It was so damn good, what was the reason for it? What about the writing? There is a clever blend of genres. There is a fun story. The characters, in all their flawed, human, amusing glory, were the real reason for the show's success.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is one of the films that Horgan is currently working on. Bad Sisters might be her best work to date.
Bad Sisters is based on a Belgian series called Clan. One of the Garvey sisters, Grace, is married to a man that her family refers to as "The Prick" in the series. This is a big deal. John Paul is an incredibly hateable character who can ruin each of Grace's sisters in various unpleasant ways. The family has a problem. They should start planning how to get rid of him.
Credit: Apple TV+
With its coastal setting and story of women banding together to take down an abusive man, the show's trailer inevitably prompted comparisons to David E. Kelley's Big Little Shores That comparison is so much deeper. The show is very much its own beast in many ways.
Playing out over two timelines, Bad Sisters begins with the funeral of John Paul, followed by the Garvey sisters as they attempt to evade the amateur investigation of two insurance agents. The episodes show how the man's death came to pass and the messy steps that lead to it. It's not a whodunnit.
The Garvey sisters: Eve Hewson, Sharon Horgan, Anne-Marie Duff, Eva Birthistle, and Sarah Greene. Credit: Apple TV+
Do you think it's complicated? The thing doesn't feel right. I wondered if some of the Garvey sisters would be overlooked or feel underdeveloped in the show. It's not at all. Each person has a clear personality and well drawn motives. Eva is the leader, the career-focused big sister with a difficult past, Ursula is juggling a husband and three kids and Bibi is a no-nonsense mother. Each character is likeable in their own way and flawed in others.
The show's supporting characters also get the same attention to detail. The actor is playing insurance agent Thomas Claffin. He spends his time asking slimy questions and stealing garbage in an attempt to save his family business, while roping in his brother Matthew, a motorbike-riding hunk played by Good Luck to You star McCormack.
Credit: Apple TV+
Directors Rebecca Gatward, Josephine Bornebusch, and Dearbhla Walsh implemented strong writing that helped weave together timelines and characters. Despite knowing where the flashback scenes are headed, there's still a lot of tension, frustration, and humour in the sisters' attempts to put an end to their brother-in-law.
Is there anything wrong with bad sisters? It's not really. I was given the first seven episodes of the 10-episode series for review and raced through them, wincing and cringing through the various homicidal scenarios that play out Bad Sisters is on track to be one of Apple's best shows to date if the series ends with a disappointing end.
The first two episodes of Bad Sisters will be available on Apple TV+ from August 19th.
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