Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Sisters’ On Netflix, An Australian Dramedy About The Aftermath Of A Genetic Mix Up

Netflix’s new original show Sisters is an Australian series that surrounds the fallout of a dramatic revelation about the genetic origins of hundreds of adults. Three half sisters discover their relationship for the first time and try to navigate what exactly genetics have to do with family. This show has a fascinating premise, but will it get bogged down in the details?

SISTERS: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: In bright pink letters across the screen, we see the name: Julia. Presumably she is one of the titular sisters. She is frantically running around a small apartment, trying to tame a mess of wild curls and wriggle her way into some beige panty-hoes.

The Gist: Julius Bechly is a Nobel prize winning scientist and fertility expert. He is very sick and old and has his daughter, Julia, caring for him. When he suddenly releases an open letter stating that over the years he substituted his own sperm in hundreds of IVF procedures, all hell breaks loose. Julia, who is played by Australian actress Maria Angelico, attempts to make sense of this revelation by inviting all of her new siblings to a pseudo-reunion.

Among her new family is her estranged childhood friend, an ex lover, and a self obsessed children’s entertainer. However, among the presumably hundreds of children, only three were girls. The sisters. Besides Julia, there is the children’s performer, Roxy (Lucy Durack) who, fresh from a stint at rehab, acts more like the kids she performs for than a 30 year old women. The third sis, Edie (Antonia Prebble), is a lawyer and former best friend of Julia. A boy came between them years ago (as boys so often do) and now there is a bit of awkward air to aire.

All three women’s lives are a bit of a mess even besides the genetic surprise and the show really focuses on the relationship that grows between the sisters themselves.

Our Take: The actresses? Great. The story? Fascinating and relevant (NTY published an article about this exact scenario like last week). The character development? Pretty impressive for a first episode. However, that is not to say that this show is a complete winner.

In the first episode, we meet this dying geneticist, his doting daughter Julia, and her two new sisters Roxie and Edie. We also learn about Edie’s past drama with Julia, the fact that Dr. Bechly kept photos of all of the children he sired, and how Julia’s parents lied to her about the nature and inception of their relationship.

While the pilot was good and kept me interested, I feel that too much was divulged. I am unsure if the plot has anything left to it that will keep the show unique rather than just another comedy drama about unlikely friends having to get along. That is, of course, just a projection so if I were judging solely on the entertainment value of the pilot (which I am), I would be impressed.

Sex and Skin: Way more than expected from a show about estranged siblings. But I guess that’s just how things are in Australia (is that true? I’ve never been). The first episode featured each of the three sisters in a sex scene. One was with her brother, but it is okay because she didn’t know at the time! And another is a particularly sexy lesbian affair fueled by wine and legal jargon. It is nothing past PG-13 but it is still pretty hot.

Parting Shot: The three sisters are all in Julia’s house. It has been a long day and they are having a drink. Rightfully so, Julia is pretty pissed at both of her new siblings but the shot sets us up for a season full of the girls hashing out their differences over glasses (bottles) of wine.

Sleeper Star: Dan Spielman who plays Tim, the young protegee of the now disgraced evil genius of genetics. All three of the leads are lovely but Dan has that ‘hunky foreign nerd who wrestles internally with moral dilemmas’ vibe going on and I am feeling it.

Most Pilot-y Line: “Oh God” “Do you know them?” “Yeah, and I don’t want either of them to be my siblings.”

Our Call: Stream it! At least the first episode. It is witty and emotional and I want to know what happens to the characters! How many more siblings will sleep together?

Watch Sisters on Netflix