Sharon Horgan has this weird, almost surgical ability to make you laugh while someone is literally trying to commit murder. It’s a gift. If you haven’t sat through the ten bad sisters season 1 episodes, you’re missing out on what is arguably the tightest dark comedy to hit a streaming service in years. It isn’t just about a group of Irish women trying to kill their brother-in-law. Honestly, it’s about the suffocating nature of emotional abuse and the lengths people go to when the system fails them.
The show breathes. It’s messy.
Set against the cold, gray, beautiful backdrop of the Forty Foot in Dublin, the story jumps between two timelines. We see the "past," where the Garvey sisters—Eva, Grace, Ursula, Bibi, and Becka—plot the demise of John Paul Pickrell. Then we have the "present," where a couple of desperate insurance agents are trying to prove the death wasn't an accident so they don't have to pay out a claim that would bankrupt them. It’s a cat-and-mouse game where you’re actively rooting for the mice to get away with literal murder.
The Slow Burn of John Paul’s Villainy
Most villains in TV are caricatures. John Paul, played with terrifying precision by Claes Bang, is different. He’s the "Prick." That’s what the sisters call him. But he isn’t just a loud-mouthed jerk; he’s a psychological terrorist.
Across the bad sisters season 1 episodes, we see him dismantle his wife Grace’s soul. It’s painful to watch. He uses her insecurities like a scalpel. He ruins Eva’s career opportunities. He blackmails Ursula over an affair. He even messes with Becka’s business dreams. The show does a brilliant job of justifying the sisters' radicalization. By the time they decide he needs to go, you aren’t thinking, "Oh, that’s a bit much." You’re thinking, "Finally."
The first episode, "The Prick," sets the stage perfectly. We start at a funeral. John Paul is in the casket, and he has a visible... well, let's call it a "physiological reaction" even in death. It tells you exactly what kind of show this is. It’s irreverent. It’s brave.
Why the Timeline Jump Works
Usually, I hate shows that flip-flop between then and now. It feels like a cheap way to build tension. But here? It’s necessary.
The present-day scenes with Thomas and Samuel Claffin (the insurance brothers) add a layer of ticking-clock anxiety. They are pathetic in their own way. They need this death to be a murder because their father’s legacy—the insurance company—is underwater. They aren't "good guys" in the traditional sense. They are just men backed into a corner, much like the sisters.
Breakdown of the Failed Attempts
What makes the middle chunk of the season so darkly hilarious is that the Garvey sisters are actually terrible at killing people. They aren't professional assassins. They are librarians, nurses, and massage therapists.
The cabin explosion. This was supposed to be the "one and done." They thought they could blow him up while he was away. Instead, they just ended up causing a massive amount of property damage and nearly getting caught.
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The "accident" during the jump. Bibi, the one with the eyepatch and the coolest head of the bunch, has some pretty dark ideas. But things never go as planned.
The poisoning. This is where things get truly gritty. Watching them try to source drugs or manipulate situations highlights their desperation.
Each failed attempt in the bad sisters season 1 episodes ups the stakes. Every time they fail, John Paul does something even more monstrous, reinforcing their belief that he has to die. It’s a cycle of escalation.
The Emotional Core: Eva and Grace
While the plot is about murder, the heart is the relationship between Eva (Sharon Horgan) and Grace (Anne-Marie Duff).
Eva is the matriarch. Since their parents died, she’s been the glue. Seeing her watch Grace disappear into the shadow of John Paul’s abuse is heartbreaking. Grace is the "soft" one. She’s the one who tries to find the good in everyone, which is exactly why John Paul is able to prey on her so effectively.
There’s a specific scene involving a birthday party that honestly made my skin crawl more than any horror movie. The way JP belittles Grace in front of her family, disguised as "concern," is a masterclass in writing domestic abuse. It isn't always hitting; sometimes it’s just the constant dripping of water on a stone until the stone cracks.
The Impact of the Irish Setting
Dublin isn't just a background. It's a character. The constant plunging into the freezing Irish Sea at the Forty Foot acts as a ritual. It’s where they cleanse themselves. It’s where they plot. The coldness of the water mirrors the coldness they have to develop in their hearts to carry out their plan.
