Alicia Silverstone Series Raises Questions About What Runs in the Blood
About "Irish Blood" Genre: suspense drama Number of seasons: 1 Episodes: 6 Running time per episode: 40 to 60 minutes Director: Molly McLean Cast, in alphabetical order: Jason O'Mara, Dearbhla Molloy, Alicia Silverstone, Simone Kirby, Wendy Crewson Language: English Premiere: May 2026
"Do you want to know how I got here? The truth is, I blame my father."
That is how the new series "Irish Blood" opens, and the line reveals Fiona’s (Alicia Silverstone) admiration for her parents during childhood. In one day, her perfect family was destroyed when her father allegedly struck her mother and abandoned them. Fiona’s professional choice, a divorce lawyer, sharpens the impact of that event, the big bang, on her life.
It later emerges that Fiona’s memory of her father is not accurate, and that it was shaped and heavily influenced by her mother, who created a false picture to protect her. Fiona is convinced of her version at the start of the series, and it stands against what is revealed to her later.
Over six episodes, we witness the rebuilding of the relationship between Fiona and her father, Declan (Jason O'Mara), who is revealed at the start of the series to be dead. He is absent from her childhood, but far more present after his death, as he drives the plot through clues and flashbacks and points her toward an alternative story to the one her mother offered. He is anything but the indifferent figure toward her that the narrative she grew up with suggests. In a sense, she remains the little girl, deeply shaped by the experience tied to her parents.
Plot summary Fiona’s father disappeared from her life when she was a child. One day she receives a mysterious package from him containing documents, photographs and encrypted clues. She flies to Ireland to follow it and understand why her father, Declan, abandoned her. Very quickly she discovers that he is dead, but the trip does not end there. Instead, it stretches on and exposes family secrets, lies and, above all, an alternative narrative to the one she knew. The suitcase becomes the only way to communicate with him and understand who he really was.
The series shows viewers that Declan planned everything in advance. At first the clues he left seem random and meaningless, but it turns out everything was precise: the old toy, the bag, the drive and the documents, all were left so that Fiona would be the only one able to piece the puzzle together.
At the heart of the story, the series presents two different approaches to behavior and, in effect, to parenting. On one side is the mother, Mary (Wendy Crewson), who hides the truth about her father, who became entangled with shady people, in order to protect her from danger. On the other side is the father, Declan, who leaves clues for Fiona so she can discover the truth for herself. Mary is the one who shaped Fiona’s picture for decades, and we watch it unravel as the plot develops. Already in the first episode, Fiona learns that her father did not beat her mother, but rather that people he had become involved with broke into their house. Gradually, Fiona’s memory falls apart.
Neither parent is free of responsibility. Declan may have gotten involved with shady people, but Mary, who appears innocent, is also revealed to be complex and to be withholding information. Thus, not only does the family’s perfect narrative collapse, but also the dichotomy of good and evil, and the childlike view of a parent as a hero, fades away.
The series title suggests that no matter how far Fiona is, Ireland and her father’s family past run in her blood. In that sense, the series touches on identity, belonging and history, because not only genes are passed down in a family, but also memories and secrets. In the series, blood is not only a biological matter, but also an emotional and familial one, and the title also hints at the violence and criminal past of Declan. Alongside this, there is a tension between what is passed down in a family and the choices we make ourselves. Fiona is, in a sense, allowed to choose what she carries with her and how she chooses to act. As an adult, she becomes the little girl again, filling in the gap and reshaping her memory, even if her father is already dead and thus absent once more. Fiona closes a circle, but the series ends somewhat open, leaving room for a second season. It seems worth waiting for, and not only because of the impressive performances from the cast.
Spoiler The series teaches at its own pace that Declan planned everything in advance. Fiona manages to understand who was involved in her father’s death, but also that he was only one part of a broader and more complex system involving money, corruption and interactions with, to put it mildly, difficult people.
Reviews from around the world The reviews for the series are mostly positive. On Rotten Tomatoes it received praise for the atmosphere, O'Mara’s performance, which is entirely deserved, and the turning points. On the other hand, quite a few viewers found the pace of the series rather slow.
3 things worth knowing ● The series, a co-production of Ireland, Canada and the United States, became one of the most-watched series on the platform on which it airs abroad, and it has already been renewed for a second season. During filming it was temporarily called Croked, and only later received its final title. ● Silverstone (Fiona), remembered from her days in "Clueless" in the 1990s, is an executive producer of the series, and joined the project when it was still a very early, undeveloped idea. ● O'Mara was born in Dublin, so his accent feels very authentic. Among his roles, he voiced Batman in several DC animated films. In that respect he has something in common with Silverstone, who appeared in "Batman & Robin" (1997) as Batgirl.
More from the genre ● Broadchurch, a British crime drama set in a small seaside town in England, Broadchurch. In the first season, the discovery of the body of an 11-year-old boy shakes the town’s residents and leads to panic, growing suspicion and the exposure of dark secrets. Alec (David Tennant) and Ellie (the wonderful, Oscar-winning Olivia Colman) are detectives leading the investigation and trying to catch the killer in the community, where every resident has something to hide. ● The Fall, another series set in Ireland, this time in Belfast. Paul (Jamie Dornan, "Fifty Shades of Grey"), an outwardly normal family man, lives a double life. Beneath the surface he is a serial killer who terrorizes young women in the city. Detective Stella (Gillian Anderson, "Sex Education") tries to find him, while also dealing with heavy public pressure.
A series to watch: Lucky Will air: Apple TV Premiere: 15.7 Number of seasons: 1 Miniseries based on Marissa Stapley’s best-selling novel. Lucky (Anya Taylor-Joy from "The Queen’s Gambit") grew up in a world of crime but tried to leave that life behind. When a major heist goes wrong, she is forced to flee from the police and a crime organization, using the skills she acquired in dark worlds. At the same time, she discovers that the people she thought were close to her had hidden dangerous secrets from her.
A series to return to: The Sinner Airs: Netflix Premiere: 2017 Number of seasons: 4 Number of episodes: 32 Suspense series. Harry Ambrose (Bill Pullman) is a detective who tries to solve a different central mystery each season. In the first, a seemingly ordinary woman named Cora (Jessica Biel) stabs a man she does not know to death in front of witnesses and without any apparent motive. In his investigation, Harry uncovers traumas and secrets from the past, and tries to understand the psychology behind the crime. Notably, the choice of the song Huggin & Kissin, which triggers Cora and advances the plot, is nothing short of perfect.
The mathematical measure that succeeds in identifying hot real estate deals Please note: Globes aims for a diverse, substantive and respectful discourse in line with the ethical code set out in the trust report under which we operate. Expressions of violence, racism, incitement or any other inappropriate discourse are filtered automatically and will not be published on the site.
