
I can do without them.
- Jesus Christ, Gerry.
- Well, good.
You'd be totally anonymous.
Even within the organization.
The jobs would be all off-book.
So even the lads wouldn't know?
I'll know.
Well, what exactly
would we be doing?
Well, we can get into that.
Who do I report to?
Well, there's a man named
Pat. He'll be your OC.
But you report to Pat, Pat
reports to me. It's It's my squad.
- Gerry, look at you, old man!
- It's
-"It's my squad." [laughs]
- It's my squad.
What's the crack, Dolours?
- Hiya, Dark. Welcome back.
- What's going on here?
Is the big lad trying to get
you to join his secret squad?
[Brendan chuckles]
[Dolours] How many
people have you told?
- Fuck, gonna get myself in trouble.
- [Dolours laughs]
Did it have a name,
this squad, this unit?
[Older Dolours] Aye.
We were called the Unknowns.
- I'm in.
- Good.
One condition.
What about Marian?
I'm not doing it
without my sister.
Child, I already asked her.
[baby crying]
Can I help you?
[baby crying]
So, he turns around and he goes,
"What are you looking at
me for? I'm a Protestant."
I need you now. I need you
right now. We just picked him up.
- [groaning]
- For fuck's sake.
[Brendan] Right, careful.
Up, up. Up, up, up, up, up.
[screams, gasps]
Careful. Careful, mate.
The b-b-bullet's still in his gut.
- [grunting]
- You're all right. You're all right.
Shooter was waiting
on his doorstep.
He just opens the door-- just
opens the door and-and fucking bang.
I was holding my fucking baby!
Do we know who it
was? Was it Kitson again?
He says it was one of yours.
[door opens]
Sorry to startle you.
It's all right.
I'm Pat.
Gerry sent me.
Hi, Pat.
I got your first assignment.
You hear about that fella
that got dragged into the pub?
Fella who got it in the gut?
Aye. No, I was there. Why?
Brendan looked into it.
Turns out it was one of our
own men that had him shot.
Apparently he was
fucking the guy's wife.
He wants her husband out of the way,
so he orders a subordinate to shoot him.
Well, that's pathetic.
Yeah. Well, he's to be taken
down south and executed.
And Gerry wants me to--
No.
You're just the driver.
Oh.
Look, when Gerry
mentioned covert action,
this wasn't, you know, exactly
what I thought he meant.
Well, the whole thing's a
bit of an embarrassment.
Gerry says we have to
get our house in order.
So you'll pick up this lad.
Take him down south
- Does he know where he's headed?
- Just keep him talking.
Little music, little chat.
Put on my best smile. Aye.
Dolours,
I should warn you.
You know the fella.
Hi, Dolours.
I'm very happy to see you.
Joe, who is it?
Ah, it's just my friend, Ma.
[Mackers] What can you tell me
about the Joe Lynskey business?
Come on.
[Older Dolours] Joe
was a gentle man.
I thought he was a gentle man.
You know, he'd made the mistake
of falling in love with another
volunteer's wife, Rachel.
[inhales deeply]
And then he had
her husband shot.
And when it came to
light what he'd done
Well, Joe, he he would
have been court-martialed.
The sentence would
have been death.
- You need a minute?
- No, no. I'm
No, I'm fine. So, carry on.
Did Joe know what was waiting for him
on the other side of the border that day?
Do you want some music?
Aye. Whatever you like.
- [switch clicks]
- [pop song plays]
- Bee Gees?
- Hey, look at you go.
- [Joe] Yeah. [chuckles]
- [laughs]
Like, that's not right, is it?
- No. No. [chuckles]
- No?
- This window's broken?
- What?
That window's broken.
Yeah, it is. It's broken. You
have to give it a wee bang.
- Like that?
- [chuckles] Aye.
[chuckles] Okay.
- At least I can hear you now.
- Mmm.
- I wanted to apologize to you, actually.
- Joe--
The other night, you
know, when I saw you,
I shouldn't have spoken to
you the way that I did. I was--
It's fine, Joe. No need.
[sighs]
You're a good
one, Dolours Price.
[pop song continues]
You've got a good heart.
Right here. Coming up.
Just you remember, you
look them straight in the eye.
There you are. See?
Now we're across.
- I'm just gonna run to the toilet.
- [Joe] Okay.
[phone ringing]
[ringing]
- Hello?
- [Dolours] Mar, it's me.
- What are you calling me for?
- I don't know that I can do this.
- Dotes, stop it.
- Mar.
- Where are you right now?
- At a café.
- And where is he?
- He's in the car.
You left him on his own?
- I know, I'm fucking it up.
- Dolours, I swear to God.
Just drive, okay?
All you have to do is drive.
Oh
Ready to go?
[people chattering]
Dolours.
I shouldn't have
done what I did,
- but I want you to know--
- Joe.
No, they're gonna say that I was an
old fool. But I need you to believe me.
- Please, Joe, I don't wanna know.
- It wasn't in my head.
What we had between us,
Rachel and me, it was real.
And I knew that. And-And
And she knew that.
You can say a lot of bad
things about me, but I wasn't
I wasn't crazy to think that
It wasn't in my head.
Well, thank you for driving me.
Be seeing you, Joe.
Right.
How you doing tonight,
miss? Where are you headed?
The wind whistled you
in Behind the springtime ♪
Float, Old Note,
new among my mind ♪
You hold the note ♪
The note just
moves to move mine ♪
Let go the note And
so move everything ♪
I can't come to
quantify the feeling ♪
I was walkin' home
Half in the dreamin' ♪
The things that I was
thinking I was singin' ♪
The wind whistled you
in Behind the springin' ♪
A star ran rings ♪
Around the star before me ♪
And spun and swooped ♪
And sank in rock beneath me ♪
And mirrored
what I've carried ♪
Since I met me ♪