Also, the dialogue is quintessentially Irish. "Giving it socks," "Acting the maggot," and the general cadence of the bickering feels authentic. It doesn't feel like an American writer trying to sound Irish. It feels like home.
Dealing With the "Insurance Men"
The Claffin brothers, Thomas and Matt, provide a weird parallel. Thomas is a jerk. He’s a different kind of "Prick" than John Paul, but he’s still driven by ego and a sense of entitlement. Matt, on the other hand, becomes a romantic interest for Becka, the youngest sister.
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This creates a massive conflict of interest. Becka is falling for the guy who is actively trying to put her and her sisters in prison. It’s a classic trope, but it works because Eve Hewson (who plays Becka) brings such a raw, chaotic energy to the role. She’s the loose cannon.
What Really Happened in the Finale?
The finale of bad sisters season 1 episodes is where everything crashes together. Throughout the season, the show leads you to believe one of the sisters' plans finally worked.
I won't spoil the absolute final twist for someone who stumbled on this by accident, but I will say this: the truth is far more tragic and spontaneous than a calculated hit. It involves a neighbor, a lot of repressed trauma, and a moment of pure, unadulterated snapping.
The brilliance of the ending is that it forces the sisters to protect someone else, not just themselves. It shifts the morality from "we want this guy dead" to "we must protect our own at any cost."
The Fallout of the Secret
When the truth comes out among the sisters, it’s a moment of profound silence. For a show that relies so much on witty banter and shouting matches, the quiet moments are what stick. The realization that they were all trying to do the same thing for the same person, without even knowing it half the time, cements their bond.
Why Bad Sisters Ranks So High for Viewers
People are tired of "perfect" protagonists. We want to see women who are angry. We want to see women who are flawed, who make massive mistakes, and who love each other fiercely.
The show handles heavy themes—miscarriage, sexual assault, domestic violence, and grief—without ever feeling like a "very special episode." It’s baked into the DNA of the comedy. It’s gallows humor at its finest.
Looking Back at the Season Structure
The 10-episode format was perfect. Often, streaming shows suffer from "middle-episode bloat" where nothing happens in episodes 4 through 7. Here, every episode revealed a new layer of JP’s cruelty or a new twist in the insurance investigation.
- Episode 1-3: The Setup and the first "burn."
- Episode 4-6: The escalating failures and the toll on the sisters' personal lives.
- Episode 7-9: The noose tightening as the Claffins get closer.
- Episode 10: The reveal and the cover-up.
Nuance in the Villainy
It’s worth noting that the show doesn't make the sisters "heroes" in a traditional sense. They are killers. Or at least, they are people with the intent to kill. The show asks the audience: "How much can a person take before they lose their humanity?"
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John Paul is the catalyst, but the sisters have to live with what they’ve done. That’s the real stakes of a potential second season. You don’t just walk away from a murder—even a "justified" one—unscathed.
Actionable Insights for Fans and New Viewers
If you’re looking to get the most out of your rewatch or your first viewing, keep these things in mind:
Pay attention to the background props. The show uses visual storytelling brilliantly. Look at the state of Grace’s house throughout the season. It reflects her mental state and her level of submission to JP. When she starts to reclaim her space, the environment changes.
Watch the Claffin brothers' dynamic.
It’s easy to dismiss them as the "annoying investigators," but their relationship mirrors the Garvey sisters' bond in a distorted way. They are also trying to save their family, just through financial means rather than physical ones.
Identify the "Lies."
Each sister is lying to the others at some point. Tracking these lies makes the final confrontation in the house so much more satisfying.
Explore the Soundtrack.
The music, including the haunting cover of Leonard Cohen’s "Who by Fire" by PJ Harvey in the opening credits, sets a specific tonal frequency. It tells you that death is coming, and it’s going to be poetic.
Consider the Legal Reality.
While the show is fiction, the depiction of coercive control is very real and has been a specific focus of Irish law in recent years. Understanding that JP’s actions are legally defined as abuse in many jurisdictions adds a layer of weight to the sisters' desperation.
If you've finished the season, the best next step is to look into the original Belgian series, Clan, which served as the inspiration. It’s fascinating to see how the Irish adaptation localized the humor and the stakes. After that, move on to season 2, but keep the moral ambiguity of the first ten episodes in the back of your mind. It changes how you see every "heroic" act the Garveys perform.