Dark Comedy 'SisterS' Swings & Misses But Still Has Heart

Hailed as the Irish Fleabag, SisterS wants to be equal parts caustic, heartfelt, and subversive. But in stretching in so many directions, it flattens itself nearly one-dimensional. SisterS follows two half-sisters in their thirties on a road trip across Ireland in search of their absentee father. Younger sister Sare is bright- eyed and bushy- tailed, despite reeling deep down from the recent death of her mother. She comes to Ireland from Canada after learning that her long-lost father is Irish. There she meets her older sister Suze, who is down-on-her-luck and solves her myriad problems with alcohol.

After much imploring from Sare, the two hop into an old ice cream truck and set out to find their birth father. Along the way, they meet a colorful cast of characters and struggle to find balance in their newfound sisterhood. By the time they reach Galway, where their father lives, everything is not as it seems.

SisterS was created by best friend duo Sarah Goldberg (Barry) and Susan Stanley (Hotel Amenities), who wrote and star in the show as its titular sisters. The story behind the show’s conception is almost more compelling than the show itself. The sisterly opposites-attract dynamic between Suze and Sare, based on the creators’ real-life friendship, is another one of the show’s highlights. They go from screaming at each other to comforting each other in a way familiar to any sister. The actors’ love and respect for each other shines through and makes it easy to root for the characters to reconcile their differences and makes it all the more satisfying when they finally come together.