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Mare of Easttown

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Mare of Easttown
Kate Winslet as Mare Sheehan
Official poster
GenreCrime drama
Created byBrad Ingelsby
Written byBrad Ingelsby
Directed byCraig Zobel
Starring
Music byLele Marchitelli
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes6
Production
Executive producers
ProducerKaren Wacker
CinematographyBen Richardson
Editors
  • Amy E. Duddleston
  • Naomi Sunrise Filoramo
Running time57–60 minutes
Production companies
  • Zobot Projects
  • Mayhem Pictures
  • Juggle Productions
  • Low Dweller Productions
  • wiip
Original release
NetworkHBO
ReleaseApril 18, 2021 (2021-04-18) –
present (present)

Mare of Easttown is an American crime drama miniseries created by Brad Ingelsby that premiered on HBO on April 18, 2021.[1] It stars Kate Winslet as a detective investigating a murder in a small town near Philadelphia. The ensemble cast includes Jean Smart, Guy Pearce, Julianne Nicholson, Angourie Rice, David Denman, Evan Peters and John Douglas Thompson. All seven episodes were directed by Craig Zobel.

Premise

In the suburbs of Philadelphia, a detective named Mare Sheehan (Kate Winslet) investigates the recent murder of a teenage mother while trying to keep her own life from falling apart. Mare is a local hero, having been the star of a high-school basketball championship game 25 years ago. She has also been trying to solve the case of another missing young girl for a year, leading many in the community to doubt her detective skills. Her personal troubles include a divorce, a son lost to suicide, and an ex-heroin addict daughter-in-law battling for custody of Mare's grandson.[2]

Cast

Main

Supporting

  • Kate Arrington as Faye, Frank's fiancee.
  • Ruby Cruz as Jess Riley, Erin's best friend.
  • Sasha Frolova as Missy Sager, an escort.
  • Connie Giordano as Patty Del Rasso, Brianna's mother.
  • Enid Graham as Dawn Bailey, an Easttown resident whose daughter, Katie, has been missing for over a year.
  • Dominique Johnson as Freddie Hanlon, Beth's opioid-addicted brother.
  • Izzy King as Drew Sheehan, Mare's grandson, born to her son Kevin and his girlfriend Carrie Layden.
  • Cody Kostro as Kevin Sheehan, Mare's late son who committed suicide prior to the events of the series.
  • Mackenzie Lansing as Brianna Del Rasso, Dylan's girlfriend.
  • Kiah McKirnan as Anne Harris, a DJ at the high school radio show where Siobhan's band performs.
  • Kassie Mundhenk as Moira Ross, Lori and John's daughter who has Down's syndrome.
  • Cameron Mann as Ryan Ross, Lori and John's son.
  • Patrick McDade as Glen Carroll, Betty's husband.
  • Eric T. Miller as Tony Del Rasso, Brianna's father, a restaurant owner.
  • Jack Mulhern as Dylan Hinchey, Erin's ex-boyfriend.
  • Patrick Murney as Kenny McMenamin, Erin's abusive, alcoholic father.
  • Chinasa Ogbuagu as Beth Hanlon, Freddie's sister and Mare and Dawn's close friend.
  • Drew Scheid as Geoff Gabeheart, one of Siobhan's friends.
  • Phyllis Somerville as Betty Carroll, an elderly Easttown resident.
  • Robbie Tann as Billy Ross, John's brother and Lori's brother-in-law.
  • Madeline Weinstein as Becca, Siobhan's stoner girlfriend.

Production

Development

In January 2019, it was reported that Brad Ingelsby, creator of the limited series, would write all episodes, with Gavin O'Connor directing. Executive producers include Ingelsby, O'Connor, Kate Winslet, Paul Lee, Mark Roybal, and Gordon Gray.[5][6][7] In January 2020, it was announced that Craig Zobel would replace O'Connor as director due to scheduling issues and also serve as executive producer.[8]

Casting

It was announced in January 2019 that Kate Winslet had been cast to star in the HBO miniseries that would be filmed on-location in suburban Philadelphia.[9] In September 2019, the cast was rounded out with Julianne Nicholson, Jean Smart, Angourie Rice, Evan Peters, Cailee Spaeny and David Denman.[10] John Douglas Thompson, Patrick Murney, Ben Miles, Katie Kreisler, James McArdle, Sosie Bacon, Joe Tippett, Neal Huff were cast in October 2019.[11] In February 2021, it was announced that Guy Pearce joined the cast, replacing Miles in his role. In the same month, Mackenzie Lansing, Kate Arrington, Ruby Cruz, James Easter Bradford, Elisa Davis, Enid Graham, Justin Hurtt-Dunkley, Izzy King, Jack Mulhern, Anthony Norman, Drew Scheid, and Madeline Weinstein were cast in the limited series.[12][13]

