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Rebellion

Rebellion

Ordinary people. Extraordinary times.

2016–2019Ended2 seasons10 episodes~52 min/epTV-MAMidcredits score: 61st percentile of all shows

A group of young men and women in Dublin in 1916 are embroiled in a fight for independence during the Easter Rising. The story begins with the outbreak of World War I. As expectations of a short and glorious campaign are dashed, social stability is eroded and Irish nationalism comes to the fore. The tumultuous events that follow are seen through the eyes of a group of friends from Dublin, Belfast and London as they play vital and conflicting roles in the narrative of Ireland's independence.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Rebellion?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Rebellion streaming on Prime Video and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Subscription

Free

Rent / Buy

BuyBuy

Highlights

What stands out about Rebellion?

Rebellion earns 3 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Bittersweet.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is Rebellion worth watching?

Rebellion's Midcredits score is the 61st percentile of all shows, from 5.1K ratings across 2 sources. 78% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

61st percentile

Better received than 61% of shows

59th percentile among Drama59th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)53rd
Approval (how many liked it)67th

Acclaim

Crowd Pleaser: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

71 /100

53rd percentile of all shows

53rd percentile among Drama51st percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.3 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

78% liked it

67th percentile of all shows

63rd percentile among Drama65th percentile among 2010s
78% rated it 7–1022% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

73rd percentile

5K ratings across platforms

67th percentile among Drama75th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 5% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the series has high production value and period authenticity but is dramatically uneven and historically compromised.

Fans praised

  • Immersive period detail and authentic Dublin recreation
  • Performances anchored by Gleeson, Murphy, and Ward
  • Emotionally compelling intersection of personal stories with revolution

Detractors panned

  • Historical inaccuracies and fictionalized side-stories
  • Confusing character continuity between seasons
  • Dull pacing and weak narrative coherence

What stands out

ActingDivisive73

Praised performances from Gleeson, Murphy, Ward; detractors found some wooden or stereotypical

Cinematography63

Beautiful sets and period recreation lauded; some found it staged and glossy

AtmosphereDivisive60

Immersive 1916 Dublin setting praised; some found it lacking tension

DialogueDivisive50

Some praised script moments; others labeled dialogue dull and exposition-heavy

CharactersDivisive48

Season 1 character development praised, but season 2 recasting and dropped arcs heavily criticized as confusing

Plot and storyDivisive45

Fans found it compelling; detractors called it disjointed, too many subplots, and historically misleading

Pacing42

Called slow and full of filler; season 2 slightly better for some fans

OriginalityDivisive40

Seen as a conventional soap-opera approach to history, unoriginal in structure

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 15 points higher than women.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • US vs non-US 2 points apart

Episodes

1 season

Season 1 · 2016 · 5 episodes

  • S1E1

    Young Guns

    Jan 3, 201653 min
  • S1E2

    To Arms

    Jan 10, 201653 min
  • S1E3

    Under Siege

    Jan 17, 201652 min
  • S1E4

    Surrender

    Jan 24, 201650 min
  • S1E5

    The Reckoning

    Jan 31, 201651 minFinale

Watch experience

What is Rebellion like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, dark and intense — an even-paced watch that leaves you bittersweet.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
TenseMelancholicBittersweet
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Melodramatic · 9% of shows: Heightened emotion, played large.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.Multiple perspectives · 2% of shows: The same events retold from different characters' points of view.SerializedNew arc each season
ToneThe material is played straight, treating the historical events with gravity and respect, without romanticising or parodying them.
The rideThe series sustains a constant undercurrent of political tension and personal tragedy from the first episode to the last, with the weight of impending historical events never lifting.
StructureTold in a conventional linear sequence through the eyes of several fictional characters from different sides of the conflict.
Episode formatThe five-part series tells a continuous story leading up to and through the Easter Rising.
Season formatWhile each season follows the same characters and setting, the 1916 Rising is a discrete historical event that likely forms a complete arc, with any subsequent season covering a new period.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
BittersweetThought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayThe series leaves a lingering mix of loss and pride, prompting reflection on the personal cost of political idealism.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterTyrant
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18% (this title): Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% (this title) · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Tyrant: A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).

18% of shows fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe series follows a group of Dubliners caught up in the 1916 Easter Rising, framing the British authorities and the uprising itself as a tyrant-like monster they must overcome. The plot types reflect a siege (the occupation), pursuit (on the run), and the chase for leaders.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7% (this title)
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% (this title) · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7% (this title): Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% (this title) · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Power

Oppression · 2% of showsIdentityLoyalty · 7% of shows
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge. stakesEnsemble lead
How it treats its themeThe central drive is the fight against systemic British oppression of Ireland, explored through the personal stakes of the characters as they navigate political conviction, family ties, and national identity.
StanceThe series presents a sympathetic but observational view of the historical events and personal sacrifices, neither glorifying nor condemning the actions, but focusing on the human cost.

The world

Early 20th centuryUrbanDomesticRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score
SettingDublin during the 1916 Easter Rising
MusicThe score likely underscores the dramatic and historical weight of the narrative.

Content guide

Is Rebellion okay for kids?

TV-MA

Rebellion is rated TV-MA. As of September 28, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (33/100), sexual content at moderate (60/100), language at intense (67/100), drug and alcohol content at intense (67/100) and frightening material at moderate (43/100). Its violence, language and drug and alcohol content have too few votes to rank.

Ratings in 22 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada18+
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany18
  • France18
  • New ZealandM
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil14
  • Austria14
  • Belgium16
  • Czechia18+
  • FinlandK12
  • Hungary16
  • IndiaA
  • ItalyVM14
  • Poland16
  • Portugal12
  • RO15
  • SingaporeM18
  • Spain18
  • Switzerland16
  • Türkiye18+
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Mild
too few votes to rank (4 votes)
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 63%
Profanity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 30%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Too few votes to rank this title overall (64 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does Rebellion have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Rebellion?

Cast

Michael Ford-FitzGerald
as Harry Butler
Jordanne Jones
as Minnie Mahon
Brian Gleeson
as Jimmy Mahon
Jaelynne Wallace Ruane
as Sadie Mahon
Ruth Bradley
as Frances O'Flaherty
Paul Reid
as Stephen Duffy Lyons
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Brian McCardie
as James Connolly
Tom Turner
as Charles Hammond
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Michelle Fairley
as Dolly Butler
Lydia McGuinness
as Peggy Mahon

Crew

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