S01.E02: Land of Password, Wink, and Nod

[AnimeMania]

Dolours helps a friend out of the hospital.

Premiere Date: November 14, 2024      FX on Hulu  

[Danny Franks]

Really good second episode. Seeing Dolours and Marian become more involved in the struggle, and seeing hints at Marian's colder attitude, while Dolours is more conflicted but more of a thinker. I wonder how much of that is due to Dolours being the source of a lot of the information in the book?

Anthony Boyle is a really good actor. He's been the best thing in almost any show I've seen him in. I hope he goes all the way to the top.

The overhead shot in the scene of Brendan being chased by the British hit squad was really cool. It showed how those estates can be a maze, and how much of an advantage you have if you've got friendly faces behind every door, and possibly weapons hidden as well.

This is how the IRA could continue to wage their campaign for thirty years, despite being outmanned, outgunned and with a fraction of the financial means. It was completely asymmetrical warfare, and the British had to resort to ever more brutal and unorthodox ways of fighting - kidnap, torture, assassination, tactics that were considered fine when deployed against the Mao-Mao in Kenya, but more controversial when used against white, English speaking people (even if they were Catholic).

 

[khyber]

I wonder if the Gerry Adams disclaimer is the result of a lawsuit?

[Danny Franks]

4 hours ago, khyber said:

I wonder if the Gerry Adams disclaimer is the result of a lawsuit?

Probably to avoid the prospect of one. Gerry Adams has always denied any involvement in the IRA, despite all the accounts from people who say he was heavily involved, and all the British and Irish intelligence that said he was a member.

It's a fiction that everyone agrees to go along with to allow Adams to have a degree of legitimacy that his likely (very) criminal history wouldn't allow. And because the British government wanted to maintain its stance that it didn't negotiate with terrorists - "these aren't the IRA, they're Sinn Fein, a political party."

[Sesquipedalia]

On 11/19/2024 at 10:08 AM, khyber said:

I wonder if the Gerry Adams disclaimer is the result of a lawsuit?

I heard an interview with the author, and he made it sound like it was just something the lawyers said to do. He also pointed out that the likely effect of the disclaimer on the viewer is to reinforce Adams' involvement rather than cause doubt.

[Anela]

On 11/19/2024 at 3:53 PM, Danny Franks said:

Probably to avoid the prospect of one. Gerry Adams has always denied any involvement in the IRA, despite all the accounts from people who say he was heavily involved, and all the British and Irish intelligence that said he was a member.

It's a fiction that everyone agrees to go along with to allow Adams to have a degree of legitimacy that his likely (very) criminal history wouldn't allow. And because the British government wanted to maintain its stance that it didn't negotiate with terrorists - "these aren't the IRA, they're Sinn Fein, a political party."

That much I do remember. Their saying that Sinn Fein was separate from the IRA. 

When  I was first on the internet, I learned that some Americans were donating money to the IRA, somehow.  This one guy had “up the IRA!” In his AOL profile, at the same time as he was hitting on English girls in the international forum.  This was 1996/1997. He didn’t understand why an English girl might not want to date him, because of that.  He was in Boston, and posting messages for girls all over the UK. 

Edited November 24 by Anela

[lovinbob]

Weirdly, I love Rory Kinnear, despite his playing bastards in so many shows. He's very effective as Kitson. 

Developing a huge crush on Anthony Boyle as Brendan Hughes.