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The first season ofBad Sisterswas an unexpected hit for Apple TV+, earning fans and four Emmy nominations. Now in its sophomore season — a feat not achieved by the Belgian show on which it was based — the darkly comedic mystery is struggling to find its own identity, having problems in its attempt to expand the world while staying in line with what worked about the acclaimed first season.
Bad SistersSeason 2 Review
Season 2 ofBad Sisterspicks up years after the Garvey sisters have moved on from the “accidental” death of one sister’s abusive husband, as new evidence — and a new suspicious death — causes the authority to start asking questions again. If this second season ofBad Sistersdeserves credit for one thing, it’s that it doesn’t feel like it’s simply re-hashing the same beats that happened in the previous season; however, the new direction it takes isn’t entirely successful.
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Viewers will notice that this season ofBad Sisterslacks the nonlinear storyline defining the first season. Instead, the show uses a more standardin medias resdevice, showing a glimpse of what is to come before cutting back to the linear storyline. It’s much less engaging than the first season because the nonlinear structure lent itself to mystery through its deliberate trickle of information, while this structure causes the entire season to feel predictable.
That’s not to say there isn’t any mystery at all — in fact, there are several — but they are frustratingly paint-by-numbers. The aspects that made the first season unique are absent in favor of a more run-of-the-mill procedural. After an intriguing start to the season with its first three episodes, the show quickly runs out of steam, falling into an unprovocative rhythm. Even though this eight-episode second season is shorter than the first, it feels like the episode count could have been reduced by even one or two more.
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Still, audiences will likely stay invested in the show despite its inferior plotting in this outing, thanks to their investment in the characters. The critical element to the success ofBad Sistersis and has always been the dynamic between the central characters. The evolution we see in this sibling relationship this season is fascinating — and fitting, considering the drama and challenges they went through in the previous season.
The leads of the show are still a delight to watch. Anne-Marie Duff, who won a BAFTA for her turn in the first season, has even more complexity to work with this season. And Sharon Horgan, who was nominated for an Emmy, is as delightful as ever to watch. As underwhelming as the writing of this season can be, the big takeaway is that you could watch Duff and Horgan do pretty much anything, and it would still be entertaining.
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That said, some of the supporting cast gets left behind this season. Some of them, like Daryl McCormack (Twisters), seem to have been left out primarily because of how much their star power has risen in the years since the show’s initial release. However, even some of the actresses who play the sisters (Sarah Greene comes to mind as the most obvious example) have much less interesting material to work with this season. And unlike many second seasons, there are no memorable additions to the supporting cast to spice things up.
IsBad SistersSeason 2 worth watching?
Season 2 ofBad Sistersis a unique specimen in that it tries to shake up the formula and deliver something that feels different from what we’ve already seen, but in doing so, it loses many of the elements that made the show so special in the first place. It’s not bad, but it’s very disappointing, given how much of an unexpected delight the show’s first season was.
Bad Sistersis now streaming on Apple TV+, with new episodes dropping every Wednesday. All eight episodes reviewed.
Bad Sisters Season 2 Review — Sophomore Season Struggles To Take Mystery in an Exciting Direction
Sean Boelman
Managing Editor for Film and TV
Articles Published :441
Sean is the Managing Editor for Film and Television, working to determine editorial strategy for the critics team. He has been on the FandomWire team since 2022.In addition to writing reviews himself, Sean helps match writers on the FandomWire team with assignments that best fit their interests and expertise.
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Apple tvSharon Horgan
