‘The Good Daughter’ Review: Meghann Fahy and Rose Byrne Are Feuding Sisters With Endless Baggage in Gripping Peacock Mystery

"The Good Daughter," a six-episode Peacock series based on the 2017 novel by Karin Slaughter, is a tense thriller that follows the lives of sisters Charlotte and Samantha Quinn in the small town of Pikeville, Georgia. The story delves into the aftermath of a single night that fractured their relationships and set them on divergent paths.

Twenty years ago, masked men broke into their home, seeking revenge for a past offense against their father, defense attorney Rusty Quinn. When their father wasn't home, the intruders turned their anger on the rest of the family. Charlotte, played by Meghann Fahy, remains in Pikeville, following Rusty's path as a public defender, while Samantha, portrayed by Rose Byrne, lives in New York, working as a patent lawyer. The sisters have not spoken in years, burdened by deep-seated resentments.

Tragedy strikes again at a school where a student, Kelly (Shayna Benardo), becomes entangled in a quest for revenge. Charlotte, witnessing part of the event, becomes involved in understanding what happened and who is guilty. When Rusty decides to defend Kelly, an intellectually disabled and impoverished teen, Samantha is called home from New York at Rusty's behest to take over Kelly's case.

Charlotte, now a foul-mouthed loose cannon with an affinity for wild animals, and Samantha, the all-knowing older sister torn between duty and the desire to stay away, reunite. Old stubborn streaks are evident, with Charlotte's wild side contrasting Samantha's all-knowing demeanor. The performances are stellar, with Fahy and Byrne delivering riveting and heartbreaking portrayals, respectively. Olivia Williams also shines as the sisters' mother, Harriet, whose absence leaves the sisters emotionally adrift.