Apple TV+’s Bad Sisters is Sharon Horgan’s sharpest piece of television yet, a black comedy about murder, insurance, and the bonds that hold a family together even when they want to tear each other apart. Based on the Belgian series Clan, the show follows the Garvey sisters — Eva, Grace, Ursula, Bibi, and Becka — as they navigate the aftermath of their abusive brother-in-law’s unexpected death and the insurance investigation that follows. It’s a dark, funny, and often brutal watch, and it earns its place among the best dramas of the year.
Trailer, via Apple TV.
The Garvey Family
The sisters are the heart of the show. Eva, played by Horgan, is the eldest and the glue that holds the family together. Grace, played by Eva Birthistle, is the one who married the monster. Bibi, played by Sarah Greene, is the wild card. Becka, played by Eve Hewson, is the youngest and the one who seems to have escaped the worst of it. Ursula is one of the sisters, and she adds a layer of unease to the family dynamic.
The show is built on their relationships, and it doesn’t flinch from showing how those relationships fray under pressure. When Grace’s husband John Paul dies, the sisters are suddenly thrust into a situation where their shared history of plotting against him becomes evidence against them. The show flips between two timelines — one before the death, where the sisters plan their revenge, and one after, where a dogged insurance agent tries to prove their involvement.
The Two Timelines
The dual-timeline structure is the show’s secret weapon. It lets the writers show both sides of the crime at once. In one timeline, we see the sisters rehearse their attack on John Paul. In the other, we see the investigator piece together the clues that point to them. This back-and-forth creates tension that builds episode after episode.
The show also uses flashbacks to fill in the backstory of how John Paul became the man the sisters despised. We learn about his cruelty, his control, and how he pushed Grace to the breaking point. These scenes are not funny. They are grim and often upsetting, and they make the sisters’ eventual decision to act feel inevitable rather than absurd.
Comedy and Cruelty
Bad Sisters is a black comedy, but it’s not a joke machine. The humor comes from the sisters’ desperation and their willingness to lie to each other and to the world. There are moments of genuine laughter, especially in the scenes where the sisters coordinate their stories and cover for each other. But the show never loses sight of the fact that they are being investigated for murder.
The tone shifts can be jarring. One scene might be a warm family dinner, and the next could be a cold interrogation room. That contrast is part of the show’s appeal. It keeps the audience off balance, unsure whether to laugh or to worry.
The Irish Setting
The show was filmed in Dublin, and the city adds a sense of place to the story. The streets, the pubs, the homes — they all carry the weight of the sisters’ history. The setting adds a sense of place that grounds the story in something specific. The show doesn’t rely on generic American suburbia. It feels like a real place with a real past.
The show also draws on Irish cultural details, from the way the sisters talk to each other to the way they handle their neighbors. These details add texture to the storytelling and make the family feel distinct from any other group of sisters on screen.
The Critical Reception
The show’s reception was strong. The first season won a 2022 Peabody Award, a major honor that recognizes outstanding public service in broadcasting. It also received a leading twelve nominations at the 19th Irish Film & Television Awards, winning four including Best Drama. The show took the British Academy Television Award for Best Drama Series at the 2023 BAFTA Awards alongside two additional wins. Season 1 received four nominations at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Horgan.
Here is the full list of its critical honors:
- Won the 2022 Peabody Award
- Twelve nominations at the 19th Irish Film & Television Awards, winning four including Best Drama
- Took the British Academy Television Award for Best Drama Series at the 2023 BAFTA Awards
- Four nominations at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Horgan
The show’s success was notable because it came from a production that had to compete with bigger shows. It proved that a smart script and a committed cast can carry a series on their own.
The Final Verdict
Bad Sisters is a demanding watch. It asks viewers to sit with uncomfortable truths about family loyalty and the cost of silence. It also asks for patience, since the show unfolds slowly over its first season. But the payoff is real. The final episodes deliver a resolution that feels earned, not rushed.
The show’s flaws are minor. Some of the supporting characters don’t get enough development, and the middle stretch of the first season drags slightly. But the strengths outweigh the weaknesses. The cast delivers consistently strong performances, the writing is sharp, and the overall package is a confident, ambitious piece of television.
The show succeeds because it trusts its audience to follow the threads between timelines. It doesn’t rush the reveal. It lets the sisters’ guilt and fear simmer before it boils over. That patience pays off in the finale, where the sisters face the consequences of their actions and the bond that held them together cracks under the weight of what they’ve done.
This is a show about sisters who love each other and hate each other at the same time. It’s about the lies we tell to protect the ones we love, and the price we pay when those lies catch up to us. It’s a show that makes you laugh and makes you squirm within the same scene. It’s a show that deserves its place among the best dramas of the year.
The show’s strength is in its commitment to the characters. The sisters aren’t cartoons. They’re complicated women making impossible choices, and the show treats them with the respect they deserve. That’s rare in television, and it’s why Bad Sisters stands out.
The final verdict is simple: this is a show worth watching. It’s not perfect, but it’s close. The flaws are minor, and the highs are high. It’s a confident, ambitious piece of television that rewards attention and repays investment.
The show’s success was notable because it came from a production that had to compete with bigger shows. It proved that a smart script and a committed cast can carry a series on their own.
The show’s flaws are minor. Some of the supporting characters don’t get enough development, and the middle stretch of the first season drags slightly. But the strengths outweigh the weaknesses. The cast delivers consistently strong performances, the writing is sharp, and the overall package is a confident, ambitious piece of television.
The show is a demanding watch. It asks viewers to sit with uncomfortable truths about family loyalty and the cost of silence. It also asks for patience, since the show unfolds slowly over its first season. But the payoff is real. The final episodes deliver a resolution that feels earned, not rushed.
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