Bad Sisters – Person of Interest

By starrymag | December 3, 2024

By: Kelly Kearney

 

 

“The Prick” is gone, but the Garvey sisters are still drowning in chaos, and they all agree: Angelica– the relentless blackmailer, is the new villain they must overcome. Unlike her mild-mannered brother Roger, Angelica has wormed her way into their family, feeding on their secrets and turning their lives upside down. The sisters are determined to expose her and uncover what Grace was running from before her tragic death. But no matter how hard they try, the past keeps pulling them back, with one roadblock after another. Meanwhile, Becka’s world takes a sharp turn with shocking news she never expected, adding even more turmoil to an already tragic and painful mix.

The Garvey Girls Plus One

The episode opens in a packed club where Becka (Eve Hewson) watches Matt Clafflin’s (Daryl McCormack) band, Exile in Ballymun, light up the stage. The camera shifts to off-duty Detective Houlihan (Thaddea Graham), who’s got her eye on Becka. When she spots the youngest Garvey sister, Houlihan wastes no time calling her boss, Detective Fergal Loftus (Barry Ward). “Looks like I was right,” she says, confident that Becka and Matt were romantically involved. The discovery raises new suspicions about Grace (Anne-Marie Duff) rejecting JP’s life insurance payout and why Matt’s business conveniently folded after JP’s death.

Loftus, stuck in a meeting, tells Houlihan to keep a low profile and observe, but she ignores his advice. Instead, Houlihan confronts Becka directly, blowing the investigation wide open by declaring her a “Person of Interest” in JP’s reopened murder case. Becka doesn’t respond; she bolts outside, panic-stricken, like she might vomit. That’s where Matt finds her, leaning against a wall, trying to hold herself together.

Matt’s no fool—he noticed Houlihan in the crowd and now realizes she’s a cop. He’s worried too, but when Becka snaps at him, their conversation quickly turns into an argument about their past. She demands to know why he showed up at Grace’s funeral, but he counters with his own question about her showing up at his gig. It turns out they had the same motive: making sure the other was sticking to their story.There are still some hard feelings with how their relationship ended but one thing is clear, their chemistry is still electric. Matt, Might be involved and keeping quiet about JP’s murder and subsequent cover-up but he doesn’t know everything. He was unaware of George’s body in the suitcase or how deeply the police are digging into JP’s murder, but he knows enough to feel like he’s in too deep. “I risked everything for you,” he says angrily, only for Becka to coldly reply, “Yeah, well, my sister’s dead now, so you shouldn’t have bothered.” She walks off, seemingly numb to the chaos her life has become, but Matt is furious, and yells after her that he’s done covering for her.

The next scene shifts to a pharmacy, where the reason for Becka’s nausea becomes clear: she might be pregnant. She doesn’t just grab one test; she buys the entire shelf, taking it all home to her sweet, sleepy boyfriend, Joe (Peter Claffey). This  man is everything Matt isn’t—steady, playful, and downright lovable, with a dash of charm that makes him seem like the perfect partner to start a family with. But Becka doesn’t wake him up or tell him the results. Her expression says it all: another Garvey may be on the way.

Later, Becka joins her sisters for their weekly frozen swim, but something—or rather, someone—catches her eye. Angelica (Fiona Shaw), the nosy volunteer, is on the beach, conveniently picking up trash nearby. “Oi!” Becka shouts to her sisters, who instantly know trouble is brewing. Wherever they go, Angelica seems to follow.

The sisters charge toward her, finally confronting the woman whose meddling and blackmail have pushed them to the edge. Each of them accuses Angelica of playing a role in Grace’s downfall, but the tension spikes when Ursula (Eva Birthistle) tries to pin Grace’s death specifically on her. Angelica’s response is venomous, firing back with pointed jabs about Ursula’s drug use. Becka jumps in on the verbal warfare and sarcastically calls Angelica a “stage 5 clinger” who wormed her way into Grace’s life to dig up dirt. The sisters suspect that Angelica blackmailed Grace into revealing details about JP’s death, which might explain why she drained her bank accounts before the accident. Angry by their finger pointing, Angelica deflects their accusations by turning the tables with sharply pointed yet careful words that masterfully twist things to put the blame on them.