Filming

Filming of the show began in the fall of 2019 around suburban Philadelphia and was reported to still be in progress as of March 2020, with plans to continue through April.[9][14] However, production was shut down early due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[15] In early September 2020, a Philadelphia news station reported that filming was set to resume within the month.[16]

Because the story is set in a fictionalized version of Easttown Township in Chester County, Pennsylvania, where series creator Brad Ingelsby was born (the show moves the location east to adjacent Delaware County), there were discussions about whether to use the "Delco accent", a version of Philadelphia English common in Delaware County. It was Winslet who insisted that the accent be used, despite being a particularly difficult accent to learn, because she felt the community itself was an important character in the story, and the authentic accent would help emphasize that.[17] “There were a lot of things I could have really leant into that would have made it sound like I was doing something a bit gimmicky and I didn’t want that to happen,” Winslet said. “So I just had to drill it and drill it and drill it.”[18] She claimed that learning the accent was so difficult that it caused her to "throw things".[19]

Filming locations include a train station and high-school gymnasium in Coatesville, Pennsylvania (a city in Chester County) and an American Legion hall in Ogden, a community in Delaware County.[20] Inglesby has said that many of the filming locations were around Aston Township, in Delaware County.[21] Winslet reportedly said that, while filming the show, she became obsessed with Wawa convenience stores. “Wawa was a big part of my life for well over a year,” she said.[21] Wawa stores were used as scouting locations for the production's costume designers.[22]

