There is objective good in this world, and it is possible to know it. That does not, however, mean that everything done in pursuit of that good is itself objectively reasonable. That’s the underlying message of so much of Say Nothing, a nine-episode look at the Troubles in Ireland predominantly through the eyes of former IRA soldier/terrorist Dolours Price (Lola Petticrew predominantly, Maxine Peake in middle age).

For instance, it is objectively true that Ireland deserves to be united and free of British rule. Does it follow, then, that bombings in British downtown centers are objectively good? Regrettable but necessary? Acts of terrorism?

Similarly, the series considers (although with admittedly less zeal) the idea that it is objectively true that British citizens deserve lives free of random acts of violence. Does that make all actions to crush the organization behind that violence acceptable? Does that extend to mistreatment of the people who live next to members of that organization, people who never made a bomb or even threw a rock but also don’t report their neighbors, friends, and family for the same?

If this all feels a little reflective of our world today, well, that’s likely no accident. But, to Say Nothing’s credit, the series lets those parallels simply hang in the air for the noticing. History repeats or rhymes, depending on your preferred cliché, but the show isn’t here to analogize the present. It is truly about what it is about. That’s a respectful and necessary choice for a time barely in our rearview mirror.

In general, Say Nothing’s willingness to let the lessons and perspectives of its story sit with audiences without punctuating them is a strength. Yes, there is a time and a place for an angry diatribe. I’m writing this a few days after the election, so believe me, I know. A polemic certainly has its place. However, the show’s entire point is how easily pursuing what’s right can send you slipping off the road into some nigh-indefensible wrongs. Given that, the recitation of facts, albeit ones colored by the experiences of the person sharing them, is the right call. Best not to thumb the scale in this case.

While this writer was incredibly impressed with its restraint and ironically clear-eyed view of a profoundly murky period of history, Say Nothing is no dry summary of events. It’s nerve-wracking, heart-wrenching, and frequently deeply, darkly funny. It pulses with life throughout, a reminder that everyone you see on-screen lived or still lives today. They had friends and family. They did good things, bad things, stupid things, and, on occasion, genuinely great things. The facts hit so hard and leave such an impression because they feel so visceral. They feel like your dad or aunt relating that fascinating bit of family lore. Nothing recalls sitting at an uncomfortable desk while a 12th-grade history teacher transcribes notes directly from the textbook.

Petticrew and Peake’s double act has plenty to do with that. Dolours journey from idealistic peacenik to an IRA captain anxious to escalate the group’s activities to disillusioned and disgusted survivor is a seamless handoff between the two actors. Even as the story jumps back and forth in history, they never lose track of who she is at that moment and her indelible qualities.

Sneakier, and perhaps even more potent as a result, are the performances that bring life to Dolours’ sister Marian (Hazel Doupe mostly, Maisie Squibb for younger Mari). Not a joiner or rabble-rouser by nature, unlike her sister, it takes a little while to see how much more Marian becomes defined by her role in the IRA. For all Dolours’ bluster, Marian is the true believer. Squibb does a great job laying the groundwork, but Doupe absolutely cracks it out of the park. A stunner of a performance.

While the actors nearly universally dot the series with well-done work, one other double role bears special consideration, that of Gerry Adams (Josh Finan mainly, Michael Colgan in middle age). Like the series, I will pause here to acknowledge that Adams has long insisted he had no role in IRA violent activities. That said, Say Nothing follows the lead of Dolours and other Belfast Project participant Brendan Hughes (played by Anthony Boyle with conflicted sincerity in his youth and hollowed out pain by Tom Vaughan-Lawlor in middle age) in suggesting Adams was a mastermind behind many IRA actions.

Finan authors him as a kind of distant intellectual, someone who calls the shots from a bloodless removal. As the calls become increasingly thorny and questionable, he remains strangely placid. Colgan, on the other hand, embraces the fink side of Adams, portraying him as unapologetically opportunistic and morally vacuous. His jaw seems almost locked, as though every interaction with people he deems as less than—which is basically everyone—is something he needs to actively gird himself against. The show makes lots of room for doubt on most issues, but it is transparent about Adams. Regardless of how you feel about any other aspect of the IRA or Sinn Féin, he’s the villain of this story.

A final note of praise belongs to Say Nothing’s storytelling structure and how it mimics the rhythm of historical events. The show opens on the “disappearing” of a widowed mom of 12, Jean McConville (Judith Roddy). While the show refers back to this moment a few times early, she feels seemingly forgotten for most episodes. It’s long enough that the audience will likely wonder why the creators elected to start there. However, McConville’s story comes roaring back in the final third. In many ways, it reveals she’s who the entire series has been about.

It’s an incredibly controlled bit of storytelling. It keeps her in the peripheral until just the right moment to pull all the show’s themes tightly together. Too often, as of late, TV and film have relied on fractured timelines and largely superfluous framing devices. Say Nothing reminds viewers how effective those techniques can be when done well. They never obscure or confuse, but rather wonderfully set the table for the series final pronouncements.

Say Nothing speaks volumes starting November 14 on FX and Hulu.

Speak Nothing Trailer: