The Woman In The Wall series is about a heartbreaking scandal. It is inspired by the true tales about the women adversely affected by the infamous Magdalene Laundries in Ireland.
These notorious laundries operated between the 18th and 20th centuries in Ireland. The Britannica website notes that the History of Magdalene Laundries is controversial.
Magdalene laundries were part of a vast network of church-and-state institutions in 20th-century Ireland that included mother-and-baby homes and industrial schools. The former were institutions where unwed pregnant women lived and worked until their babies were born. Their children were then boarded out to local farms and families, sent to live in industrial schools (a type of reformatory), or adopted, often to families outside Ireland. By the 1950s 1 out of 100 Irish citizens was confined in an institution.
Now, that we have got some kind of backdrop about these so-called laundries, let us get back to this show from the United Kingdom.
Synopsis of The Woman In The Wall (2023) Series
When Lorna Brady (Ruth Wilson), a survivor of one of Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries, wakes to find a corpse in her house, she has no idea who the dead woman is or if she’s responsible for the apparent murder. She doubts herself because she has long suffered from extreme bouts of sleepwalking.
Spoiler-free review of The Woman In The Wall (2023) Series
The introduction
As mentioned above, it is a disturbing tale about the Magdalene Laundries of Ireland. What is more appalling is the historical fact that these laundries only closed down in 1996 in Ireland after operating for almost two centuries. As a result, there are more than thousands of victims. In these so-called laundries, many girls and women were imprisoned, forced to carry out unpaid labour and subjected to severe psychological and physical maltreatment.
The brief story of this thrilling drama from the UK
In this show, Lorna Brady (Ruth Wilson) is a woman from the small, fictional Irish town of Kilkinure. One morning Lorna finds the corpse of a dead lady in her house. But, rather shockingly, Lorna has no clue, as to who the dead woman is. A part of her disturbed mind suspects that she might have killed that hidden woman in the wall.
Then, the question arises, why does she think like that? Well, that’s because Lorna has long suffered from extreme bouts of sleepwalking. Maybe her personal history has something to do with it. In the past, at the young age of 15, Lorna was incarcerated in a convent, the infamous Magdalene Laundries. There, Lorna gave birth to her daughter Agnes, who was cruelly taken from her and whose fate she had never known. Ever since that tragic incident, Lorna was hurt very badly and damaged emotionally. Thus, it is Lorna’s dramatic life story.
We liked these aspects of this thrilling drama from the UK
It is a well-written thrilling drama, with lots of sadness and suspense surrounding Lorna’s mysterious behaviour. There are lots of secrets. Is Lorna a murderer? Or is she a victim?
On the other hand, this insightful drama peels off the layers of secrecy that surround the scandalous past of the Magdalene Laundries. But, then do its victims get justice?
Well, all those questions are fairly difficult ones. We do not live in a perfect world. And this is what this series tells us. Kudos to its creative team for raising the deeply disturbing, yet pertinent issues in this show. Not only does its screenplay answer most of the questions realistically but it also manages to keep us engaged in this shocking drama. Lest we forget, this show is inspired by the real-life scandal of Ireland.
Ruth Wilson as the protagonist Lorna Brady (check her featured image above) is in excellent acting form again. We remember reviewing her fascinating acting in the crime drama Luther series here. It seems, Ruth Wilson specializes in playing characters who are damaged a bit. And she excels in it. Her captivating acting keeps our interest alive in this slow-paced drama. And of course, other cast members of its ensemble cast do pitch in with creditable performances too.
The conclusion
This thrilling drama series is not an easy watch, because of the serious subject matter that it deals with. Besides, it sticks to the harsh ground realities of the Magdalene Laundries scandal. Therefore, the poor and weak people seldom get true justice in the real world. Sadly, this holds true for all the victims of the Magdalene Laundries in this UK show. And despite all of these, we liked the optimistic ending of this grim and painful series.
The foreboding music and the dark cinematography add to the bleak and tragic ambience of this heartbreaking storyline. Still, it is a difficult but informative show to watch.
Rating of The Woman In The Wall (2023) Series
| FM’s rating | 3.95/5 |
| FM’s short comments | Ruth Wilson as the protagonist Lorna Brady is phenomenal. Her sad eyes, heartbroken mannerisms, overall grief-stricken looks and fantastic performance in this disturbing tale are haunting. We were rooting for all the victims of Magdalene Laundries to get the elusive justice, but did they? |
Spoilers Alert – peek into the six episodes of this UK drama show
Let us peek into its Six (6) Episodes
Back to Life (S1, E1)
When Lorna Brady wakes to find a corpse in her house, she has no idea who the dead woman is or if she’s responsible for the apparent murder; retracing her steps, Lorna realizes that the mysterious woman could be linked to her past.
Show Thyself (S1, E2)
Lorna still hasn’t slept, and she has no intention of doing so until she finds out what Aoife Cassidy knew; the town’s laundry survivors are campaigning for justice, and Lorna discovers that Aoife spoke to another survivor.
Knock Knock (S1, E3)
A survivor’s funeral puts Lorna on edge; hope then comes through unexpected information about Clemence’s daughter, and this might hold the answer to Lorna’s child’s fate; when Lorna finds a new ally, it brings her to a devastating truth. A new lead means Lorna might finally discover the fate of her daughter, but Colman is closing in. The case takes an unexpected turn.
The Cruelty Man (S1, E4)
Lorna uncovers more horrors at the convent. In Dublin, Colman delves into his own past and learns the source of his nightmares. A shocking revelation builds a new connection in the case. Does Colman hold the answer Lorna is looking for?
Ex Gratia (S1, E5)
Lorna and Colman become unusual allies when in pursuit of the truth. The survivors receive life-changing news. A fresh suspect emerges in the murder case.
A Little Resurrection (S1, E6)
We delve into Aoife Cassidy’s past, tracing her days in the convent, her peculiar gifts and taking us right to Father Percy’s door the night of the murder.
Poster of The Woman In The Wall (2023) Series
Key details of The Woman In The Wall (2023) Series
| Genre | Drama, Thriller |
| Original language | English (UK) |
| Released | August to September 2023 in the UK |
| Season & Episodes | One (1) season and Six (6) episodes |
| Writer | Joe Murtagh |
| Directors | Harry Wootliff & Rachna Suri |
| Cast | Ruth Wilson (Lorna Brady), Daryl McCormack (Detective Colman Akande), Simon Delaney (Sargent Aidan Massey), Philippa Dunne (Niamh), Hilda Fay (Amy Kane), Fiona Bell (Aoife), Stephen Brennan (Father Percy), Abby Fitz (Young Lorna), Frances Tomelty (Sister Eileen), Mark Huberman (Michael Kearney), etc. |
| Network | BBC & Showtime |
Trailer of the The Woman In The Wall (2023) Series
Featured Image & Poster of The Woman In The Wall (2023) Series | Pics. Credit: BBC & Showtime.
