The Better Sister is a somewhat decent portrayal of how a tumultuous sibling connection can bring their worlds down: Here's why

The Better Sister highlights the messy relationship between two estranged sisters, using their fractured bond as the very thread that gets the show going, with everything happening around them.

While its murder mystery may waver in focus, the emotional chaos seen in sisterhood remains the strongest undercurrent.

What starts as a crime thriller slowly reveals itself as a story of two women whose shared past is just as dangerous as the present they're navigating. That's where the show finds its pulse, even if not always consistently.

Disclaimer: This article contains the writer's opinion. Readers’ discretion is advised.

Sisters torn by time, trauma, and one devastating night

The Better Sister, based on the book by Alafair Burke, centers around Chloe, a polished magazine editor with a seemingly perfect life, and her older sister Nicky, who crashes back into her world after Chloe's husband is found murdered. Their connection, long buried and hidden under betrayal, comes up again to the surface at the worst possible moment.

But instead of rekindling support, it turns into something even darker. What elevates this chaos is not the crime itself, but the way the sisters' messy history shapes everything that follows after, including suspicion, media being on their backs, and even their teen son Ethan, who somehow becomes a link between past and present.

Both Chloe and Nicky have had their share of life with Adam, with Chloe as his wife, Nicky as his ex. That overlap isn't just awkward; it's explosive. Through flashbacks and sharp confrontations, we're shown how deeply their lives were intertwined, and how pain, when left to simmer, can infect everything.

Their sibling tension doesn't just sit in the background, but rather it is the fuel that keeps the motive burning, even when the actual plot starts to thin.

When closeness cuts deeper than the crime in The Better Sister

What makes The Better Sister intriguing, if not always gripping, is how it uses this sibling fallout to shape its tone. Chloe and Nicky aren't written as opposites, but they're mirrors cracked in different places. Chloe seems to be composed but hides layers of fear and guilt.

Nicky, on the other hand, wears her chaos, but underneath? Underneath is a woman who has been carrying more than her share of blame. When they are finally thrown into the same space, their conversations are filled with bitterness and buried truths that feel more scary and threatening than the actual investigation.

Even though the mystery of Adam's death drives the show forward, it is often sidelined by courtroom theatrics and unrelated subplots. What holds attention is the emotional push-and-pull between these sisters. Their fights sting not because of clever writing, but because of how real their resentment feels. These aren't just arguments, but they are wounds being reopened.

While the show sometimes loses its balance trying to juggle too many threads, it's this brutal honesty between Chloe and Nicky that gives The Better Sister its occasional strength.

The Better Sister may be shaky in its storytelling, but when it focuses on the damage two sisters can do to each other and themselves, that is where the show finds its clarity.

Their bond isn't just complicated, it is destructive, and the show's best moments come when it lets that truth take the spotlight.

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