by Mike Hilty, Contributing Writer
Apple TV+ continues to find hidden gems to put on its streaming platform. Their comedy section continues to flourish as more great content makes its way to our screens. As we continue waiting for Ted Lasso and Mythic Quest to come back, other shows continue to be released on the platform so we can fill the void between the tried and true shows that we all know and love. Recently, Apple TV+ has released a variety of different shows and introduced us to new characters to gravitate to. Their latest offering is about five close-knit sisters in Ireland dealing with a grave issue.
Bad Sisters, created by Sharon Horgan, Dave Finkel, and Brett Baer, and based on the Flemish series, Clan,starts with the death of John Paul (Claes Bang). Grace (Annie-Marie Duff), John Paul’s wife, files an insurance claim. Adjusters then begin to investigate what happens to John Paul and center on Grace’s sisters, Eva (Sarah Horgan), Bibi (Sarah Greene), Ursula (Eva Birthistle), and Becka (Eve Hewson). The Garvey sisters become suspects, as John Paul’s accidental death looks more and more like murder. Bad Sisters is 10 episodes and is currently streaming on Apple TV+.
Bad Sisters is a testament to Apple’s commitment to finding content from other countries. Ireland is having a great year for content, between this and Derry Girls infusing their comedy with some dramatic or dark moments. It’s nice to see shows from other countries, as you can see how they do things differently from the U.S. Representation does matter, and showing this story set in Ireland and centering around women is another important step to adding more diverse content to streaming services.
The greatest strength of this show is the relationship the Garvey sisters have with one another. These girls all feel like sisters, as jokes come naturally, and they bicker and fight over little things. Through thick and thin, they have each other’s backs, and they go through a ton of different scenarios against their common enemy. Each sister plays a part, with Eva taking the lead as the oldest and protector of all the sisters. Horgan does a masterful job of being the big sister, while also dealing with her issues that deal directly with why she wants to wrangle up and lead her sisters.
Of all the characters that you can’t help but stand up to cheer for, Grace is the one we root for. Through flashbacks, we see that she is in a toxic relationship with John Paul. Bad Sisters does a great job of showing that he might be one of the worst people in all of television. There are only two redeemable things about him: he, at times, is a good father to Blanaid (Saise Quinn), and he takes care of his mother Minna (Nina Norén). Grace is the victim of constant emotional and psychological abuse, in addition to occasional physical abuse. Props to Duff for a measured performance, which gives us a glimpse of what it’s like to be in a domestic abuse situation. Trigger warnings for anyone who has ever been in a domestic violence situation, because it could be a tough show to watch. John Paul is sneaky in his ability to be a dirtbag, as he employs micro-aggressions and passive-aggressive tactics. As Eva notices that Grace is being mistreated, John Paul sets his sights on the other sisters.
Since John Paul also torments all the sisters, they all become suspects, collectively and individually. The showrunners do a great job showing the storylines about how John Paul has wronged each of the sisters. It’s hard to pick which one hits hardest, as it’s a tie between Becka and Ursula. Becka gets into a financial situation with John Paul, and although he says she misinterpreted what he said, the audience sees he just changes his mind. With Ursula, what John Paul does to mess with her marriage is cruel and crude. It’s a rough scene to watch, as we see how low John Paul sinks just to mess with Ursula.
If there was a character that I could have had more of, it’s Bibi. I enjoy her as a character because she’s tough and has the idea to do something about John Paul. Her story is unique regarding why she wants to get rid of John Paul, and I think if there would have been anyone to do something to John Paul, it would have been Bibi. Unfortunately, she gets a little less screen time compared to the other sisters, as she doesn’t have a more involved story.
As for the story itself, I did like how it concluded and what happened to John Paul. Though I will admit I figured it out, because I thought that solution made the most sense considering the situation. I liked how the investigators were involved in the process, as their line of questioning made for some of the funnier moments of the series, even if it was, at times, inappropriate.
Bad Sisters is a dark and funny show that has great characters, a solid mystery, and a satisfying conclusion. It’s pretty basic, and in the end, it’s not trying too hard to reinvent the wheel. However, the charm of this show rests with its characters and the relationship they have with one another. We get enough interaction with all the sisters individually, apart, one-on-one, and all together. I enjoyed this enough, but probably won’t go back to it unless there’s another season for some reason.
Score: 7/10
You can follow Mike Hilty on Twitter, Letterboxd, and Serializd