Bad Sisters: Season 2

Streaming on: Apple TV+

Episodes viewed: 8 of 8

The first season of Bad Sisters was a near-perfect whodunnit set across two timelines where the Garvey sisters plotted revenge against an abusive husband. Almost entirely self-contained, this BAFTA-winning first run resolved the story with a euphoric sense of justice and hard-won liberation. Despite the show's success, a follow-up was the last thing fans expected – so when the renewal was suddenly announced via Apple TV+, a new mystery came to light. Namely, how do you follow up that killer first season without tainting what's come before?

At first, it's business as usual in the opening scene, where we watch four of the Garveys dispose of a body before the show jumps back to reveal what's happened in the two years since we last visited Dublin. The sisters have moved on from the events of season one to varying degrees, but their lives take a turn when the corpse of John Paul's father is dredged up from the pond of his parent's family home. The subsequent investigation sets off a chain reaction that has dire, even tragic consequences for the Garvey sisters.

Season two is a more morose affair, diluting the jet-black wit of the first chapter with far darker turns, but the cast's chemistry is just as watchable as ever, including new additions too. Without the loathsome John Paul at hand, Fiona Shaw especially stands out as a pious new antagonist who stirs up trouble, although she doesn't tie everything together like "The Prick" did. The Garveys have always led messy lives, but the narrative channels that almost too well with a chaotic sprawling energy that occasionally lacks focus. It's easy to see why Clan, the original Belgian series Bad Sisters is based on, called it quits after just one season. Don't let that put you off, though. There's still plenty to enjoy in the show's signature humour and the smaller moments of bonding that these spirited sisters share.