Bad Sisters Season 2 Episode 3, “Missing,” sees the Garveys grieving in the aftermath of Grace’s death. Goodness gracious, the performances here are award-worthy. It’s a masterclass. The first scene alone made me burst into tears. Everyone brings their A-game, acting-wise, but the sisters soar above them all. Additionally, the depiction of the grief process is so realistic and profoundly relatable. It deftly portrays the rollercoaster of emotions one feels, sometimes bouncing between raucous laughter and uncontrollable tears in the same breath. Just beautiful.
“Missing” also builds on the mystery at the center of this narrative. Ian’s return certainly warrants suspicion, as does Angelica’s manipulative behavior. Plus, they both know Grace’s secret. I’m excited to see what comes next.
RELATED: Read our recap of the previous Bad Sisters episode, “Penance”
Bad Sisters, “Missing”
We open with Ursula (Eva Birthistle) sitting in her car outside Eva’s (Sharon Horgan) house. The moment she sees Eva, she collapses in tears. Eva holds Ursula as Bibi (Sarah Greene) and Becka (Eve Hewson) race outside to embrace their sisters. I’m a mess. After this, they listen to the voicemail Grace (Anne-Marie Duff) left Eva right before she died. “Eva, it’s me. I really need your help. I’m so sorry. Please call me back,” Grace says tearfully.
After this, we see Loftus (Barry Ward) and Houlihan (Thaddea Graham) at the crash site. The detectives realize they spooked Grace. Loftus believes Grace knew they were “on to her, so she bolted.” On the drive back to the station, they trade facts about their families. Houlihan learns that Loftus has a 12-year-old daughter poised to attend secondary school in Australia.
Why Was Grace on That Road?
Later, Ursula cleans up after the sisters eat. Bibi can’t wrap her mind around Grace crashing on a quiet road. Eva, Bibi and Becka believe Grace didn’t drink anything before getting behind the wheel. Bibi reveals that one time, Grace got a contact high during a party and refused to cycle home that night. She wouldn’t even take Paracetamol. This remark sends Ursula racing outside. If you recall, Ursula gave Grace pills to calm her down before leaving her house in episode two.
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Then, Ursula breaks into Grace’s house. She searches for said pills but comes up empty. She returns to Eva’s home. We see Eva chew out someone from work over the phone. When she hangs up, she tells her sisters she put her notice in. Becka asks Ursula if she’s okay. Ursula withdraws inward, afraid to disclose her fear that Grace took those pills, drank alcohol and drove to her death.
Next, Eva gets a phone call asking about Ian’s whereabouts. Since he’s unavailable, the Garvey sisters will have to identify Grace’s body. Ursula volunteers to do this. Before heading into the morgue, Ursula chats with Loftus. She asks if she can see the toxicology report when it’s available. Ursula tries to sweet talk him since they went on a date once. Loftus reminds her that they drunkenly made out, and she called him “Donald” several times. Ursula corrects him: her ex-husband’s name is Donal.
We’re Grieving
Houlihan pivots, asking Ursula if Ian has resurfaced. Ursula recalls what Eva instructed — if they pester her with too many questions, she should say, “We’re grieving.” Hey, it’s the truth. She snaps at Houlihan and Loftus before continuing to the morgue.
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Later, Ursula joins her sisters in picking out a dress for Grace for the service. This outfit selection process culminates in laughs, which brings Blánaid (Saise Quinn) into the room. She asks why they’re laughing and then chooses a garment that’s the opposite of the sisters’ pick. After Blánaid leaves, Eva gets emotional, revealing she wants to “scoop her up.”
On the day of the funeral, the Garvey sisters stand in the first pew of the church. They’ve decided to forgo giving a eulogy. How can you sum up Grace in four paragraphs? Angelica (Fiona Shaw) and Roger (Michael Smiley) offer condolences. Angelica attempts to sit with the Garveys, but Ursula kicks her out, stating that this section is for family. Nora (Yasmine Akram) and Joe (Peter Claffey) sit behind Bibi and Becka. Initially, Blánaid steers clear of the sisters until she gives in, squeezing between Eva and Ursula.
A Blast From the Past
Suddenly, Matt Claffin (Daryl McCormack) waltzes in, taking Becka by surprise. Houlihan notices his arrival and tips off Loftus. The priest opens the service, but he’s unintelligible. Nora reveals that he had a stroke last year. Bibi starts laughing uncontrollably. The other sisters join her. Bibi’s laughter dissolves into tears. This is the first time we’ve seen her cry since Grace’s death, and it’s such a gut-punch of a moment.
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When the priest tells the funeral attendees that now they’ll hear from the Garvey sisters, Roger saves the day. He stands up and starts singing, tears in his eyes. Bibi joins him. If you weren’t bawling before, you sure are now.
