Mare Of Easttown spins off in too many directions in an overstuffed episode
TV Reviews Mare of Easttown
The first few episodes of Mare Of Easttown suggested that creator Brad Inglesby had figured out a solution to the herky-jerky pacing that tends to befall episodic murder mysteries. Alas, “Poor Sisyphus,” easily the show’s weakest episode so far, serves as a reminder that in a story with so many reveals to parcel out, there can’t be peaks without troughs. “Sisyphus” is certainly not a bad hour of television. But it spends the bulk of its time fleshing out subplots that initially seemed to serve more as a window dressing rather than going story concerns.
The lull is not terribly surprising, because if Easttown was going to hit a speed bump, the best place for it to happen is after Mare is relieved of her duties after unwisely attempting to frame Carrie for heroin possession. To quote Bacharach and David, Mare just doesn’t know what to do with herself now that Colin has been elevated from a stalking horse to the lead detective on the McMenamin case. Mare is refreshingly blunt and transparent about her massive transgression. By the time we see Mare and Lori chatting in the park, Lori already knows what happened and before long, she’s broken the news to Helen and Siobhan.
That’s where the first questionable detour takes place, as Siobhan decides that while people are getting things off their chests, she’ll let the family know she and Becca split up. The conversation gave Mare a great moment of humanity in a time when she needed it most. Even at her lowest point, she has time to soothe her kid during a difficult time. That thread could have ended there, but instead, it evolves into a full-blown love triangle that somehow ends in a concussed Helen being rushed to the hospital. It’s great when this show gets to sprinkle in some of its pitch-black humor, and God knows I’ve never laughed harder at this show than when Becca saw Siobhan’s basement tryst and screamed like Jamie Lee Curtis in her prime.
But is it a good use of Easttown real estate? As with all subplots in a story such as this, most of the audience will decide certain characters and plotlines could be lifted out entirely, but few will agree on which is the weakest link. And there are quite a few candidates for possible exclusion, most of which pop up in “Sisyphus.” The biggest target might be Dawn Bailey, who agonizes over whether to do business with a shady anonymous caller who claims that five stacks are all that separate Dawn from her long-lost daughter. As suspicious as the whole thing is, Dawn pretends to go along with it because she can’t help but investigate every potential lead. But we only learn things we already know: Dawn will do anything to find her daughter and Freddie Hanlon will do anything to get money to feed his habit.
Mare is just as relentless, of course, but the time devoted to her feels well-spent and illuminating. The same can be said for Colin, who takes point on the investigation and goes so far as to ambush Deacon Burton at the pharmacy to ask more questions about his hasty relocation. As it turns out, there were accusations of impropriety related to Burton’s relationship with a teenage girl from his last parish. Apparently, Burton prefers his lessons hard-learned, because why else would he forge another ambiguous relationship with a teenage parishioner? Not even Father Dan, Mare’s cousin, can get Burton to open up about his shady past and possibly shadier present.
The episode comes to life when Mare and Colin are finally reunited and pursuing those answers together. To her credit, Mare does a halfway decent job of honoring the terms of her suspension and even makes an earnest attempt at opening up to the new therapist she’s now obligated to see. She might have continued walking the straight and narrow path except for the disappearance of Missy Sayers, yet another raven-haired young woman to go missing in the area. Whispers of a possible serial killer begin to emerge, which is understandable given the double gut-punch of the anniversary of Katie’s disappearance and the discovery of Erin’s body.
A pattern begins to emerge when Mare and Colin discover Missy and Erin both had profiles on Sidedoor, an escort site on which Erin did business under the name Jasmine. But whereas Missy was actively meeting clients, including the one who abducted her, Jess insists that Erin never actually went through with any dates. They set up the page together in a moment of desperation, once it became clear that any money for an ear surgery would be coming from her alone. For a moment, it looks like the investigation is starting to solidify.
But Easttown is replete with surprises, so the final scene reveals a more complicated picture. When Missy Sayers is first attacked, the assumption is that she was killed. Instead, a very much alive Missy is led into a dark bunker where she’ll be held captive with none other than Katie Bailey herself.
Stray observations
- SNL’s “Murdur Durdur” spoof is pretty great, including the absurd (yet hilarious) shot of “Care” inhaling vapor from a soft pretzel. Seems like the consensus is that Furthur Burtun murdured the durdur, which…fair.
