The Better Sister just wrapped up its first season on Prime Video, but is it getting another? And moreover, should it?
Prime Video has joined the growing niche of thriller series, adapting popular novels that are all the rage on streaming services these days. The Better Sister adapts the novel by Alafair Burke and does a good job of capturing the story.
For those who missed it, the series opens with the murder of prominent attorney Adam Macintosh (Corey Stoll). His wife, Chloe Taylor (Jessica Biel), is thrown by it and more so by the arrival of her estranged sister Nicky (Elizabeth Banks). Nicky had been married to Adam before passing out drunk in the pool with their child, Ethan, nearby. The pair divorced with Adam then ending up with Chloe.
The sisters have to face their many issues when Ethan is accused of killing his dad. That leads to revelations about Adam not being that nice a guy and other dark secrets of the sisters before it comes to a stunning conclusion.
It was a powerful end to the show, but does it have (or need) a second season?
Why it’s good The Better Sister is just one season
Without giving away spoilers, the season ended with the main storyline nicely wrapped up. It had good closure for the sisters, the reveal of who the killer was, and an intriguing twist on a “happy ending.”
So far, it doesn’ t sound like Prime Video will give the show a second season. It was always meant to be a limited series, and while reviews have been good, they’re not stellar, and it’s unsure what its viewing numbers are like.
There have been cases where a show intended as a limited series ends up getting a second year, such as Big Little Lies. That likely won’t be the case for The Better Sister, which is good as another season isn't really needed.
Sure, there are a couple of minor plot threads hanging like Kim Dickens’s detective still searching for the truth. However, the show closed out the main storyline in a strong fashion, and there was not really any need to continue. It’s hard to imagine that somehow these two sisters find themselves in another murder case, and letting this story lie is best.
Burke didn’t write a sequel to the book and if she doesn’t think the story has to be continued, it’s unlikely Prime Video will either. If anything, they’d probably want to adapt another of Burke’s novels for a new series rather than drag this story out more.
The show wasn’t a bad watch even if not as compelling as other big dramas out there. Biel and Banks made for a good pair of leads although it can be argued that the show suffered pulling the story out to eight episodes.
Some stories simply work better in a limited series format without dragging things out for another year. The Better Sister is one of them as it should stand on its own as a good binge-worthy thriller instead of a second season that can’t be as good and so it’s better Prime Video doesn’t give it another year.
The Better Sister streaming on Prime Video.
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