Killer cast of ‘Bad Sisters’ deserves to make the Emmy cut
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Many shows are about one thing in particular, with a number of subplots serving to support the main theme. While in some ways that is the case with the Apple TV+ drama “Bad Sisters,” there’s so much going on at any one given time that it’s almost hard to keep track of what started it all in the first place. That would be, of course, the death of The Prick (Claes Bang), also known as JP, the manipulative, abusive husband of Grace (Anne-Marie Duff), and the show’s central mystery: did Grace’s four sisters kill him, and, if so, how did they do it?
This show moves seamlessly between multiple timelines, chronicling the inciting incident for each of the sisters that made them hate JP, their multiple efforts to concoct a way to cleverly dispose of him, and the aftermath when a pair of insurance investigator brothers works to beat audiences to the punch and discover what – and who – it was that actually killed him. It’s a riveting way to tell this story, one that adds pieces of information that never amount to a fully cohesive whole, leaving just enough to be uncovered at every turn.
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Richard Roeper (Chicago Sun-Times) is effusive in his praise: “From the get-go, this brilliantly executed, seamlessly edited, extremely well-acted and darkly hilarious series from showrunner and star Sharon Horgan (the Brit TV sitcom ‘Catastrophe,’ the HBO comedy series ‘Divorce’), has an addictively wicked appeal” and terms it “a beautifully produced and directed series. We love spending time with the Garvey sisters and enjoying the exquisite work by Horgan, et. al., and we marvel at Claes Bang’s ability to play one of the most memorably despicable, love-to-hate-him characters in recent memory.”
Picking the best performance from among the ensemble is a near-impossible task. The easy answer might be Horgan, who is also the show’s creator, who portrays eldest sister Eva. She may be the most adult and functional of the sisters, but she also gives in too freely to the antagonistic energy JP throws her way as a coworker, where he does everything he can to knock her down and publicly embarrass her. Horgan is a past Emmy nominee for her writing on “Catastrophe,” and may again earn a bid for penning the pilot of her latest series. Lucy Mangan (The Guardian) writes Horgan is in “top form as both writer and actor, surrounded by a cast who don’t put a foot wrong” and casts it as “a fine addition to the growing collection of stories told unapologetically for, by and about women on mainstream television.”
Each of the other three sisters comes with their own fiery passion. Ursula (Eva Birthisle) is fiercely defensive of her private life, engaging in an affair that becomes known to the last person she would want to be aware of her darkest secrets. Bibi (Sarah Greene) is effortlessly vindictive, conveying a great deal of sass in every conversation made more emphatic by the eyepatch she wears (JP had a role in that too). Youngest sister Becka (Eve Hewson) is carefree and irresponsible, but shares a close bond with an unexpected person who doesn’t see JP the way the sisters do: his mother. Duff is far more guarded in her nuanced portrayal of Grace, a woman who only gives and isn’t able to see how much people take from her, conveying deep sadness when she sees how people in her life not getting along.
Elizabeth Gregory (The London Evening Standard) describes “Bad Sisters” as “an absolutely joyous and chaotic thriller,” citing “razor-sharp dialogue and laugh-out-loud moments create space for heavier themes, as the show investigates complex family structures, sisterly relationships and emotional abuse, all whipped up in a delicious Horgan melee.”
“Bad Sisters,” which could honestly have competed instead as a comedy series given its inherently absurd undertones that produce plentiful laughs in each episode, has had a successful international awards run. The show won the BAFTA TV Award for Drama Series and cleaned up at the Irish Film and Television Awards, where Horgan and Duff took home prizes as well. In our Emmy odds, the show ranks 10th for Best Drama Series, while Horgan is closer to a nomination in ninth place for Best Drama Actress. The toughest competition the supporting players may face is from each other, with only Duff out slightly ahead of her costars in 15th place (Best Drama Supporting Actress). Any member of the cast would merit inclusion in this year’s Emmy lineup, and fortunately the show will soon return for a second season that will give it another shot at Emmy love in 2024.
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