Episodes

No.TitleDirected by [23]Written by [5]Original air date [24]U.S. viewers
(millions)
1"Miss Lady Hawk Herself"Craig ZobelBrad IngelsbyApril 18, 2021 (2021-04-18)0.600[25]
In the small community of Easttown, Detective Mare Sheehan is ordered to reopen the year-old investigation into the disappearance of young Katie Bailey when the girl's mother, Dawn, complains on the news about the unsolved case. Adding to Mare's frustrations, her ex-husband Frank is remarrying and has invited Mare's whole family including her mother Helen, teenage daughter Siobhan, and 4-year-old grandson Drew to his engagement party, held on the same night Mare and her high school basketball teammates are being honored for the 25th anniversary of their state championship win. At the anniversary celebration, Mare meets Richard, an author who has recently moved to the area, and they end up having sex. Meanwhile, Erin McMenamin, a teenage single mother who lives with her drunken, abusive father Kenny, argues with her baby's father Dylan and his new girlfriend Brianna when they come to get the baby for a weekend visit. Erin is later lured into the woods and beaten by Brianna in front of Dylan and other teenagers. Mare's daughter Siobhan sees the fight and rescues Erin, who walks away into the woods alone. The next morning, Erin's dead body, nearly naked and with a large head wound, is found in a local creek.
2"Fathers"Craig ZobelBrad IngelsbyApril 25, 2021 (2021-04-25)0.735[26]
Mare responds to the call about Erin's body and notifies Kenny, who blames Dylan. Against Mare's wishes, young county detective Colin Zabel, known for recently solving a nearby cold case, is brought in to help investigate both Erin's murder and Katie Bailey's disappearance. Under interrogation, Dylan denies killing Erin, but omits important details of their last encounters. A grieving Kenny later abducts and shoots Dylan. Cell phone video of Brianna's attack on Erin surfaces, causing Mare to publicly arrest Brianna for assault at her family's restaurant. Brianna's upset father Tony begins stalking Mare. Mare and Frank worry that Drew might have inherited the mental illness that caused his father, their son Kevin, to commit suicide two years previously. Drew's mother Carrie, a recovering addict, seeks legal custody of Drew. Mare accepts Richard's invitation to meet him at a reception in his honor, but their date goes badly. Erin's best friend Jess tells Mare's friend Lori that she thinks Frank, who briefly taught Erin in school, is the real father of Erin's child.
3"Enter Number Two"Craig ZobelBrad IngelsbyMay 2, 2021 (2021-05-02)0.918[27]
Kenny confesses to shooting Dylan, who survived. Frank admits he helped Erin by buying her baby items, but denies any sexual relations or involvement in her murder. Mare gathers DNA samples from Frank and Dylan for paternity testing. The medical examiner reports that Erin's finger is missing from a gunshot and that there is no evidence of rape. Erin's finger is later found in a local park, where Mare then finds a bullet, indicating that Erin was killed there and her body dumped elsewhere. The distance of the park from the woods where Erin was last seen shows that she must have been driven to the park, rather than riding her pink bicycle, which is missing. Erin's phone records show that her last call was made after the fight with Brianna to Deacon Mark Burton, who claims that he only provided her with counseling, then stops cooperating. Unbeknownst to the police, Deacon Mark has Erin's bicycle, which he secretly throws into the river. Mare is romantically pursued by Richard and also propositioned by a drunken Zabel, both of whom share stories of their own difficult divorces and family dysfunction. Trying to prevent Carrie from gaining custody of Drew, Mare plants heroin from the evidence room in Carrie's car, but Chief Carter catches on and puts Mare on administrative leave, ordering her to get counseling.
4"Poor Sisyphus"Craig ZobelBrad IngelsbyMay 9, 2021 (2021-05-09)1.049[28]
With Mare suspended, Zabel takes over as lead on the investigations, but Mare continues to unofficially consult with him. Paternity tests confirm that neither Frank nor Dylan fathered Erin's baby. Another Easttown girl, Missy Sager, who works as an escort to support her opioid addiction, goes missing after being attacked by an unknown john. Jess tells Mare that Erin had a secret escort profile on the same website used by Missy, but that Erin could never bring herself to actually meet with any clients. While searching Erin's dresser, Mare finds a hidden heart-shaped necklace engraved with a date. Zabel learns that Deacon Mark was transferred from his previous parish after allegations of inappropriate behavior with an underaged girl, and he and Father Dan warn the evasive deacon that word of his past will spread through the town. Carrie gets Drew for the night, but grudgingly returns him to Mare when he becomes homesick. Mare recalls Kevin and Carrie violently abusing her and robbing her for drug money. Siobhan struggles with her own feelings about Kevin and her family, and with ending her relationship with stoner Becca to date the older and more mature Anne. Richard and Zabel both ask Mare for a date on the same night. Dawn Bailey receives a call claiming that her daughter Katie is alive and demanding $5,000 for her return, but it turns out to be a drug money scam by addict Freddie, the brother of Dawn's friend Beth. Missy Sager is imprisoned in a soundproof room in the attic of a tavern, and finds Katie Bailey alive and also being held captive there.
5"Illusions"Craig ZobelBrad IngelsbyMay 16, 2021 (2021-05-16)N/A
Elderly Easttown resident Betty Carroll dies of a heart attack at the wheel, crashing into a telephone pole and causing a blackout. At her wake, her husband publicly confesses to an affair with Helen. At a get-together, Mare learns from casual conversation that Erin briefly lived with Lori's brother-in-law Billy. Lori learns from her son Ryan that John has been cheating on her again with a woman he saw in the past. Brianna grows suspicious of Dylan, who was absent from their bed later in the night of Erin's death. Dylan meets with Jess to burn Erin's hidden journals, though Jess secretly keeps a photograph from one of them. Mare goes on a date with Zabel, but it sours when she continuously brings up the case. Deacon Mark is beaten by some locals after the rumor of his old accusation spreads. Returning to the parish, he confesses to Father Dan that he picked Erin up the night of her death and drove her to the park at her insistence, but still denies killing her. Mare accompanies Zabel to interview a girl who narrowly escaped kidnapping by a man in a blue van. Zabel admits to Mare that he stole a private investigator's files to solve the case that made his career. Based on partial plates from the girl's account, Mare and Zabel track down the kidnapper, Wayne Potts. Katie and Missy alert the police to their presence in the attic, and Potts immediately shoots Zabel in the head. An unarmed Mare flees through the house, eventually retrieving Zabel's gun and killing Potts as backup arrives.
6"Sore Must Be the Storm"Craig ZobelBrad IngelsbyMay 23, 2021 (2021-05-23)N/A
The police find Erin's bike in the river and arrest Deacon Mark for evidence tampering. Mare visits Zabel's mother, who rebuffs her. Anne attempts to convince Siobhan to pursue the chance to attend the University of California, Berkeley, which would allow her to escape Easttown. When Siobhan refuses, Anne cuts off contact with her; Siobhan goes on an intoxicated binge and berates Mare for making her find Kevin the day he died. Mare learns that a family reunion arranged by the Rosses after the death of Erin's mother occurred on the same date engraved on Erin's pendant. Jess is chased down by Dylan and his friend. John goes to stay with his father, who privately admits to seeing Billy return home covered in blood the night of Erin's murder. John confronts Billy, who tearfully confesses to killing Erin. John tells Lori, adding that Billy fathered Erin's child and killed Erin after she threatened to expose the incestuous relationship (which began the night of the family reunion). Despite being told by John to keep it a secret, Lori tells Mare, who pursues Billy. John takes Billy fishing, but Billy finds a gun in John's tackle box and keeps the box for himself. Jess arrives at the police station with the photograph she took from Erin's journal; upon viewing the photo, Chief Carter orders his men to inform Mare, who has already gone to arrest Billy.
7"Sacrament"[29]Craig ZobelBrad IngelsbyMay 30, 2021 (2021-05-30)N/A