When Bibi (Sarah Greene) presses harder, Angelica snaps. “Grace’s death was from shame, and that’s on you—not me,” she hisses. She accuses the sisters of abandoning Grace during her marriage to JP and failing to support her after the murder. Her biting words leave the Garvey sisters shaken, forcing them to face their own guilt while realizing they’re up against a manipulator who knows exactly how to hit where it hurts.

The scene ends with Becka declaring she’s had enough and suggests breaking into Angelica’s house to dig up dirt on her, and the other sisters reluctantly agree to let her lead the charge. But Eva (Sharon Horgan) notices something off about Becka—she’s extra emotional, and when questioned, she dodges the topic. “If you’re not coming with me, I’ll do it myself,” Becka says, determined to take matters into her own hands.

Breaking in

The sisters are all on board with Becka’s plan—except Eva, who’s tied up with Blanaid’s (Saise Quinn) field hockey game–leaving Becka, Bibi, and Ursula to execute the mission on their own. The plan is straightforward: Ursula will keep watch at the church, where Angelica is expected to attend choir practice. Once practice is over, Ursula will signal Bibi and Becka, giving them the heads up with plenty of time to get out of the house.

Things immediately take a turn when Eva, at the hockey match, spots Angelica on the sidelines talking with Blanaid. Apparently, Angelica “just dropped by” to check on how the teenager is coping with her mother’s death. Eva’s instincts tell her something isn’t right about this interaction, but before she can dig deeper, the game begins, and the two women part ways. Later, we see Eva cheering for Blanaid alongside Ian (Owen McDonnell), her late sister Grace’s husband. Their relationship is starting to shift—there’s a subtle closeness forming between them, especially given Ian’s knowledge of what the sisters did to JP.

While Angelica is distracted at the game, Becka and Bibi camp out near her house, waiting for her brother, Roger (Michael Smiley), to leave. Simultaneously, Ursula confirms Angelica has just arrived at choir practice and the coast seems clear. Bibi and Becka proceed to break in, clumsily entering through a kitchen window and begin rifling through the house, looking for clues to explain Angelica’s obsession with their family. Upstairs, they stumble upon a bedroom decorated for a young teenager—pink walls, fluffy pillows, the works. The room looks eerily specific and then they notice a jacket draped over a chair with Blanaid’s name stitched into the label. Their confusion quickly turns to dread. What is Angelica planning for their niece, and why is she decorating a room for her?

Back at the church, Ursula’s watch is interrupted by an awkward encounter with Roger, who catches her lingering outside. He flirts with her in a way that’s as insulting as it is pathetic, comparing her to Grace and suggesting she’s his “runner-up” choice. Before Ursula can stew in her offense, she gets an emergency call and rushes to the hockey field;  Blanaid got into a fight and intentionally struck her cousin with her hockey stick, knocking out the girl’s teeth. Blanaid shows no remorse, and tensions flare when Ursula arrives and she snaps at Eva, who offers to pay for anything her daughter might need. The incident creates a fissure in their tightly knit bond, with Blanaid at the center of it all and Ursula not keen on grief being the teen’s excuse for hurting her child.

Meanwhile, back at Angelica’s house, things are escalating quickly. While Becka searches, she’s overcome with nausea and dashes to the bathroom to throw up right when Angelica returns home unexpectedly. Ursula’s failure to warn them leaves Becka and Bibi scrambling, but the older sister manages to slip out undetected; Becka isn’t so lucky. She’s forced to shove past Angelica to escape. Even though she keeps her hood up, she’s convinced the woman saw her face.

Once free, Bibi reveals she grabbed something on her way out: a pet bunny rabbit from the bedroom. It seems trivial, but it’s a clear sign that Angelica’s obsession with Blanaid runs deeper than they thought, so the freaked out Bibi lets the rabbit go.

While all the sisters are preoccupied with Angelica, Detective Houlihan is back at the station piecing together the Garvey sisters’ timeline around JP’s death. She discovers that all four sisters were staying in a hotel near the location where his body was found. Coincidence? She doesn’t think so, but her boss, Det. Loftus brushes off her theories, leaving her frustrated and more determined than ever.

