Everything you need to know about Apple TV+’s new comedy-thriller.
The Lowdown
The brilliant Sharon Horgan (Catastrophe, This Way Up) is back with new series Bad Sisters, adapted from a Belgian series called Clan. Horgan co-wrote, starred and executive produced this comedy-thriller about five Dublin siblings who may or may not be involved in the sudden death of their brother-in-law. It’s like an Irish version of Big Little Lies, with each of the sisters having a motive for murdering the man they call “The Prick”, and all of them hiding secrets in their personal lives.
There’s two main storylines here: the murder plot that sees the sisters plan to take revenge on the awful John Paul, and the investigation into John Paul’s death by an insurance company that can’t afford to pay out on the life insurance claim. The two bumbling insurance agents are desperate to find evidence that John Paul’s death wasn’t accidental, while the Garvey sisters are desperate to prove that it was.
The series begins with John Paul’s funeral, but we don’t yet know how he died or who was responsible. While the Garveys publicly mourn John Paul and believe the worst is over, things begin to escalate when the insurance investigators start poking their noses into the sisters’ private business. Flashbacks to the months before John Paul’s death reveal what kind of awful person he was, and how his domineering behaviour affected the Garvey family. Sadly for them, their secrets won’t be covered up as easily as Grace Garvey disguising her dead husband’s erection in his coffin.
The Good
It feels like a Marian Keyes novel brought to life, in that it’s a deliciously dark comedy about an Irish family of sisters who vowed to protect each other after their parents’ untimely deaths. The Garvey family is richly drawn and portrayed by a cracker of an ensemble cast, including eldest sister Eva (Horgan), grieving widow Grace (Anne-Marie Duff) and impulsive Becka (Eve Hewson). The strength of the sister’s relationships is clear, and the bond between the women feels authentic and relatable, even as they’re planning to commit the perfect crime.
As for the show’s villain, John Paul (Claes Bang) is the man we love to hate. He takes perverse pleasure in belittling the women in his life, shaming them in public, undermining their confidence and taunting Eva about her infertility. It’s a compelling portrait of a man we all recognise, and the Garvey sisters struggle to watch Grace shrink and fade under her husband’s influence. “He’s sucking the life out of her,” Eva tells them in desperation, and as the hatred for their brother-in-law intensifies, their murderous scheme takes on momentum.
But the Garveys are a bit crap at killing, and there’s plenty of dark, shocking humour to be found in their misguided attempts at murder. Horgan’s writing is always sharp and insightful, and she nails both the light and dark tones to make Bad Sisters a funny, funny watch. It could easily become ridiculous, because these are smart women making dumb decisions, but the show pulls you into the family embrace so quickly that you end up on the sisters’ side, no matter how bonkers it gets. Kill the bastard, and make it quick.
The Bad
There’s little to dislike about Bad Sisters. The tight pace can drop a little as the show delves into each of the sisters’ lives, but it’s worth it to understand why they’re each so determined to take their revenge. Probably the most frustrating aspect is Apple TV+’s criminally old-fashioned drip feed of one episode each week, because this is a drama made for bingeing. It might even be worth waiting until Apple TV+ has released all ten episodes – so far just the first five have been released – so you can hoover them up over a wet weekend like the TV treat they are.
The Verdict
Watch it, immediately. Bad Sisters is a gripping, witty series that will surprise you and make you laugh. It almost doesn’t matter who killed John Paul – it’s about the journey, not the destination, and Bad Sisters is one heck of a ride.