Bad Sisters
Available on: Apple TV+
Sharon Horgan’s latest televisual triumph will bring a familiar sense of dread to viewers who are unfortunate enough not to get along with their in-laws. An adaptation of a Belgian series (The Out-Laws), it focuses on four sisters who are so appalled by their brother-in-law’s treatment of their other sibling that they decide that the only rational thing to do is murder him.
If that sounds a little farfetched, then it’s high time for me to admit that the events of Bad Sisters do border on the implausible at times. But when a show is as well scripted and supremely acted as this, then you’re more inclined to forgive its indiscretions.
Much of that is down to Horgan, who once again proves herself (as if she needed to) to be one of the foremost names in comedy today. Despite a fairly generous runtime of 10 episodes, Bad Sisters is expertly paced and builds brilliantly to its shocking and emotionally charged crescendo.
For that to be the case, you have to create characters that an audience is willing to invest in. And the Garvey sisters are that and then some. Whether it’s the maternal Eva (Horgan), maritally conflicted Ursula (Eva Birthistle), hard-nosed Bibi (Sarah Greene), naïve Becka (Eve Hewson) or long-suffering Grace (Anne-Marie Duff), these are a fraternity worth rooting for.
And in Claes Bang’s John Paul, we might just have one of the most contemptable villains to grace the small screen in many a year. Though his character wanders closely to pantomime territory at times, he is so appallingly coercive that you cannot help but root for his demise. Indeed, the moment we finally get to see him meet his maker is one of the most satisfying moments of TV I’ve seen in a long, long time.
Critics might suggest that a series about domestic violence shouldn’t be as funny as Bad Sisters undeniably is but, in my eyes at least, that is to deprive victims of the right to choose how they process their anguish. Abuse of any form is such a personal and profoundly painful experience that it is nigh on impossible to cover it in a way that will be satisfactory to all. Crucially, the show remains grounded and respectful even in its zaniest moments.
Truly, this is one of the standout shows of 2022 and well worth 10 hours of anyone’s lives. Horgan is such a precocious talent that you cannot help but be excited by the thought of what she might cook up next. Whatever it may be, I’ll certainly be tuning in.
