Season 3 • Episode 6
LatestOn trial for murder, Val's fate appears to be sealed as the events surrounding the death are presented to the court and the Ahern family are thrust back into the spotlight. But there may yet be one final twist in this tale.
On the rugged coast of County Clare, Val Ahern's husband is found dead at the foot of a cliff the morning after a family party. The matriarch starts to dig into the family's secrets to find out who might be responsible.
Acting
Dervla Kirwan devours every scene like it's her last meal.
Cinematography
Clare coast so gorgeous it almost distracts from the rot.
Writing
Every episode adds another family member worth suspecting.
Creator
Kate O'Riordan
Dervla Kirwan
Val Ahern
Niamh Walsh
Jenny Ahern
Seána Kerslake
Grace Ahern
Gemma-Leah Devereux
Anna Ahern
Thomas Levin
Carl Jensen
Carrie Crowley
Mairead Noon
Lochlann Ó Mearáin
Rory Dwyer
Justine Mitchell
Elaine Lynch
Conor Mullen
Frank Ahern
Éanna Hardwicke
Joe Ryan
Dean Fagan
Finn Ahern
Fionnula Flanagan
Caro Noonan
Jason O'Mara
Paul Madigan
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Smother was part of RTÉ's push to compete with British crime dramas, deliberately centering Irish language and landscape as character rather than backdrop. The Ahern family's Big House history subtly references decaying Anglo-Irish landlord legacy.
Dervla Kirwan and Carrie Crowley previously starred together in Ballykissangel in the '90s — their reunion here as wary allies instead of romantic rivals was deliberately cast. The cliff scenes required safety divers in freezing Atlantic waters.
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