Mare delivers a strong resolution

 


On Sunday the latest HBO series, the limited series Mare of Easttown, wrapped up its seven-episode run. The series was created by Brad Ingelsby (The Way Back), who wrote all seven episodes, while Craig Zobel (The Leftovers, Westworld) directed all seven. While the series started as a slow burn, I was impressed by the way it concluded and brought this story to life.

The focus was on a detective (Kate Winslet) in a small Pennsylvania town. She is struggling myriad personal issues stemming from the death of her son, and struggling professionally with the case of a missing girl she couldn't solve. When another young girl in town turns up murdered, the pressure for everything becomes amplified.

The series had a good hook and a good supporting cast, but mostly it came down to Winslet, the character of Mare and the emotional resonance of the story. These kind of crime shows draw viewers in, and while you need to land the case in the end, it's the characters and the emotions they draw out that put them over-the-top.

True Detective, one of the most famous of the formula on HBO, nailed the mood and emotional resonance of the characters but couldn't quite nail the central mystery. One of my favorites of the genre was the first season of Broadchurch, which beautifully nailed both aspects. When the finale happened, it was a total emotional gut punch, and star Olivia Colman delivered it beautifully.

Mare of Easttown started slowly, introducing the crime central to the plot only at the end of the pilot episode. Each episode ended with a twist until, by the season's fifth episode, you were left with your jaw on the floor. I wondered what it could offer as a conclusion, but I was pleasantly surprised with what we got in the finale. Like other great examples of the genre before it, Ingelsby delivered a solid resolution to the mystery, but even more importantly delivered emotional resonance for Mare (Winslet) and the rest of the central characters.

And like the best of the genre, it was buoyed by a great lead performance. The grace with which Winslet plays the dawning realization of who committed the crime, and brings it home is a beautiful thing to behold. The series benefitted from great supporting work from actors like Jean Smart and Evan Peters throughout its run, but particularly from Julianne Nicholson in the finale.

I don't know if there are plans to continue, but honestly I'd be happy leaving Mare of Easttown as a beautiful limited series. Often following up on these stories falls short (see the second and third seasons of Broadchurch as an example). For now, I'm going to sit back and appreciate one of the best series to air in 2021 so far.

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