If you like Irish cinema, then Bad Sisters is the program for you! It’s an Irish TV series created by Sharon Horgan for Apple TV+, featuring a suspenseful plot. Stretching over just one season (for now), the show follows the lives of four sisters, ready to kill their 5th sister’s toxic husband… Our favorite of the moment!
Bad Sisters
They are five Irish sisters. Five sisters brought together by the untimely death of their parents. There’s the eldest, Eva (Sharon Horgan), Grace (Anne-Marie Duff), Ursula (Eva Birthistle ), Bibi (Sarah Greene) and the youngest, Becka (Eve Hewson).
All are living fulfilling lives… except Grace, who’s stuck in a marriage to John Paul, a narcissistic, misogynistic, manipulative and toxic pervert. A tyrant, convinced he’s on God’s side, capable of the worst kind of vileness, who sets out to make the daily lives of those closest to him a living hell…
Grace seems to be enduring without grasping the seriousness of her husband’s behavior. A shy bigot, gentle and kind, and a little uptight, she forgives John Paul every deviation and every act of mistreatment.
For the other Garvey sisters, it was too much. The 4 other sisters decide to devise a plan to kill him… and free their sister from his tyranny and toxicity.
Once he was pronounced dead, the whole Garvey family breathed a sigh of relief… But an overzealous Irish insurer decides to investigate the matter…
Ten episodes. That’s how many episodes you’ll need to watch to end the unbearable suspense of whether the Garvey sisters succeeded in murdering John Paul… and under what conditions.
And every minute is a pleasure to savour. For Bad Sisters is a series that shines for the finesse of its writing. Every scene is brilliantly thought out, the dialogue is delightful, and the humor blends perfectly with the plot.
Each episode reveals John Paul’s toxic relationship with his wife and sisters-in-law. Back and forth between past and present, we understand just how evil John Paul was, bordering on caricature.
Each sister thus seems to have solid reasons for wanting to murder him… creating doubt in the viewer’s mind? Which sister killed John Paul? Did they work together? Is the killer from outside the Garvey family?
Although you can quickly guess where the story is headed, the series manages to maintain a deft sense of suspense, carefully balancing investigative elements and comic moments, while establishing a fascinating dynamic between the female and male characters.
The series shines for the strength of its characters. Each sister has a personality all her own, with an endearing, humorous personality. We quickly fall in love with each of them, their sisterly wars and their great solidarity.
From the eldest, who’s a little too motherly, to the temperamental Bibi, who’s been deprived of an eye because of John Paul, to Becca, the youngest, who can’t contain her feelings for one of the two insurance agents investigating John Paul’s death…. The result is a portrait that celebrates sisterhood and feminist values…
Although John Paul’s character is sometimes portrayed in excess and caricature, Bad Sisters is a celebration of women’s relationships, strength of character and love for each other within a family.
Every actress plays her part to perfection. Special mention must go to Sharon Horgan and Eve Hewson (Bono’s daughter), who demonstrate their subtlety here, surfing on humor as well as on a palette of more dramatic emotions.
Note that not all men are portrayed negatively in the series. The character of Matthew Claffin (played by Irishman Daryl McCormack), like the character of Roger (played by Michael Smiley), avoids falling into an overly Manichean program where only the women seem worthwhile.
Last but not least, the series was filmed in Ireland, around Dublin to be precise. Scenes are shot at Forty Foot (where they enjoy the famous Christmas ice bath), Sandycove, Howth and Malahide.
The 100% natural settings offer a pleasant change of scenery. It’s a chance to travel the world from the comfort of your sofa… and enjoy a plot that’s getting more and more suspenseful!
A must-see!
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