Bad Sisters – Season 2 Episode 2 “Penance” Recap & Review

Penance

In Bad Sisters Season 2 Episode 2, the sisters check on Grace following Ian’s departure. Before Bibi joins them, Nora asks her not to miss their appointment today: “Don’t run away.”

Eventually, Grace comes out and tells them about the discovery of George’s body. She doesn’t know that her sisters already knew about his being murdered. She’s more concerned with the detective digging into her insurance claim. And she’s worried about Roger, confessing that he helped her move the body.

Without Grace’s knowing, the sisters then find Roger at a pub. They beg him not to go to the guards, asking him to be strong for Grace’s sake. Suddenly, Bibi remembers she’s supposed to be at the clinic.

Meanwhile, Angelica finds Grace praying at church. She tells her she knows she killed John Paul because Roger told her everything. She wants her to talk to her so she can understand. Grace says she can’t now but promises to call her later.

Houlihan and Loftis search for the Claffin brothers without any luck. They then learn from the autopsy that John Paul likely chopped up his father’s body with a hacksaw.

Houlihan learns that Grace inherited the Williams property after JP’s death. Loftus says it’s no wonder she withdrew her insurance claim.

Later, the sisters learn Ian has been gone for two days. Blanaid blames Grace for running off Ian and before that, her dad.

The detectives come by to pressure Grace, telling her it’s highly unlikely JP killed himself, as she told them. The detectives’ presence is made somewhat funnier when we learn that Ursula and Loftis have a slight dating history.

Digging around in Grace’s bathroom, Becka finds what she thinks to be Ian’s phone. Ursula discovers blood on clothes in Grace’s washing machine. She wonders if it has to do with Ian’s disappearance.

Although Grace has been ignoring her calls, Angelica won’t be brushed off. She talks to Grace at Blanaid’s match. Grace yells at her that she’s suffocating her before storming off, which both Blanaid and Bibi notice.

Nora tries to comfort Angelica, assuring her that something’s going on with the Garveys and it’s nothing to do with her. Angelica spills information she learned while eavesdropping: that Bibi had trouble connecting with Ruben in the first two years, which Nora didn’t know about.

She tells Bibi they’re not going forward with having children and asks Bibi to be honest with herself about what she wants.

Finally, the sisters decide to confront Grace about her jumpy behavior and Ian’s departure. Grace tells them to leave, raising her voice until they listen to her. Ursula leaves her with pills she stole from work to calm her down.

Based on their findings, the police chief tells the detectives to get a warrant and search Grace’s place.Grace leaves the house at night and calls Eva for her help. Shortly after, she crashes her car.

Eva breaks into tears when the police show up at her place with Blanaid in the backseat. What else could that mean but Grace’s death?

The Episode Review

Considering how uptight and self-righteous Angelica seems as a person, I’m surprised she didn’t go directly to the cops with her findings. But her role in all this adds a much more sinister feeling. Like Roger, she seems to have been holding information over Grace. But where Roger did this for crumbs of friendships, her motives seem much more complicated. And she’s definitely going to be bothering the other Garvey sisters now that she’s seen them acting suspiciously with Roger.

The sisters’ suspicions of Grace just don’t check out. I mean, come one. They know she didn’t kill JP because she has murderous tendencies. She did it because her husband was the devil incarnate. Yet they worry she would kill Ian? Way to show faith in your sis!

Now, what does make sense is Grace’s choice to alienate herself. Considering how much stress she was under and how much trauma she’s sustained, it makes complete sense, and my heart breaks for her.

I just don’t know yet how I feel about the choice to kill her off. I feel like there was so much more to explore with her character, and I’m hoping this won’t be a case of the “easier” choice being taken. Time will tell whether the decision was right for this story. It does at least get something right, however–and that’s to drive home the message that abuse can have long-lasting effects. Even after that prick died, he was still harming Grace.