After the break-in, the sisters regroup at Eva’s house, where they explain to Ian what they found. When Bibi pulls out evidence from the pink bedroom—the coat labled with Blanaid’s name—both Eva and Ian look horrified. They recount Angelica’s interaction with Blanaid earlier in the day, and the pieces start to fall into place. But before they can figure out her endgame, there’s a knock at the door and it’s the police. Angelica has reported Becka for breaking and entering–she did see her face and is now claiming the woman injured her in the escape. The officers arrest Becka on the spot, dragging her out of the house and down to the station. The sisters are left reeling from the arrest, as they can’t lose Becka after they just lost Grace.

Jailbird Baby

The interrogation is a frustrating stalemate for Detective Houlihan,as the youngest Garvey sister keeps her answers short, only pausing to complain about her growling stomach and a request for some food. It’s a stall tactic, buying time for Eva, who springs into action to protect her sister the only way she knows how–by inviting Angelica over to beg her to drop the charges..

After Roger revealed that JP’s murder wasn’t just an act of self-defense—but the man had previously raped Eva and tormented her over it, Angelica has sympathy for Eva and knows that man was a monster. Armed with this new context to their crimes, Angelica arrives at the sisters’ house—neck brace and all—expecting another hostile confrontation, but instead, Eva greets her with unexpected warmth. Eva practically begs her, explaining that the family has already lost Grace and can’t bear to lose Becka, too. A deal is on the table: drop the charges in honor of Grace, and the sisters will pay her to stay silent about everything.

That’s when Angelica surprises them with a counteroffer: she will let Becka go if they agree to let her be the one to scatter Grace’s ashes. It’s an outrageous request, but Eva senses that Angelica’s connection to Grace might be genuine beneath all the manipulation. Reluctantly, Eva has little choice but to agree.

And it’s a good thing too because Detective Houlihan just informed Becka that she’s facing 10 years to life if they can connect her to JP’s murder. The interrogation grows tense when Becka nearly slips up, but just as the walls begin to close in, Angelica drops the charges. Eva arrives at the station to pick up her sister, and Becka, exhausted and emotional, finally breaks down. In the car, she confesses something she hasn’t told anyone: she’s pregnant, and begs Eva to keep it a secret. After a brief moment of comfort, Becka slips away on her own, needing space to process everything.She ends up at Matt Clafflin’s house, seeking solace which turns into a surprising kiss that isn’t entirely romantic. Instead, it evolves into a deeply comforting, mostly platonic cuddle as Matt listens without judgment, offering Becka a rare sense of safety in her chaotic world. When she’s ready to leave, Becka says goodbye on the porch, only to run into Joe, who’s tracked her down after she ignored his calls and texts.

Joe assumes the worst, confronting Becka and Matt on the spot. Although Becka insists nothing happened, Joe’s anger is palpable. He loves her and is willing to fight for her, but Becka isn’t interested in being anyone’s prize. In a bold move, she breaks up with Joe right then and there, in front of Matt.Joe is left stunned as Becka walks off into the night, carrying the weight of her secrets, and leaving the father of her child—and everyone else—completely in the dark about the new life growing inside her.

Ian Steps Up

Eva, overwhelmed by the events of the day, seeks Ian out late in the evening to fill him in on Angelica, the unsettling bedroom, and Becka’s near miss with jail. Angelica may have claimed that the pink, Blanaid-themed room was meant as a “safe space” for the grieving teenager, but Eva isn’t buying it. She’s certain the woman’s moves are far more sinister.

Speaking of moves, bound by their shared love and responsibility for Blanaid, Ian and Eva have a heartfelt embrace. It’s not romantic—at least not yet—but there’s a deepening connection between them, forged in the wake of Grace’s death. Perhaps it’s that bond that drives Ian’s next move.

Looking more determined than ever, he tracks Angelica down at her choir practice and confronts her outside of the church. His usual calm demeanor is replaced by a wild intensity as he steps close, voice low but menacing, and threatens Angelica, warning her to stay away from Blanaid and the Garvey sisters. For the first time, Angelica seems genuinely unsettled. His intensity unnerves her, and her usual snide comebacks falter. There’s an edge to his threat that suggests Ian might not stop at words if she doesn’t comply. But where did all of this passion to protect come from? The encounter raises questions: Is Ian stepping up to protect Grace’s sisters and Blanaid, or is there a darker, more self-serving agenda behind his actions? Everyone is a suspect except for the Garvey sisters who are trying to hang on to their remaining family while simultaneously grieving the one they’ve lost.