Lorna has not had an easy life, with her time in Kilkinure's Magdalene Laundry being a major low point. Now in The Woman in the Wall she is looking for her daughter who disappeared from the Laundry and has never been seen again since.The Woman in the Wall is a BBC miniseries that aired on TV in August and September this year. Although the story is fictional, it is based on true facts from the Irish Magdalene Laundries. Lorna Brady (Ruth Wilson, Luther) plays the leading role and, together with detective Colman Akande (Daryl McCormack, Bad Sisters), searches for answers about what happened behind the scenes at these organizations.
The pain of the women is heartbreaking and the organization behind the Magdalene Laundries appears to have (had) immense power.
Here in the Netherlands they are not that well known, but in Ireland it is different. The Magdalene Laundries, also called Magdalene Asylums, are infamous there. Vulnerable (and pregnant) women were housed in these so-called shelters and then exploited in the associated laundry. These organizations were headed by the church, which, with the help of their nuns, forced women to work there under extreme conditions, without rights and wages. The children born there were taken from their mothers and then disappeared.
Lorna struggles with some inner demons and hasn't slept for ages. When she falls asleep she sleepwalks and does crazy things. Her problems all stem from her time at the Magdalene Laundry in Kilkinure, the fictional village in which the series is set. Everyone there knows a little about the abuses of the church, but there has never been any real help or understanding for the victims. Lorna seems to have given up the fight to be right, but other women are determined to hold the church accountable for their crimes.
When a body is found in Dublin, the tracks soon lead to Kilkinure. Detective Colman, who also appears to be personally involved in the case, travels to the village to investigate what connects the case with the town. He not only discovers the stories of Lorna and other survivors, but also encounters their search for their children. These seem to have disappeared. Something that Lorna, who has never known her daughter, cannot accept.
In six episodes we eventually find out the truth and almost all the questions Lorna had are answered.
The Woman in the Wall is an intense series. The pain of the women is heartbreaking and the organization behind the Magdalene Laundries appears to have (had) immense power. It's hard to imagine that these types of institutions actually existed, but unfortunately, there is plenty of evidence to confirm this. The way of telling is intriguing. Although the story starts very differently, you gradually understand better where Lorna's behavior comes from.
Various genres are covered in the series. From the drama of the women to the mystery of the disappeared children, but also the thriller aspect of Lorna and Colman's imaginations in particular. In six episodes we eventually find out the truth and almost all the questions Lorna had are answered. It is nice that the series has such a clear ending and really ends the story well, as this is sometimes different with these types of stories.
For me, The Woman in the Wall was a real surprise. I watched the episodes in amazement and horror, but at the same time, I enjoyed the storytelling. It is a good series with a message, dark but compelling and above all impressive. There is also room for lightheartedness and fun jokes certainly occur. But viewers shouldn't expect light fare when they watch this series. Still, I think this story will appeal to many people and I hope that it will soon be available to watch via a streaming service.
