Mare of Easttown

2021 ‧ Drama ‧ 1 season (Limited series)

Some shows and movies completely absorb us because of how well they're made. After finishing them, we might feel the urge to talk about them or join online forums to discuss them. "Mare of Easttown" is a limited series that does just that.

Image credits: Amazon Prime

The first episode hooks us for two reasons: the story and Kate Winslet's performance. I’ve watched many of Kate's movies, but she was always Rose from Titanic in my mind. After watching this series, though, that changed for me.

It is difficult to talk about this series without spoilers, but I’ll try my best.

This drama series had been on my watchlist for a long time. I just never got around to watching it until now, three years after it first aired.

Kate’s character, Mare, isn't an action hero or anything like that. She's a detective and a regular person with all the flaws and traits of any human being. The story unfolds in a small town, which is what makes it so interesting. In this town, everyone knows everyone and has a shared history. "Bodkin" is another series that follows a similar style. I find these small town stories very interesting.

As the plot develops, we're introduced to many characters, and they stick in our minds as if we've known them for a long time. Because of the crime in the story, some characters with certain traits might make us suspect they're the culprit. It’s a clear example of how our biases play out and how wrong we are!

I really liked how they developed the scene where Mare simply stares at the “culprit”, making “that person” realize that the secret is out without a word being spoken. It was a powerful moment and reminded me of the final scene in the movie “Memories of Murder,” at least for me.

Mare of Easttown | Memories of Murder (Two scenes where the lead character silently stares at the culprit, conveying everything without words. )

Kate’s character Mare is a strong woman, but she carries many unresolved emotions and pending grief while doing her job as truthfully as she can. Like everyone else, she doesn’t want to talk about it, which complicates her personal and family life.

A quote from Mare of Easttown: “Doing something great is overrated. 'Cause then people expect that from you... all the time. What they don't realize is you're just as screwed up as they are.”

The series concludes with how she tries to overcome her tragedies. In one way or another, everyone needs to face reality and find a way to cope with it. Her interactions with her daughter, mother, ex-husband, friend, daughter-in-law, and grandson, as she begins to settle her mind, show the progress of her character.

A quote from Mare of Easttown: “I was angry... that your father wasn't the person I thought I'd married, and, uh, I was angry that I couldn't fix him, and, uh, took a lot of that out on you. I'm sorry, Mare. Well... I forgive you, Mom. Good. Because I forgave myself a long time ago. Just that's... that's what I wish for you, Marianne. Just that you can forgive yourself. It wasn't your fault. It wasn't your fault.”

There are only seven episodes, each lasting almost an hour. Watch it over the weekend. I think it's definitely worth the time.

Watch trailer | Cast & crew

---

"Presumed Innocent" is another thriller series with some similar plot elements, but it leans more toward being a courtroom or legal drama.

I now want to watch more series and movies featuring Kate Winslet and the other actors from this series. They all did a great job.