In films and TV shows, when someone dies and the killer is not revealed to us, we generally have a whodunnit on our hands. Whodunnits, though extremely fun, tend to follow a certain formula. You have a brief introduction to the cast of characters, a bit of setup before the murder, the aftermath of the murder, one character trying to piece everything together, a flashback here or there to demonstrate how every character had a motive, and then a riveting climax where the killer is unveiled. It’s a solid formula, but you usually know what you’re going to get when you watch a murder mystery. You might assume Sharon Horgan’s series Bad Sisters would follow the same route. After all, the show is about four women who plotted to kill the now deceased husband John Paul (Claes Bang) of their sister Grace (Anne Marie Duff) and the life insurance policy providers who suspect foul play. It’s a pretty standard whodunnit premise. However, Bad Sisters chooses to use this premise to tell a significantly more meaningful narrative. Instead of prioritizing the central mystery — the identity of the killer — this show places a far greater emphasis on the bond between sisters united in their love for one another and their hatred for an awful human being. We become invested not for a reveal that might underwhelm in a mystery-driven show, but for the emotional connections between characters we’ve grown to love, hate, and understand. 

The story itself follows two distinct timelines. One timeline traces the events leading each sister to see murder as the only way to free Grace from a monster and their subsequent murder attempts up until John Paul’s eventual death. The stakes continue to escalate as many fall victim in the crossfire. The other follows two life insurance policy providers who cannot afford to pay out John Paul’s life insurance. Because of their desperation, they investigate the circumstances behind his death thoroughly. This timeline becomes a bit of a game of cat-and-mouse, except both the cat and mouse are complete amateurs who make plenty of mistakes along the way. I greatly enjoyed watching both timelines unfold, and my issues with them aren’t quite as large as they would be had the show taken a more standard whodunnit approach. 

The former timeline’s murder attempts do get a bit repetitive and predictable at points, but the real narrative being told along the way comes to fruition so excellently in the final episode that it honestly still felt worth it. Without giving anything away, choosing to make this story revolve around the strained yet loving bonds these sisters shared and the aftermath an egotistical, manipulative man’s emotional abuse can leave rather than just focusing on the who, what, when, where, and why of the murder itself was a stroke of genius. After all, murder may be a crime, but isn’t ruining several other people’s lives and senses of self worth just as heinous? As a viewer, I’d argue that the real crime was that John Paul wasn’t killed sooner. 

Meanwhile, the latter timeline is largely a damn hoot! There are absolutely moments of emotional depth, especially as the stakes involved for the insurancemen are revealed to be quite high. However, it’s mostly just delightful entertainment to watch these desperate people on both sides attempt to outmaneuver each other. The show does occasionally dip into soap territory as a romance blossoms between one of the sisters (Eve Hewson) and one of the insurancemen (Daryl McCormack), though, creating by far the least interesting part of this storyline. Hewson and McCormack have fantastic chemistry, but the dramatic beats in their love story often retread the same ground over and over. Even though this was the weakest part of the show for me, I still did find myself enjoying their moments together. The show’s greater focus on the dynamics between its characters also helped me take less issue with this sideplot, as they did serve a larger narrative purpose than they would have had the show just been a whodunnit. 

Balancing two different plotlines is a hard feat for any writer, but that difficulty is magnified when said writer also has to balance its comedic moments with its dramatic storyline. Thankfully, we have very skilled writers at work here, so every poignant moment and every joke lands naturally. Bad Sisters is such an easy binge thanks to how smooth the writing is, as it never leans too heavily on one tone to the point where it feels overwhelming. The jokes don’t overstay their welcome, and the dramatic beats don’t suffocate you. The way the writers managed to craft a narrative you weren’t even aware the full extent of until the final episode is also a phenomenal achievement. I also cannot overstate how perfectly everything is tied up in that finale. It genuinely moved me to uncontrollable tears several times. It is a masterclass in writing, directing, acting (which we’ll get to shortly), and dramatic payoffs that I’m still a bit awed by.

Though the excellent tonal balance of the show is partially due to the show’s writing, credit must also be given to the cast for being able to walk that tonal tightrope as gracefully as they do. Eva (Sharon Horgan), Bibi (Sarah Greene), Ursula (Eva Birthistle), and Becka (Eve Hewson), the “bad sisters” in question, have a wonderful dynamic with one another that their actresses truly allow to shine. Their interactions are often hilarious but always authentic thanks to the chemistry these actresses share. This strong familial connection is also felt between that of our insurancemen brothers (Brian Gleeson and Daryl McCormack). This ensemble working so well together contributes to how delightful this show is, and there isn’t a weak link in sight. That being said, there are definitely standouts. Sharon Horgan is the anchor of the show as the eldest sister Eva, and she does a fantastic job of conveying Eva’s strengths, pains, and sense of humor. There are certain revelations you discover about her that really contextualize this character, and Horgan’s performance manages to be completely in tune with this as a whole while still nailing every beat required from her at a given moment. On the other hand, Claes Bang plays the main antagonist of this show, Grace’s now deceased husband John Paul. He is absolutely detestable, particularly when he interacts with Grace. You crave a painful death for him every episode because of how horrendous of a human being he is, and you are disappointed almost every episode. Bang allows this character to reach new heights of hateable with his grating delivery and punchable facial expressions, and boy does it work. Bang can be quite menacing when he needs to be, but John Paul is actually at his most terrifying during his aforementioned interactions with Grace. His incessant belittling of her is painful to watch, especially since you know this sort of thing is all too common in real life. Speaking of which, the true MVP of this show is Anne Marie Duff as Grace. She doesn’t get the moments of comedic levity afforded to the other actors, but what she does in this show is nonetheless incredibly difficult. Grace is a character who has lost her agency to her husband and finds herself on the receiving end of emotional abuse heartbreakingly often, so there has to be an extra level of scrutiny for her performance. What’s so impressive about Duff’s acting here to me isn’t what she does, but what she doesn’t do. You almost never see Grace break down, scream, or cry. Instead, every time Grace’s husband makes her feel insignificant, you just see this defeat in her eyes as she takes every insult and put down. She is a shell of a person after over a decade of this treatment, and Duff portrays this so convincingly. She even manages to instill this guilt in Grace, as without saying anything at all, you can see that this character clearly thinks everything that is happening is her fault. It’s a marvel of a performance, as Duff hits every note right without ever overdoing it. 

Bad Sisters is certainly a flawed show, but its presentation, acting, and especially its layered writing allow it to rise far beyond its few issues and become a stellar season of television. It’s not a whodunnit, but it is a splendid show that prioritizes its story and characters over shocking moments (though they do still occur). Its compelling narrative is ripe with an ensemble of well-written characters brought to life by talented actors, making it a clear must watch for those who haven’t been lucky enough to catch it yet. 

9/10