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Warning: This article contains spoilers for ‘Bad Sisters’ season two, episode two.
Bad Sisters made its return to Apple TV+ with an explosive two-episode premiere on November 14 and if there were any doubts about how the show would shake up its storyline after a satisfying season one conclusion, writer and creator Sharon Horgan put those rest almost immediately.
Season two picks back up in Dublin two years after the events of season one which saw four of the Garvey sisters attempt to kill John Paul (Claes Bang), the abusive husband of their sister, Grace (Anne-Marie Duff), only for Grace to be the one to eventually deliver him his final blow.
In season two, Grace is attempting to put the pieces of her life back together and embarking on a new life with husband Ian Reilly, played by newcomer to the cast Owen McDonnell, who she marries in a backyard wedding in episode one.
However, as one might expect when you kill your husband and get away with it, the cracks in the Garvey sisters’ cover-up begin to show when Angelica, a new character played by legendary Harry Potter star Fiona Shaw, begins to probe Grace after uncovering the truth about John Paul’s death via her brother, season one hero Roger (Michael Smiley) who helped cover up the murder.
As police also begin to resurface suspicions about JP’s death after discovering his father’s body, Grace begins to spiral and tells her new husband the truth, prompting him to leave.
As her anxiety builds, a panicked Grace finds herself driving in the night all while trying to leave a voicemail for her sister Eva (Horgan) before the camera cuts to her car crashing. The episode concludes with police arriving to Eva’s home to break the news while Grace’s daughter Blanaid (Saise Quinn) sits crying in the back of a squad car.
In a show full of twists, this one is not something we saw coming and certainly has the capacity to rock the foundation of the plot.
Did Grace Really Die in ‘Bad Sisters’ Season 2?
Anne-Marie Duff confirmed that her character, Grace, did die in the second episode of Bad Sisters season two while speaking with SheKnows.
While chatting with Reshma Gopaldas, Duff revealed when she learned about her character’s fate and how she feels about leaving the show.
“Quite early on, I was aware,” she tells us. “I thought it was a brilliant idea. I think doing something as bold as removing a principal character really frees up so much space inside a story. [It] allows that character’s energy to be absorbed and used by other characters, and they can have similar qualities. And I think it’s just very interesting and exciting.”
There were no hard feelings for Duff who remains in admiration of Horgan’s writing. “I think in anything that’s great for a show is great for an actor,” she said.
Thus, season two sets up a somewhat heartbreaking premise, how will the sisters piece their family back together all while attempting to coverup some of the mess Grace left behind?
Another tension in season two comes in the form of Shaw’s formidable character who comes barging into every episode seemingly hellbent on wreaking havoc on the Garvey sisters’ lives all while also just trying to find her place.
In another episode two twist, Shaw’s Angelica is seen adjusting what appears to be some kind of barbed wire leg brace, a form religious self-harm. Shaw tells us that the device signifies some of her character’s inner demons.
“A cilice, as it’s called in Irish,” she explains. “Is a very, very right wing extreme version of Catholic self-flagellation.”
“The fact that you think underneath someone’s skirt they’re wearing something that hurts them all the time says something about the kind of tortured person that they are,” she adds. Tortured indeed, yet still setting herself up to potentially be the villain of the season, inserting herself where she is not wanted and prying in a way that seems so uniquely Irish.
Through Shaw, the show holds on to a lot of the cultural identity one might fear could be lost once a series finds itself with Emmy nominations and success on an international stage.
“I think everybody knows somebody who takes advantage of a situation,” Shaw tells us of her character’s uniquely familiarity. “So I think we all know them from whatever world you’re in, whether it’s religious world or neighborly world or theater world. So I’ve met, I’ve met versions of Angelica everywhere I’ve gone.”
That said, the Garvey sisters might like to know less of her as fans will see as season two plays out! New episodes of Bad Sisters air every Wednesday through December 23 on Apple TV+.
Before you go, click to see beloved shows Apple TV+ canceled after two seasons or less.
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