Bad Sisters is a mix of drama, comedy and thriller surrounding the Garvey sisters and their attempts to murder their brother-in-law. For good reason, of course.
The sisters have a very close bond due to the early death of their parents, and I admire that they’re so close that they’d kill for each other. Not without cause, of course. Through flashbacks we learn their brother-in-law JP was a cruel man, and so our story begins.
In Episode 1 “The Prick” we meet the sisters on the morning of the funeral of JP, aka The Prick. His grieving widow, Grace, looks genuinely distraught. Her sister Eva comforts her, while their sister Bibi (who is wearing an eye-patch, for reasons not yet known) soaks in the bath and refuses to attend. Ursula hides in the bathroom from her family, texting. Youngest sister Becka is running along a beach. So, how did these five women get away with murder?
The funeral is a quiet affair. The sisters all sit together quietly, though Becka runs in late. Ursula shares a flirty look with a man across the room who isn’t her husband. Girl, you’re in public. People can see you! This must be who she’s hiding out in bathrooms texting. Why is Becka more upset than her siblings? It seems nobody liked this man but everyone is putting on a good show of being sad.
Flashbacks highlight that JP made fun of Eva’s infertility, is violent towards Grace and speaks negatively about his daughter’s weight. Charming. He upstages Eva’s Christmas gift and blocks Grace from going swimming with her sisters. What a miserable man.
On the trail of the sisters are two insurance investigators who have worked out that JP’s death may not have been an accident. Thomas and Matthew are brothers, who decide to interview each other sisters. Becka unwittingly hooks up with Matthew, which is definitely going to cause problems in the future.
After the funeral and wake (or “afters” in Ireland) is over, Eva, Bibi, Ursula and Becka gather at Eva’s house to swear to keep Grace out of what they’ve done. “She can’t find out what we did.” Eva is definitely the boss of the family unit. After seeing the way JP treated Grace? Honestly, good for these women for looking out for their sister.
In episode 2 “Explode a Man” Thomas and Matthew interview Eva, who says she and JP clashed at work and had a few disagreements. Eva tells them she was with all of her sisters the night JP died, which is probably.. not the greatest idea in terms of an alibi. Thomas and Matthew later interview Grace too, who says Eva wouldn’t do anything to hurt her – but she didn’t say Eva wouldn’t hurt JP. The brothers trick Grace into signing an exhumation order, thinking JP’s body will prove foul play.
We see a scene from the past in which JP has Grace iron his socks and force Grace to break in his hiking boots around the house, because he can’t be bothered doing it himself. Dude. Come on. Later, Eva tells a friend at work she’s applying for the promotion to Financial Director and JP overhears and gleefully decides to apply too. Just to be an asshole.
The sisters decide JP’s upcoming hike would be an optimum time to bump him off. They plan to use the gas oven to blow up the cabin he’ll be sleeping in, which is sure to work. What could possibly go wrong? Well, as it turns out… the cabin doesn’t have cell service, so on the night JP is staying there he goes outside to make a phone call right when the cabin goes kaboom and ends up alive and unscathed. The sisters (and me) are so disappointed, and will have to come up with a new murder plot.
I don’t understand how anyone could happily live with this man and feel like I’m one of the sisters now. 100% Team Garvey. Let’s go, girls! You’ve got this. I can’t wait to see what the women try next.
Photo Courtesy: AppleTV+
Review: Bad Sisters - Season 1, Episode 1+2
posted by Aliyah Williams
August 20, 2022