John Paul Williams was a prick. Honestly, that is the only way to start any bad sisters recap season 1 because his entire existence is the engine that drives this chaotic, dark, and surprisingly hilarious Irish thriller. He wasn't just a "bad guy" in the way TV villains usually are. He was a psychological terrorist who wore a sweater vest. He targeted his wife Grace, played with a heartbreaking fragility by Anne-Marie Duff, and systematically dismantled her soul. This is why the Garvey sisters—Eva, Bibi, Ursula, and Becka—decided he had to go.
It wasn't just a whim. It was a necessity.
The show, adapted by Sharon Horgan from the Belgian series Clan, works because it flips back and forth between two timelines. We see the "then," where the sisters are frantically trying to kill JP, and the "now," which takes place after his funeral as two desperate insurance agents, the Claffin brothers, try to prove it was foul play to save their family business from bankruptcy. It’s a messy, booze-soaked, sisterly bond that feels more real than almost anything else on Apple TV+.
The Prick and the Motivation
You’ve got to understand the sisters to understand why the bad sisters recap season 1 matters so much. They are the Garveys. They promised to look out for each other after their parents died. John Paul, or "The Prick" as they affectionately call him, made that impossible. He insulted Eva’s infertility. He caused the accident that cost Bibi her eye. He blackmailed Ursula over her affair. He even ruined Becka’s dream of opening a massage studio by withholding a loan and then literally mocking her for it.
He was a monster of the mundane.
The first attempt on his life happened at his remote cabin. The plan was simple: a gas leak and a pilot light. It should have been a clean "accident." Instead, JP survived because he wasn't even in the house when it blew up. He was out being a nuisance somewhere else. This sets the tone for the whole season. The Garveys are brilliant women, but they are absolutely terrible at professional-grade murder. They are amateurs fueled by Chardonnay and righteous indignation.
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The Failed Attempts You Might Have Forgotten
It is easy to lose track of how many times they tried to off him. There was the frozen liver incident—yes, literally trying to make him choke on a frozen piece of meat. There was the "death by paintball," which was actually an attempt to drupe him into a fatal fall. Then came the drugging.
Becka, the youngest and most impulsive, thought she could do it during a rooftop encounter. She gave him enough pills to put an elephant down, but the man had a constitution like a cockroach. He just kept coming back. Every time they failed, the stakes got higher and the Claffin brothers got closer to the truth. Thomas and Matt Claffin aren't exactly Sherlock Holmes, but they are motivated by the fear of losing their father’s legacy. Matt, played by Daryl McCormack, complicates things further by actually falling for Becka. Talk about a conflict of interest.
What Really Happened to John Paul?
The mystery of the bad sisters recap season 1 isn't "who wanted him dead," because everyone did. The mystery is who actually crossed the finish line. Throughout the season, we see the sisters getting more and more desperate. Eva, the matriarch and the one with the most to lose at her job where JP was also her boss, finally seems to break. But the show pulls a brilliant bait-and-switch.
It wasn't the "planned" murders that got him. It was a moment of pure, unadulterated protection.
In the finale, we learn the truth. It was Grace. The sister we all thought was too weak, too controlled, and too broken to fight back. On Easter Sunday, after JP had pushed her to the absolute brink—revealing his truly vile nature yet again—Grace took matters into her own hands. She didn't use a complicated gas leak or a frozen liver. She used his own scarf. She strangled him in a moment of clarity that was both terrifying and deeply satisfying for the audience.
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Then, Blanaid’s neighbor, the lovely but odd Gabriel, helped her stage it as an accidental choking while he was "servicing himself." It was the ultimate indignity for a man who cared so much about his public image.
The Insurance Investigation Fallout
While the sisters are trying to keep their stories straight, the Claffins are circling. Thomas is convinced they did it. He finds the "missing" pajamas. He finds the evidence of the fire. But in the end, the human element wins out. Matt finds the truth—or enough of it—and chooses Becka over the payout. He burns the evidence that would have put the sisters in prison.
It’s a dark ending, sure. They got away with murder. But the show argues that some people are so toxic that their removal is an act of community service. It’s a controversial take on justice, but within the world of the Garveys, it feels like the only possible resolution.
Nuance and the "Why" Behind the Story
Critics often compare Bad Sisters to Big Little Lies, but that’s a bit of a lazy take. Bad Sisters is much more grounded in the specific trauma of coercive control. Experts on domestic abuse, like those at organizations such as Women's Aid, have often pointed out how accurately the show depicts the "slow burn" of emotional abuse. JP didn't hit Grace. He just made sure she didn't exist outside of him. That is why the bad sisters recap season 1 resonates. It isn't just about a murder; it’s about a rescue mission.
The performances elevate the material. Sharon Horgan’s Eva is a powerhouse of repressed rage. Eve Hewson’s Becka is the beating, messy heart of the family. And Claes Bang as JP? He deserves every award for making a character so utterly loathsome that you find yourself cheering for his demise.
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Some people argue the Claffin subplot drags a bit. Honestly, they aren't wrong. The insurance stuff can feel like a distraction from the sisterly chemistry, but it provides the necessary pressure cooker to keep the plot moving. Without the threat of the Claffins, the sisters wouldn't have to confront what they’d done.
Actionable Insights for Your Re-watch
If you are gearing up for the next chapter, there are a few things you should look for in a re-watch of the first season that you might have missed the first time around.
- Watch the background characters: The neighbors and coworkers often drop hints about JP’s behavior that the sisters don't even know about yet.
- The color palette: Notice how Grace’s wardrobe shifts. She starts in muted, washed-out tones and slowly, very slowly, gains a bit of color as she finds her autonomy.
- The foreshadowing: The show is incredibly tight. Small mentions of "accidents" or "health issues" in the first two episodes pay off massively in the final three.
- Focus on the eyes: Specifically Bibi’s. The loss of her eye isn't just a physical injury; it’s a constant visual reminder of what JP takes from people.
The legacy of the first season is how it balances tone. It’s hard to make a show about domestic abuse and murder funny, but the Garveys manage it because their love for each other is so loud. They fight, they scream, they drink too much, and they would quite literally kill for one another. That is the core of the show.
Moving forward, the consequences of that Easter Sunday will likely haunt them. You can't just kill a man—even a very bad one—and expect your life to return to normal. The guilt, the secrets, and the shared trauma are now the glue holding the Garvey sisters together, for better or worse.
Practical Next Steps for Fans
To truly appreciate the depth of the series, watch the original Belgian version Clan to see how the tone differs between the two cultures. Additionally, reading up on the laws regarding coercive control can provide a much deeper understanding of the legal and social framework the show is critiquing. Finally, check out the official soundtrack; the use of PJ Harvey’s "Who by Fire" is a masterclass in setting a television mood.