I have to admit; I didn’t intend on watching this series, but am beyond pleasantly surprised with HBO’s Mare of Easttown, a murder mystery/drama series set in a small town outside of Philadelphia. The first thing you notice is the backdrop and its stark realism. The town emits a blue collar essence we can often trace to older suburbs where change still happens slowly and families live for generations. Every character is a person you could know, every scene one you could relate to until bad things start to happen. And even then, the scenes are absolutely believable, though hopefully not something you’ll ever have to ever relate to. I love a great escape through tv and cinema, but it was the reality of the story that had my mind wrapped around the characters, trying to undo the perpetually twisting plot.
Kate Winslet is phenomenal and memorable as Mare, a small town detective dealing with tragedy both in her personal life and her career. Her, at times, joyless existence is essential to the portrayal of a human who doesn’t live in a happy world, but one where people struggle with real problems, where she is determined to help make an honest, if not positive impact despite the cost to herself. And with at least one murder to solve, and multiple relationships to contend with, the cost will be high.
The supporting cast surrounding Kate Winslet is so large, you could not carry enough awards for all the exceptional performances. While the plot and cast are a bit of an effort to keep up with, the creators do a fantastic job of linking all the aspects of her life, Easttown and the series’ exceptional plot to each other.
Evan Peters plays Colin Zabel, an accomplished, yet humble detective from another department, assigned to the case. Peters, whether in humor or horror, is as diverse an actor as I have seen and he thrives in the depths of his character’s humanity. In a homicide detective’s harsh world, he shines as an amulet of kindness and patience with just the right amount of determination to make him a bit more real than Columbo.
I can compliment the entire cast for their inspired portrayals, but I must single out Jean Smart for her part as Helen Fahey, Mare’s mother. The veteran puts on a performance of both comic relief and sincerity that runs the obstacle course of emotions an actor can display in a single role.
The plot itself is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. So, I like Churchill quotes. It fits. The storyline weaves smoothly from one frontier of Mare’s life, tying her personal and professional threads tighter from her past, through bombshell discoveries that make you rethink your entire host of theories, until you actually believe you have solved the riddle. And then there’s more. And even more after that. Upon completing the series, I didn’t really crave more like I have with so many other bingeables. Instead, I felt as if I had got up from Thanksgiving dinner, utterly full, thoroughly satisfied and needing to digest. I probably could have used a nap, too.
I apologize if you were hoping for more details, but I try to give as little away as possible and always happy to discuss a show or movie once I know I’m not spoiling it. If you’re looking for a happy-pick-me-up type of series, this is not it. If you’re looking for something grittier, with multidimensional, flawed, yet genuinely human characters all tied to an evolving mystery, this is for you. SoL gives Mare of Easttown a solid 8.6 out of 10.
