Sharon Horgan’sBad Sistersis about several things. It’s a blackcomedyabout a group of women trying, and failing, to kill a bad man. It’s about the insidious nature of domestic abuse and how the abusers gradually whittle down their victims. It’s also a show about terrible men (pricks) and how they uphold the systems that permit their nature. Above all, though,it is a show about five sisters, the bonds that bind them and the lengths they would go to protect one another.
Based on the Belgian series,Clan, Bad Sistersfollows four sisters' attempts to kill their abusive brother-in-law and details the various ways he meddled in their lives.The Apple TV+ showis a beautiful rendition of sisterhood, familial love, and sacrifice. However, as anyone with siblings will attest to, not all siblings are created equal and, as much as parents might deny it, there’s always a favorite. With that in mind,we’re taking a good, long look at the Garveys and presenting our definitive ranking of our favorite Irish sisters.
Bad Sisters
5Ursula Garvey
Portrayed by Eva Birthistle
Eva Birthistle’s Ursula is the middle sister of the Garvey family. A nurse and mother of three, she is the most reluctant to join the plot to kill John Paul (Claes Bang). However, when John Paul finds out about her extra-marital affair with Ben (Peter Coonan), her former photography instructor, and uses her sensitive photos as blackmail, she applies her medical expertise to help Eva (Sharon Horgan) and Bibi (Sarah Greene) poison him.
Admittedly, John Paul’s blackmail of Ursula was arguably the most depraved act he committed against any of the sisters. However, Ursula’s motivation to join in the murder plot comes across as the most selfish of the sisters. While every Garvey sister has a reason to hate John Paul and justifiably want him dead,Ursula is the only character involved in the plot out of self-preservation. Her desire to stop her husband (Jonjo O’Neill) from finding out about her affair supersedes her desire to protect Grace (Anne-Marie Duff) and her daughter, Blánaid (Saise Quinn), from John Paul’s abuse.
4Grace Garvey
Portrayed by Anne-Marie Duff
Anne-Marie Duff’s Grace is the most direct recipient ofJohn Paul’s abuse inBad Sisters.In a relationship nearing two decades, John Paul had systematically broken down Grace until she was a shell of herself. Through an excellent performance, Anne-Marie Duff shows how this abuse can slowly deprive the victim of their character and personhood.Bad Sistersuses Grace and John Paul’s relationship todepict how abusers destroy their victimsand eventually normalize their actions.
Through an excellent performance, Anne-Marie Duff shows how this abuse can slowly deprive the victim of their character and personhood.
Unfortunately, it is Grace’s shell that audiences are met with for most ofBad Sisters. Grace is understandably tragic but, in the end, less interesting than the majority of her sisters. The second-eldest sibling, her love and care for her sisters is undeniable. Despite John Paul’s continued efforts to create a wedge between Grace and her sisters, their sisterly bond always prevails. As the story progresses,Grace begins to assert her individuality thanks to the love and support from her sisters, some tough love from her daughter and a heartwarming friendship with her neighbor, Roger (Michael Smiley).
3Becka Garvey
Portrayed by Eve Hewson
The baby of the family, Becka, is a free-spirited massage therapist. In flashbacks, it is revealed that John Paul reneged on his promise to financially help her open a massage studio, shattering Becka’s aspirations and causing her several financial issues. Simultaneously, she grows close to John Paul’s elderly mother, Minna (Nina Norén), who suffers from dementia; Becka is devastated when Minna meets an untimely death from one of the Garvey sisters' scheme to murder John Paul. In the present day,she unwittingly starts a relationshipwith Matt Claffin (Daryl McCormack), one of the insurance agents investigating the cause of John Paul’s death.
Despite being the last to know about the murder plot, Becka is the most eager to go through with it. While his attempted financial ruin of Becka might have been ample reason to want him dead,Becka seems to be most interested in protecting Grace, her daughter, and Minna from John Paul’s actions. She is also the only one of the sisters who outrightly says to John Paul her true feelings about him, albeit with the help of alcohol.Eve HewsonandDaryl McCormack share great chemistry, making it easy for the audience to believe in their romance and fear the inevitable complications.
2Bibi Garvey
Portrayed by Sarah Greene
Bibi is the second-youngest Garvey sister and the mastermind behind the decision to kill John Paul. Perhaps the sister with the most stable home life, she has an adopted son with her wife, Nora (Yasmine Akram). It is revealed that before the start of the series,Bibi lost her eye because of a car crash caused by John Paul’s reckless driving. Despite the loss of eyesight in her right eye, she remains an expert marksman.
Bibi is hilarious and most clearly embodies thedark humor ofBad Sisters. The originator of the murder plan against John Paul, she remains resolved in their attempts to kill him, until a tragedy causes her to rethink the collateral damage to their actions. A fiery character, she is never shy to say her true feelings, often having to be stopped by her sisters.Bibi is not outwardly affectionate and hides her emotions under layers of sarcasm and deflection, which makes the instances where these emotions come out, like in a great scene with Eva in the Season 1 finale, all the more special.
1Eva Garvey
Portrayed by Sharon Horgan
Sharon Horgan’s Eva is the eldest sister and the “Mama Bear” of the group. After the tragic passing of their parents,Eva opted to raise her four siblingsto keep them together. Thanks to her active participation in their upbringing,Eva assumes the role of the protective older sister/mother figure for all four sisters. She is also single, infertile, and is John Paul’s co-worker at their architectural firm. When they are both in line for the same promotion, John Paul uses nefarious means to disqualify her.
Eva is nurturing and protective to all her sisters, sometimes to a fault. She is the adult of the group and is initially unwilling to get involved in Bibi’s plans. However, when she realizes that Grace’s domestic life is untenable,Eva’s desire to protect her sister and niece compels her to get involved in the murder plot. It is revealed that years prior, John Paul raped Eva and caused her miscarriage. However, this is not a fact she ever shares with her sisters, most especially Grace. It is also never presented as a motivation for her wanting to kill John Paul; her guiding light throughout the events remained to protect Grace and Blánaid.
