Bad Sisters is returning to the screens with its second season, two years after debuting on Apple TV+. The Irish black comedy series tells the story of Grace and her four sisters, who plan the murder of her abusive husband.
One key figure in the narrative is Eva Garvey, played by Sharon Horgan, the eldest sister in the family. Eva shares a dark history with Grace’s husband, John Paul. In the first season’s finale, it is revealed that John assaulted Eva in the past.
While John claims that Eva forcibly slept with him, he sexually abused her in reality, which resulted in her pregnancy. Eva suffered a miscarriage and faced fertility issues later on due to the gruesome act by her brother-in-law.
Eva’s assault and pregnancy in Bad Sisters
Eva Garvey is the strong and protective eldest sister in Bad Sisters who has taken care of her four younger siblings since their parents died in a car accident. She has always been there for her sisters, looking after them like a parent since the time they were young.
Her sisters – Grace, Ursula, Bibi, and Becka – all depend on her, especially Grace, who is trapped in an abusive marriage with John. Throughout the first season, Eva faces off against her brother-in-law. While Eva would do anything for her sisters, John does everything he can to break her down.
Eva and John are co-workers at an architectural firm, which further adds to their conflict. As the two look for the same promotion at their job, John sabotages Eva’s career by spreading lies to their boss about her being an alcoholic.
Losing out on this opportunity affects Eva deeply, as her career is one of the things she is proud of. The worst of John’s actions is revealed later when it comes out that he had assaulted Eva ten years earlier, which led to her pregnancy and miscarriage.
After the horrific incident, Eva has to face life-long fertility issues, which also affect her romantic relationships. It leaves her with years of trauma, guilt, and shame. On the other hand, John goes about spreading the lie that Eva had seduced him to sleep with him.
Eva knows what kind of monster John is and is determined to protect Grace from her manipulative husband. When the sisters get together and start planning to kill John, Eva is all in. Her biggest motive is to free Grace and the whole family from his abuse.
Eva’s assault plays an important role in the storyline of Bad Sisters as when Grace realizes Eva never tried to seduce John and that he has been lying and manipulating them all along, she finally takes the plunge and strangles him to death.
After John’s murder, Grace and her daughter move in with Eva, and the sisters become closer than ever. Eva is still the one they look to for support, and the whole family begins to heal together.
Speaking about Eva’s character arc, actress and Bad Sisters co-developer Sharon Horgan said Eva wanted to protect her sister’s feelings, so she kept the truth hidden for years. She stated in an interview with Elle in 2022:
“There’s the sense that to speak the truth clearly could ruin her sister’s marriage and that her whole want in life is a happy family table where she can bring her sisters together. And she would rather an abuser at her table than have an empty space where her sister should be.”
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“And the fallout of telling her sister what really happened seemed bigger and worse than having to hold the truth of what happened. It happens a lot; many women feel like they have to protect their abusers because quite often they’re close to them.”
Bad Sisters season 2 premieres on Apple TV+ on November 13, 2024.
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