Release

The limited series premiered on April 18, 2021.[1]

Reception

Critical response

Mare of Easttown received critical acclaim. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the series has an approval rating of 92% based on 79 reviews, with an average rating of 8/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Grounded by a career-best Kate Winslet, Mare of Easttown's ambitions at times exceed its reach, but its central mystery is supported by such strong sense of place and character it hardly matters."[30] On Metacritic, the series has a weighted average score of 81 out of 100 based on reviews from 38 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[31]

Winslet has received universal praise for her performance from critics including Lucy Mangan from The Guardian writing, "If you can have a defining performance this late in a career, this is surely Winslet’s. She is absolutely wonderful."[32] Alex Abad-Santos of Vox described Winslet's performance as "mesmerizing" adding, "she allows us to see the ugliness Mare is capable of and how obsessive, perhaps even abusive, she can be when she’s threatened."[33] The Wall Street Journal's Dorothy Rabinowitz noted "Winslet’s eloquent command of the role is obvious from the outset".[34] Ben Travers of IndieWire wrote, "Winslet's immersed performance could carry a far lesser work by itself", while adding that her East American dialect is "convincing and her physical work is flawless."[35] Richard Roeper of The Chicago Sun-Times declared, "Winslet adds to a long list of magnificent, disappear-into-the-character performances...one of the most resonant performances of her career."[36] Caryn James of BBC wrote "Winslet makes an unglamorous return to TV...and her a fierce, ordinary heroine is gloriously real."[37]

Inkoo Kang of The Hollywood Reporter gave it a mostly positive review describing it as "Uneven, but masterfully suspenseful".[38] The New York Times was dismissive, with television critic Mike Hale writing, "Some style in the direction or honest feeling in the screenplay could have mitigated the dreariness, but 'Mare' doesn’t offer much beyond Ben Richardson’s burnished cinematography."[2]

Critics and viewers have also praised the series and Winslet for convincingly replicating the Philadelphia accent, an oddity in mainstream media.[39]

Ratings

Viewership and ratings per episode of Mare of Easttown
No. Title Air date Rating
(18–49)
Viewers
(millions)
DVR
(18–49)
DVR viewers
(millions)
Total
(18–49)
Total viewers
(millions)
1 "Miss Lady Hawk Herself" April 18, 2021 0.08 0.600[25] 0.06 0.575 0.14 1.175[40]
2 "Fathers" April 25, 2021 0.10 0.735[26] 0.07 0.703 0.17 1.438[41]
3 "Enter Number Two" May 2, 2021 0.12 0.918[27] 0.08 0.773 0.20 1.691[42]
4 "Poor Sisyphus" May 9, 2021 0.16 1.049[28] 0.10 0.869 0.26 1.918[43]

