Sharon Horgan on the Twists, Dark Humor, and Sisterhood of Bad Sisters

When Sharon Horgan set out to adapt the Flemish series Clan into what would become Apple TV+’s Bad Sisters, she wasn’t looking to make just another murder mystery. She wanted to create something layered, a story about family, grief, loyalty, and the strange ways love can push people to extremes.

Horgan, who serves as writer, executive producer, and one of the show’s stars, explained that Bad Sisters is “as much about the sisters’ relationship as it is about the whodunit” that initially set the stage in season 1. At the center is a group of five fiercely loyal Garvey sisters, bound together by a tight bond. She spoke about creating a writers room to explore ideas for a possible follow up season after the success of the show when it first aired.

In speaking about the driving force of the show and its tone she shared that “It’s about balancing the suspense with the emotional beats, making sure the audience is invested in the sisters before the mystery fully unravels.”

Horgan plays Eva, the eldest sister, who takes on the role of protector and occasional ringleader. “Eva’s strength comes from necessity,” Horgan says. “She’s had to be the rock for everyone else, but that also means she struggles to ask for help herself.”

While the premise leans dark, Bad Sisters is full of Horgan’s trademark humor. The comedy, she explains, is what makes the darkness bearable: “The laughs come from recognition, that feeling of, ‘yes, this is grim, but this is also how we survive it.’”

The series also tackles the complexity of family loyalty. The sisters may fight and frustrate each other, but when it comes to protecting one of their own, they’re united. “That’s what I wanted audiences to feel,” Horgan says. “No matter how flawed they are, you’d want them in your corner.”

For Horgan, the show is ultimately about resilience: “It’s about the bonds that survive everything — even murder plots.”

Watch the full conversation below:

Q&A on the Apple TV+ series Bad Sisters with creator/writer/executive producer/actor Sharon Horgan. Moderated by Mara Webster, In Creative Company.

The Garvey sisters are bound together by the premature deaths of their parents and the promises they made to always protect one another.