Bad Sisters Recap: Off the Wagon

As a dedicated fan of dark comedies and a connoisseur of sisterly bonds, I must say that “Bad Sisters” has certainly lived up to my expectations. The latest episode was a rollercoaster ride of emotions, from the hilarious antics of Fiona Shaw’s character on the sailboat to the heartwarming moments between the Garvey sisters.

Well, well, well! How the turn tables …

However, before reaching the much-anticipated Moment, let’s delve into the series of events that led us here, as well as the unexpected factors that could potentially complicate things even more.

So far, the Garveys’ efforts to disengage from Angelica have been unsuccessful and quite frustrating. Criticizing her behavior angers her; confronting her aggressively fuels her self-righteousness; and avoiding her is difficult since she persistently intrudes where she doesn’t belong. How can one handle a situation like dealing with Angelica?

In the story “Boom,” the Garveys are struggling to make sense of their situation, with Grace finding herself unexpectedly entangled with Angelica. This unwelcome intrusion occurred when Grace was attending a grief support group. According to Ian, who claims they met at this group, they once joked that Angelica would feed off Grace’s sorrow and become exhilarated by their low points. Since Grace’s death, Angelica’s behavior has only amplified this frustrating tendency. The family is currently spending a valuable week of their lives staging a fake scattering of ashes for Grace, which they must justify as reasonable even though Angelica excludes key people from the ceremony, such as Eva, Ian, and Blánaid – individuals who were significant in Grace’s life. By the time Eva learns that Angelica has employed her trainer, someone she trusted and regarded as a pseudo-therapist, her anger is entirely justified in my view.

Eva isn’t typically forthcoming about her emotions, and the sudden loss of a source of comfort at a crucial time has taken her by surprise like an unexpected blow from a hammer. Grace described it as suffocating in her anxious final days when Angelica intruded upon her personal life much like a relentless tide. Add to that Eva’s belief that Angelica manipulated social services into visiting at an inconvenient time, and her suspicion that Angelica is pushing Blánaid away from her own family, and you have a highly volatile mixture that threatens to trigger a breakdown. “By God,” Eva exclaims, expressing her intense desire to destroy the wagon — at the most inopportune moment, as Detectives Loftus and Houlihan decide to pay another visit for more questioning. Although neither the detectives nor even Ian seem to concur, all of Eva’s actions in this episode can be justified as reactions to fear — but it’s not ideal for her to confess her deep-seated hatred and distrust towards Angelica to the police, given the events that unfold by the end of the episode.

Let’s take a moment to discuss our main characters, starting with Fergal. He appears disheveled, and his brash behavior at work doesn’t seem to bring him much joy. In fact, it seems to be overshadowed by the struggles he faces in his personal life. Desperate to keep his daughter from moving to Australia with her mother, he finds himself embroiled in a contentious custody battle. To make matters worse, he resorts to breaking into Grace’s house and stealing money hidden in her turtle pen. I can’t help but wonder if this won’t lead to consequences for him down the line!

Moving on to the “Boom” incident now. Reflecting back, this episode seems to be building up to that surprising climax. As someone who isn’t exactly a fan of Angelica (to put it mildly), my initial response to her being hit and thrown overboard was, well, laughter. Fiona Shaw portrays such a loathsome character in those sailboat scenes, making Angelica appear so self-centered and cruel that her potential demise feels almost like a blessing. It’s even amusing to think that the sisters might accidentally kill her in such a foolish way after they’ve tried and failed so many times to harm JP with their intricate plots. Oh, what a joke! What a laugh! What an unfortunate turn of events, especially given the already mounting tension on the Garvey family without another corpse to handle.

In a nutshell, I’ve always been critical of Angelica’s beliefs, and I won’t miss her if she’s indeed deceased, as it would alleviate the tension in my jaw. Yet, there’s a possibility that Angelica might have been correct when she called Ian a “snake in the grass.” I won’t judge Ian and Eva for finding comfort in each other during their grief, but I do have reservations about Ian due to his outbursts and questionable actions. For instance, the scene ended with Grace attempting to restrain him, and later we saw her with a fresh bandage and a washer full of bloodied clothes. His temper is quick, as evidenced by his angry response towards Eva, which makes me suspicious. We also know that Blánaid trusts Angelica and may have confided in her, but the reasons for this trust remain unclear. Although I’d prefer not to see Ian as the main antagonist again this season, the show is subtly suggesting that we should keep a watchful eye on him.

Currently, I’d like to grant some tranquility to the sisters, who seldom have had a chance to mourn privately, free from interruptions and turmoil. The “surprise” party for Eva was heartwarming, seeing her attempt to enjoy it amidst the chaos, and their hilarious homemade costumes. I enjoyed witnessing more of Bibi and Becka’s sibling bond, whether they were confiding in each other or shopping together for a phony urn. The eerie karaoke machine Grace had purchased before Eva’s demise, where they all sang “When You’re Gone” by The Cranberries, holding onto one another like flotation devices, was particularly poignant. Although Bad Sisters relies heavily on unexpected plot twists and the dark humor of murderous farce, it wouldn’t resonate as deeply without scenes where the sisters simply get to be sisters—fierce, devoted, and loving in spite of everything.

Loose Ends

Should Fiona Shaw indeed be departing from this series, I’d like to take a moment to appreciate her exceptional comedic timing. Her over-the-top sniffles, the casual query about Grace’s sisters possibly having something to say, and her tight grip on the biscotti can during stormy seas were all sidesplitting. With deep admiration for her talent, her absence will undoubtedly be felt.

Roger, could you kindly refrain from walking into a room without knocking first, as I’d appreciate it if we could avoid interrupting the Garvey sisters there? Thank you!

• It is unforgivably rude how everyone’s go-to insult for Eva is “You’re infertile and alone, lol!!” Last week it was Ursula, this week Blánaid; if someone pulls out this shit again next episode, I will bail Eva out after she quite rightly sets them on fire.

As a cinema enthusiast, I found myself engrossed when Becka, who’s expecting, decided to break the news about her pregnancy at Eva’s after-party, sharing it with Urs and Bibi. The revelation stirred some intricate emotions within Bibi, adding an unexpected twist to the plot. And here’s a thought: With Garvey’s solidarity in mind, there might be a TV-style twist where Bibi and Nora consider adopting Becka’s baby, but honestly, I can’t help but hope that Ruben won’t have to deal with the heartache of such an arrangement.

It’s been speculated by some that Ian might be acting suspiciously with Blanaid. I truly hope this isn’t the case for numerous reasons, but if it were, I don’t believe Grace would have responded in such a way as to abandon Blanaid.

• What’s implied by my statement is that I find the biscotti tin appealing enough for potential cremation. In simpler terms, I think the biscotti tin looks nice, to be honest!

• “What wagon did you want to kill?” “Uh … my sister, Ursula. She’s a bitch, you’ve met her.”

2024-12-04 15:54

Bad Sisters Recap: Off the Wagon

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