References

  1. ^ a b Romano, Nick (February 17, 2021). "Kate Winslet gets her prestige murder mystery drama in HBO's Mare of Easttown trailer". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Hale, Mike (April 15, 2021). "Review: Kate Winslet Returns to HBO, Now as a Small-Town Cop". The New York Times. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Mare of Easttown Cast & Crew". HBO. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  4. ^ McHenry, Jackson (May 11, 2021). "A Celebration of Jean Smart's Sad-Funny Work on Mare of Easttown". Vulture. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Otterson, Joe (January 23, 2019). "Kate Winslet to Star in HBO Limited Series 'Mare of Easttown'". Variety. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
  6. ^ Keene, Allison (January 23, 2019). "Kate Winslet to Lead HBO Limited Series 'Mare of Easttown'". Collider. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
  7. ^ "HBO News - Kate Winslet to Executive Produce 'Mare of Easttown'". HBO. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
  8. ^ Fleming Jr., Mike (January 13, 2020). "HBO Makes 2-Year Overall Deal With Craig Zobel As He Steps In To Direct Kate Winslet Drama 'Mare Of Easttown'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  9. ^ a b Vadala, Nick (October 28, 2019). "New Kate Winslet HBO show starts filming in Pa. suburbs". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  10. ^ Petski, Denise (September 27, 2019). "'Mare Of Easttown': Julianne Nicholson & Jean Smart Among 6 Cast In HBO Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
  11. ^ Pedersen, Erik (October 17, 2019). "'Mare Of Easttown': Kate Winslet's HBO Limited Series Adds Seven To Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
  12. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (February 9, 2021). "Guy Pearce Joins HBO Limited Series 'Mare Of Easttown', Reuniting With Kate Winslet". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  13. ^ Petski, Denise (February 16, 2021). "'Mare Of Easttown': Eleven Cast In HBO Limited Series Starring Kate Winslet". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  14. ^ Bennett, Max (March 4, 2020). "HBO Show 'Mare Of Easttown' Films In Philadelphia". Patch. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  15. ^ "Episode 48: The Negotiation with David Denman". Office Ladies Podcast. October 7, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  16. ^ "Greater Philadelphia Film Office struggling as pandemic halts movie productions". 6 ABC. September 5, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  17. ^ Adams, Sam (April 16, 2021). "Why Most Actors Won't Even Attempt a Philadelphia Accent". Slate. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  18. ^ Gray, Ellen (April 14, 2021). "Kate Winslet on HBO's 'Mare of Easttown' and that Delco accent: 'I'm an actor who doesn't like to get things wrong'". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  19. ^ Travers, Ben (February 10, 2021). "'Mare of Easttown': Kate Winslet's HBO Limited Series Sets Release Date, First Details". IndieWire. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  20. ^ "Guide to all the Mare of Easttown Filming Locations". Atlas of Wonders. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  21. ^ a b O'Keefe, Meghan (April 19, 2021). "Where was 'Mare of Easttown' Filmed?". Decider. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  22. ^ Tanenbaum, Michael (April 21, 2021). "'Mare of Easttown' wardrobe was based on people in Wawa checkout lines, director says". Philly Voice. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  23. ^ "HBO's Mare Of Easttown Debuts April 18". WarnerMedia. February 10, 2021. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  24. ^ "Mare of Easttown – Listings". The Futon Critic. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  25. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (April 20, 2021). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.18.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  26. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (April 27, 2021). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.25.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  27. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (May 4, 2021). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.2.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  28. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (May 11, 2021). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.9.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  29. ^ "Mare Of Easttown 07: Sacrament". HBO. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  30. ^ "Mare of Easttown: Limited Series (2021)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
  31. ^ "Mare of Easttown Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  32. ^ Mangan, Lucy (April 19, 2021). "Mare of Easttown review – Kate Winslet triumphs in a moreish murder mystery". The Guardian. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  33. ^ Abad-Santos, Alex (May 3, 2021). "One Good Thing: Mare of Easttown is my new favorite murder story". Vox. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  34. ^ Rabinowitz, Dorothy (April 15, 2021). "'Mare of Easttown' Review: All Gone but Not Forgotten". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  35. ^ Travers, Ben (April 15, 2021). "'Mare of Easttown' Review: Kate Winslet Turns HBO's Riveting Mystery Into a Great Character Drama". IndieWire. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  36. ^ Roeper, Richard (April 16, 2021). "'Mare of Easttown': Kate Winslet plays a troubled detective with authority, authenticity". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  37. ^ James, Caryn (April 4, 2021). "Mare of Easttown review: A superb and starry crime thriller". BBC. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  38. ^ Kang, Inkoo (April 5, 2021). "'Mare of Easttown': TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  39. ^ Adams, Sam (April 16, 2021). "Why Most Actors Won't Even Attempt a Philadelphia Accent". Slate. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  40. ^ Berman, Marc (April 19, 2021). "Sunday Ratings: 'The Academy of Country Music Awards' Leads CBS to Victory". Programming Insider. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  41. ^ Pucci, Douglas (April 25, 2021). "The 93rd Oscars as the First Academy Awards of the Pandemic — How Many Will Watch?". Programming Insider. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  42. ^ Berman, Marc (May 3, 2021). "Sunday Ratings: ABC and CBS Split Dominance; Return of 'D.C.'s Legends of Tomorrow' Left at The CW Starting Gate". Programming Insider. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  43. ^ Berman, Marc (May 8, 2021). "Friday Ratings: CBS and Fox Share Diluted Leadership". Programming Insider. Retrieved May 22, 2021.

External links