Apple’s Dark Comedy tries to keep an old mystery alive

I really enjoyed Season 1 of Apple TV+ Bad sisters…and at the same time, I didn’t see any need to continue with a season 2.

The pitch-black comedy, centered around a tight-knit group of Irish sisters who all come under suspicion when a sister’s jerk dies, was a morbid delight during its freshman run, powered by stellar performances and a bracing dose of gallows humor. But the story ultimately tied together so neatly that a second season seemed unnecessary. Oh well, we’re getting one anyway: the first two episodes of season 2 are now streaming; I’ve seen all eight – and while the comedy and chemistry are still plenty present, it’s hard to avoid the feeling that this story is being improbably stretched far beyond its natural limits.

Season 2 picks up two years later, with the Garvey sisters doing their best to move on from John Paul’s death… and their involvement in it. His widow Grace (Anne-Marie Duff) has surprisingly found love again by marrying a nice guy named Ian (Owen McDonnell), and it looks like she’s finally finding joy again too. But a shadow remains in the form of the nosy church lady Angelica, played by Kill Eva alum Fiona Shaw, who suspects the sisters are hiding something and relentlessly pursues them in search of the truth. Plus, a few cops are also starting to poke around, so John Paul’s death might not be a closed case after all.

For starters, it’s just nice to be in the company of the Garvey sisters again: all five actresses share a warm, playful bond that’s a joy to watch. (I’d like to see a season where they deal with mundane things, without all the murder.) But as I feared, season 2 will be a bit of a retread of the first season, dragging the mystery into a second. season as Big little lies tried to do. Then when the sisters get caught up in a new crime and encounter another malevolent man, it feels ridiculous Die hard’In the sequel, John McClane is confronted by another group of terrorists on another Christmas Eve. How exactly did this happen again?

I should also note that early on in season 2 we are hit with a radically bold plot twist that recalibrates everything. (Season 1 waded into dark waters tone-wise, and Season 2 ventures even further into those waters.) After that twist, however, a crucial element that makes the show work is missing, and Season 2 can’t help but suffer. a result. There are still a few big twists along the way, as well as some questionable character decisions, as wild assumptions lead to even bigger mistakes. (These people are way too loose with the police.)

Shaw makes a formidable opponent as Angelica, a devoutly devout “mour thief” who thrives on the misfortune of others, and her addition to the cast gives Season 2 a jolt of chaotic energy. The returning cast is also fantastic, with Sharon Horgan anchoring the whole with wicked humor and raw vulnerability as Eve. However, I miss the insurance investigators from season 1. Their desperation to keep the family business intact gave them a human dimension, while the agents from season 2 are just… agents. (As young detective Una Houlihan, Doctor who’(s Thaddea Graham isn’t given much personality beyond “annoyingly persistent.”) It’s just a factor that feels like a small step back from Season 1. As much as I love spending time with the Garvey sisters, part of me asks. Wondering if we should have just left this one alone.

TVLINE’S CONCLUSION: It’s nice to spend more time with Apple TV+s Bad sistersbut season 2 extends far beyond the natural boundaries of their story.