Secrets, Sobriety, and Sibling Drama: Breaking Down The Better Sister with The Sober Curator

Hosts Alysse Bryson and Tamar Routly are joined on this episode of The Sober Curator by Dr. Sarah Michaud, Megan Swan, and Amy Liz Harrison to deep-dive (and spoil) Amazon Prime’s “The Better Sister.” Packed with unfiltered opinions, passionate TV fandom, and expert takes on codependency, sisterhood, and substance use representation in the media, the crew unpacks family dysfunction and recovery tropes with their signature humor and honesty. Key takeaway: There’s a lot more to addiction and sobriety on TV than coffee cups in a circle — layers of trauma, secrets, and healing drive this binge-worthy drama. 

Timestamps: 

[00:00] – Alysse’s spoiler warning & reality TV energy 

[01:00] – Introducing the panel: Dr. Sarah, Megan, and Amy 

[02:10] – Summary and setup of “The Better Sister” 

[07:55] – Fashion moments: the infamous white dress 

[12:00] – Family dysfunction & codependency, Dr. Sarah’s take 

[14:28] – Who's the real “better sister”? Exploring character depth 

[16:58] – Recovery “porn,” AA tropes, and honesty in addiction depictions 

[20:51] – Romance and “13th-stepping” in recovery settings 

[24:46] – Dysfunction, secrets, and lived experience on screen 

[31:47] – The stepson’s storyline and family secrets 

[33:31] – Most shocking moments & final thoughts 

[33:58] – Sobees scores: panel ratings 

[38:19] – The Sober Curator's future TV picks & the ‘chotchke’ showdown 

Resources & Links: 

-"The Better Sister" review on The Sober Curator 

-More TV show recs from The Sober Curator 

-Book: "The Better Sister" by Alafair Burke 

-Meet the Contributors 

-Alcohol + Substance Use Disorder Guide 

-Recovery Nonprofit Resource Guide 

-LBGTQ+ Recovery Resource Guide 

Connect with Us: 

-Website: www.thesobercurator.com  

-Facebook: @The Sober Curator 

-Instagram: @thesobercurator 

-X: @thesobercurator 

-YouTube: @thesobercurator 

-Pinterest: @thesobercurator 

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About: 

Sobriety isn’t the end of the party—it’s just the start of a better one. Hosted by Alysse Bryson, media powerhouse and sobriety’s ultimate hype woman, and joined by Sober Curator contributors, The Sober Curator Podcast* delivers bold convos, pop culture deep dives, and zero-proof living that doesn’t suck. Whether you're sober, sober-curious, or just looking for good vibes without the hangover, we’ve got you covered. Subscribe now—because getting sober matters, staying sober matters more. 

The intro and outro music for this episode is proudly featured with permission from Avatari. All rights reserved to the original creators. For more of their work, check out his website: https://www.avatariworld.com/music. 

*The Sober Curator Podcast is a space for open and honest conversations about