'Bad Sisters' Season 2 Review: She's Not a Little Murderer, She's Still a Producer
It starts, naturally, with a body in the boot of a car. There's no other way than Season 2 of the Irish tragicomedy Bad Sisters may be starting, really, especially after a sharp first season that turned a seemingly cut-and-dried whodunnit into a sister drama that's as darkly funny as it was dull. Things are less intense this time around, with new and expanded characters and a few loose ends, but the series still stands out as highly entertaining and deeply moving.
It takes two years after the sudden death of John Paul Williams—but before the body in the trunk that opens the first episode – the second season of Bad Sisters you find the Garvey girls in an amazingly beautiful place. Older Eva (Sharon Horgan, also famous for the Season 2 storyline) is taking her menopause years, more freely than ever. Ursula (Eva Birthistle) lives with him now, her marriage inevitably falling apart after his affair. Bibi (Sarah Greene) and his wife are trying to get pregnant, and Becka (Eve Hewson) actually has a steady boyfriend once. And, thankfully, Grace (Anne-Marie Duff) has moved on from her horrible late husband John Paul—she's marrying her new love Ian (Owen McDonnell).
Everyone seems to be remarkably well-adjusted despite the deadly combination, except for Grace's neighbor Roger (Michael Smiley). His guilt has been eating away at him, and Grace moving on so easily isn't helping. Things take a turn for the worse when the mutilated body of JP's father is found in a suitcase in the creek outside Grace's home, bringing many of the crimes featured in Season 1 back into focus. Roger's depression is invisible; his doting sister Angelica (Fiona Shaw) can see it clearly written on his face, and decides to go down.
Meanwhile, Claffin and Sons Insurance closed two years ago, meaning this season's investigation is essentially a police investigation. Inspector Loftus (Barry Ward) is back but retiring, so most of the digging and all the theories fall to the newly installed—and often annoying—investigator Houlihan (Thaddea Graham). The cop who isn't their friend never really goes away, unfortunately. Maybe that's because Houlihan walks a strange line between dopey and cut-throat all the time, a beacon of justice who also plays with a fidget spinner on his desk.
The timeline stays straight this season, there's no jumping back and forth, and the show loses momentum because of it. It starts with a body, sure, but the identity of the would-be corpse isn't much of a focus in the first few episodes. Instead, the series runs the risk of running out of time by retracing the details of Season 1, with Angelica and Houlihan trying to pin some evidence on the Garvey sisters. Angelica even starts targeting the other sisters a la John Paul, from planting seeds of doubt in Bibi's marriage to getting Ursula fired from her job as a nurse. He's a less compelling, less believable antagonist than the abusive JP, so despite Shaw's truly evil performance, Angelica comes across as compelling.
That said, they don't write in the background Bad Sisters they are smart enough to subvert expectations, and both the audience and the Garvey girls are in for a big shock over the course of the season. Much of the story hinges on what the Garvey sisters will do to keep people quiet, and you can be sure that their moral standards are dropping with each passing minute. As such, everyone gets a finger in the back at some point, and many characters find themselves in mortal danger, keeping the audience on their toes.
Season 2 makes for great television, but lacks the clarity and intensity of the first season. Last season made a habit of focusing on each of the sisters in specific episodes, bringing to life the messy Garvey family. However, that focus doesn't return, and the sisters get vague clips. Ursula has a pill problem that goes untreated and unpunished; Bibi's doubts about his wife's pregnancy appear for several scenes before being mysteriously resolved. Matt Claffin (Daryl McCormack) reappears a few times to reconnect with Becka, a fan-service choice that gets a pass thanks to the irresistible chemistry between Hewson and McCormack, but Becka's love life is just background noise. Grace must also deal with her angry daughter Blánaid (Saise Quinn), a nasty change from their complex and moving daughter from Season 1. At eight episodes compared to 10, the second season simplifies and narrows its characters while expanding the plot; it's a disappointing change.
In the end, the show ends with a trial like the first season, a satisfying ending despite the difficult journey in the country of Ireland. Bad Sisters scratching that cathartic itch of watching a group of women come together to take out a prick, and the series remains deeply, darkly funny. It's still a very special show that explores sisterhood, toxic relationships, and the kind of social preservation that unfortunately backfires, but it looks like Bad Sisters it has already risen.
The first two episodes of 'Bad Sisters' Season 2 premiere on Apple TV+ on November 13.