After the service, the Garveys thank everyone for attending. Surprisingly, Ian (Owen McDonnell) appears in a suit. The sisters interrogate him. Where has he been all this time? Ian discloses what he knows about John Paul Williams. He knows that Grace killed him. At this point, the detectives conveniently show up. They want to chat with Ian. Ian reveals he was away for a few days at a friend’s house in Kildare. This friend can vouch for him.
Dodgy Ian
Then, Houlihan asks Ian if he knew that Grace and JP were living off the latter’s dead father’s pension for a decade. Ian asks how that pertains to him. He never met JP and only met Grace’s sisters the year before. Ian walks away to join the Garveys. Houlihan and Loftus note that Ian seems dodgy.
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Later, at the wake at Eva’s house, Ian asks the Garvey sisters if they helped Grace kill JP. They insist they only covered up the murder. Eva asks if Ian plans to go to the guards with what he knows. Ian asks for time — time to sit with this. For now, he wants to make sure Blánaid is okay. Ursula separates herself from the group and sits by herself. Angelica joins her. They chat about how Grace was their pal. Angelica mentions that Grace talked about Ursula a lot.
Ursula confides in Angelica about giving Grace pills to calm her down. Angelica claims that nothing done in love is inherently bad. Also, Grace is a nurse. Angelica reveals she knows how JP treated her and what she did to her husband. Uh-oh. Could Angelica divulge her knowledge to the authorities?
Becka and Matt
Next, Houlihan tells Loftus about her research on the Garveys. Did you know Bibi has been a semi-pro poker player for two years? I didn’t, but this totally checks out. Then, Houlihan reveals what she found on Becka. She discovered that Becka used to date Matt Claffin. She could’ve persuaded Matt to throw his brother Thomas off the scent regarding Grace’s insurance claim. After all, Thomas assumed the Garveys killed JP.
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Elsewhere, Ursula meets Angelica outside the camogie pitch, near the building where she leads a grief support group. Earlier, we overhear one woman asking Angelica if Ian would return. Angelica admits she doesn’t know. Angelica not-so-subtly lays it on thick regarding the repairs the building needs. Maybe someone could provide funds for said repairs in exchange for one’s, um, silence. So, Ursula slips an envelope through a door marked, “For Quiet.” Angelica the Wagon knows how to blackmail.
At the same time, Eva stops by Ian’s house and asks why he hasn’t brought Blánaid around hers. Eva has spent a week preparing Blánaid’s room. She adds that Grace mentioned that if anything happened to her and JP, Blánaid would fall under her care. Ian urges Eva to let Blánaid heal for a while. This place is also her home, and he’s still her stepdad. They’ll find a way to work together. Then, Ian teaches Eva a breathing exercise to help assuage her anxiety.
A Lot of Cash
Before Eva leaves to pick up chips for the household, she grabs Grace’s jacket. In the pocket, she finds receipts for various withdrawals. Grace withdrew 20,000 euro on the day she died. Then, she left Blánaid and drove off. Why? Eva reveals her findings to the sisters at the Forty Foot. Ursula panics again and flees. She returns home to Donal (Jonjo O’Neill), asking if she can hang with the kids for a bit. She learns that Ally, Donal’s new girlfriend, is working at the hospital now despite it not being her normal shift.
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So, Ursula races to the hospital. Ally (Deirdre Mullins) catches Ursula. She knows Ursula has been stealing pills. Ursula confesses that the pills were originally for Michael. However, she took one and had the best sleep since childhood. After that, she couldn’t stop. Ally orders Ursula to head home. The hospital will have to conduct an investigation, but Ursula will get to speak her piece. Hopefully, Urs won’t lose her job.
Later, Nadine (Liz Fitzgibbon) confronts Loftus. She wants to know why he hasn’t signed the paperwork necessary for their daughter to attend school in Australia. Houlihan interrupts the family chat with the toxicology report in hand. They decide to visit the Garvey sisters.
The Wagon’s Influence
The detectives inform the Garveys that Grace’s blood was clean. No alcohol, no drugs. Not even prescription medication. Ursula starts sobbing with relief. After Houlihan and Loftus leave, Urs admits that she gave Grace pills to calm her down. She was worried that Grace drank and took them, which could’ve led to her death. The sisters console her. Oh, but before the detectives depart, Houlihan asks Becka about Matt. She claims they never dated.
RELATED: Read our Bad Sisters recaps
Then, Urs tells her sisters that Angelica knows about JP. She’s also blackmailed money out of Ursula for her silence. They all agree that Angelica the Wagon is one to watch. She’s crafty. Bibi insists they must get the guards to look at the right person. “We are the right person,” Eva says.
Meanwhile, Blánaid meets with none other than Angelica, who will undoubtedly sink her claws into the young girl.
This won’t end well.
Bad Sisters drops new episodes every Wednesday on Apple TV+.
Apple Renews CRIMINAL RECORD for Season 2
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What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
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