![]() ![]() The final two episodes were not made available for review, so we can’t know how well the twisty crime story pays off. Jean Smart in “Mare of Easttown” Michele K. Its structure also mirrors the better seasons of Nic Pizzolatto’s anthology drama, balancing her tumultuous personal life with dozens of juicy clues meant to tease the audience as well as Mare herself, even if a few too many prove to be red herrings (or red Mare-ings?). HBO’s “True Detective” is all over “Easttown,” from its angry, brooding, not-entirely-by-the-book lead detective to the semi-rural setting that’s both atypical and spooky. Once the mystery kicks in, viewers may feel a familiar rush from other female-led detective dramas like the BBC/Netflix series “Happy Valley” or SundanceTV’s “Top of the Lake.” However, “Mare of Easttown” leans heavily into genre elements familiar to another hit series closer to home. Thus is the power of a great cast (courtesy of casting director Avy Kaufman) given a meticulous world to play in credit to Ingelsby, who grew up in the area, and Zobel, for knowing what details to hone in on without overindulging. Mare’s omnipresent family and her routine consumption of delectable junk is enough to make you crave more boring days in the life of this local cop, instead of checking your watch, wondering when the murders will start. But Mare is no Mildred (even if it’s fun to think of them swapping shows): She passes grandson Andrew off to her teenage daughter Siobhan (Angourie Rice) while Mare flops down in a kitchen chair next to her rabble-rousing mother Helen (Jean Smart), who’s busy hosting their local priest, who’s also Mare’s cousin, Father Dan (Neal Huff).Īs Mare reaches into the fridge behind her for a Rolling Rock and swirls Cheez Whiz like soft-serve into the cap, one can’t help but delight in every detail. When she returns home, the grind-it-out detective morphs into a single mom and grandmother bombarded by domestic responsibilities. ![]() ![]() Mare, who knows everyone in town, knows the family, knows the brother, and soon reluctantly engages in a huffing-and-puffing pursuit that ends with Mare nursing a sprained ankle and politely requesting he seek out new accommodations. Working from a police sketch of an actual ferret because the victim’s husband couldn’t figure out how to set up a store-bought security camera, Mare moves on to an in-family robbery a woman’s brother stole from her while crashing on the basement couch. First she responds to a complaint phoned in to her personal number, not through the station, about a ferret-faced peeping tom. For nearly an hour, Winslet’s soured cop goes about a typical day protecting Easttown. Winslet’s return to HBO 10 years after her stunning work in “Mildred Pierce” proves to be a worthy, if distinct, follow-up. No matter which aspect of the series grabs you, the first five episodes offer substantial rewards.ĭrugs, Fraud, Whistleblowers, and the Safdies: Inside the 22-Year Journey of HBO’s Bombshell Miniseries ‘Telemarketers’ The first episode is built around introductions, unveiling the murder at the very end, but as the seven-episode limited series pushes forward, the crime drama builds momentum and ends episodes on critical cliffhangers as pressure mounts on Mare. Little happens in the premiere, yet it commands your attention - an achievement in its own right. These local mysteries are the other story, but writer Brad Ingelsby (“The Way Back”), director Craig Zobel (“The Leftovers”), and an impeccable ensemble cast create so many area-specific details you’d be forgiven for forgetting that there are two cases to solve. One friend has already turned against her, and the locals’ agitation only grows when another young girl turns up dead. Decades removed from her high school basketball heroics, she’s a divorced detective who been unable to close a missing person’s case. Mare, an exquisitely Irish name for a woman who’s stubborn, guarded, and nonetheless charming, is a former town patron who’s on the verge of becoming a pariah. One is an absorbing character drama about Mare Sheehan ( Kate Winslet) and the denizens of Easttown, Pennsylvania. “ Mare of Easttown” contains at least two complementary shows, both deeply satisfying. ![]()
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