Watch out, we seem to be going back in time as it relates to patriarchal control and the return of USB memory sticks in our TV shows. What a time to be alive. Based on the Belgian series 'Clan' but fully going its own way this time around, Bad Sisters returns with its second season. Two years since we last saw them, the Garvey sisters—Eva (Sharon Horgan), Becka (Eve Hewson), Ursula (Eva Birthistle), Bibi (Sarah Greene) and Grace (Anne-Marie Duff)—have moved on from the cover-up murder of Grace's repulsive husband. Eva continues to live her single life, Becka is in a new relationship with Joe (Peter Claffey), Ursula is stealing medication from her work to cope, Bibi and her wife Nora (Yasmine Akram) are planning to conceive another kid, and Grace is getting ready to marry Ian (Owen McDonnell) who everyone hopes to be a better husband for her and better father figure to her daughter Blánaid (Saise Quinn).
However, when family secrets are dug up from the ground, more funeral arrangements are made and conspiracies begin to mount up, the sisters and Grace's former neighbour Roger (Michael Smiley) are yet again questioned about their motives and whereabouts, whether that's by detectives Loftus (Barry Ward) and Houlihan (Thaddea Graham), or by Roger's nosy sister Angelica (Fiona Shaw). The Garveys also try to figure out who is on their side and who isn't.
The renewal of the series was probably even a bigger surprise for the creative team than it was for audiences, but the first bit of good news is that showrunner Horgan (who has an unusual "series 2 story by" credit) and her writers' room actually found a neat way into a new story with these characters. Season one's obvious big bad wolf is gone and instead you get varying levels of paranoia and a search for the ultimate antagonist, while insurance agents are replaced by detectives and a time-hopping structure is replaced by a mostly linear one. You also don't get a typical getting-away-with-murder type of storyline as the writing delves into accountability at times across the shortened eight-episode stretch. In the process, the show continues to explore forms of abuse, gender dynamics and blurry lines of justice, but still highlighting the quintet's sisterly love as the real backbone for everything that ensues.
Where this second season deviates the most is in the balance between dark comedy and revenge thriller elements that made the first season so intoxicating. Said balance has shifted quite a bit as the dark comedy takes a backseat and the cat-and-mouse game is driving the storytelling. Unfortunately, this change is for the worse and you can notice it in the difference between stronger episodes (one, five, finale) and a couple very weak ones (four, six). Some of the shoddiness in regard to tone might be a result of the new director roulette—new helmers James Griffiths and Stacey Gregg join returning Dearbhla Walsh— or because the team didn't have a blueprint anymore, but whatever the case may be, Horgan and co. are definitely cooking harder when they let themselves be funny. But don't worry too much, there's still a bunch of ludicrous or even laugh-out-loud moments for you to discover, they're just less frequent.
The dramatic tension isn't quite there to carry the weight, partly because nearly every character is tasked with a melodramatic distraction (pregnancy, immoral love triangles, custody battles etc.), which just isn't all that compelling. It's admirable that the writers clearly love their characters so much that they want to give everyone their little side hustle but it does come at a cost as well. Composers PJ Harvey and Tim Phillips try to remedy some of the lost momentum during those side quests with their quirky compositions featuring lots of vocalisations and plucky string instruments, but they can only do so much.
Consequently, while there isn't anything offensively awful dragging this season down, Bad Sisters is missing the spark that hooked you in and never let you go a couple years ago. The true saving grace once again is the wonderful ensemble of actors, from the quintet whose collective appeal continues to delight you, to the fine mix of old and new supporting players. Of the leads, Birthistle is especially great this season, Shaw is having a blast with her despicably irritating character and Graham understood the assignment perhaps the best as she provides a perfect amount of levity whenever the show or a scene needs it the most. One small glitch in the matrix is Quinn since the creatives sadly use Blánaid very erratically, treating her only as the clichéd, annoying teenager who you then conveniently sideline whenever you feel like doing so. More often than not, it's almost as if child labour laws became a nuisance for the writers.
Overall, the series is still a lively, fairly engaging romp because of the great cast and your fondness for these characters. Is it slightly disappointing that most of it is merely watchable and not as exciting as what preceded it? Sure. But could've this easily been a disaster since the first season felt so definitive? Absolutely. I don't know about you but I'll take a fast-paced, silly and technically proficient thriller with these actors any day of the week. It's a better gamble than horses, too.
Smileys: Acting, story
Frowneys: Some issues with tone and characterisation
You were meant to crash at Eva's, not halfway there.
3.0/5
Where to watch:
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