- Colin officially asked Mare on a date once their work together is done, which means Colin wasn’t just letting Captain Morgan speak through him when he flirted with her at the bar. Exciting times for anyone ’shipping these two.
- Colin’s mother is super shady but I’m here for it.
- Both Frank Sheehan and Dylan Hinchey have been excluded as the father of Erin’s baby. So… yeah, that’s something to chew on. Maybe Faye will let him sleep in the bedroom again.
- At least Dawn was shrewd enough not to carry real cash to the meeting, stuffing the deposit bag full of coupon clippings instead. The red flag was probably the amount Freddie asked for, which is only a third of the official reward money.
- I rewatched the pilot with my Mom and noticed, for the first time, that the Carrolls have a fridge magnet advertising Delrasso’s delivery. Very nice touch.
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Tonight on Dead Girl Town…
i thought it was a fantastic episode. its either Zobel or the new boyfriend.
i thought it was a fantastic episode. its either Zobel or the new boyfriend.
I think the fake ransom money was actually extra copies of the fliers that Ma Bailey had posted around town offering a reward for information on her daughter, so a nice bit of irony (and sadness considering that she had put so many up around town and she still had a healthy stack of spares).
They said in the first or second episode she just had a new batch printed up
Yep, I happened to pause that scene; it’s definitely cut up fliers.
We can’t expect the AVC to get all the details right.
“Spot the goof” is my favorite game!
But Freddie’s right! When did he find that out & how long until Mare gets around to asking him?
If he literally knew Katie was alive, don’t you think he would be angling for the actual reward money, which is considerably more than what he was trying to extort from Dawn? Unless he knows who the kidnapper is and is too afraid of him to turn him in, but that seems unlikely.
I don’t think he knows she’s alive, he knows about the daughter and the tattoo because he knows them, his sister is one of Dawn’s closest friends. He’s not involved.
I don’t think Freddie knows that Katie is actually alive. He was trying to get some quick cash; he knows Dawn is desperate for any info, and he knows Katie so could easily pretend like she is alive and telling him things that he already knows.
Katie has been gone for a year and just now Freddie figured out a reward scam? That seems awfully convenient. But I am making a Nostra-dumbass prediction thinking that Freddie is somehow gonna turn the case for Mare. I’m thinking Freddie dies in some manner to save one of the girls or to pin the culprit so as to give his character a redemption arc. His sister already said she wishes he was dead and I don’t see them completely throwing a beat down black addict character into the mix just for diversity. Nah, Freddie is a Chekhov’s gun.
lkI think it’s more that Freddie is desperate now. He’s already broken into his sister’s house looking for money. What’s tormenting her best friend over her missing, presumed dead, daughter for some quick cash?I don’t know; we could see more out of Freddie, I guess. I don’t know that he necessarily needs a redemptive arc. He’s sick and making bad choices; he’s not evil. Freddie is just a more grown up version of Mare’s son – someone hurting the people he loves because his mind and body are laser focused on getting his next hit.
Haven’t seen this ep yet but did that come out … was Mare’s son an addict? The GF is but nothing said so far is that clear that the son was spiraling. Mare, when meeting w/ the physician about the grandkid, listed some diagnoses but she never said anything about an addiction. Are folks reading that into the character?
It’s made pretty clear in this latest episode that he is an addict, yes.
*was*
Freddie is getting more time, so his character will be used for something
Actually I prefer the natural dramedy with these characters instead of the whodunnit, which is cliched “dead girl” and now “serial killer and kidnapper” mystery we’e seen a billion times before. But the show has a lived-in, authentic quality when it’s just focused on these people in this town, facing problems all to real, from relationships to the toll the opioid epidemic has taken on communities and loved ones. Like the Dawn-Freddy plot was heartbreaking, for both of them, but Dawn did the kind thing not telling his sister because she understood what it was like having an addicted, loved relative. This episode was on the parents and children of the crisis and I thought it was moving. Mare’s memory of Kevin was powerful, as was Dylan going to pick up the baby.These momemts of humanity make the show. And humor, which your average very self-important, ponderous murder detective series doesn’t have. Your average male detective show doesn’t have Jean Smart hiding ice cream in a bag of frozen vegetables but always thwarted in eating it. I don’t need the murder plot to advance every episode because it’s the least interesting thing. I hope the killer or kidnapper isn’t a twist with someone Mare knows and likes, like cousin Dan. That would be cliched as well.
Yeah to a great extent this show’s actually (so far) doing what a lot of shows of this ilk claim to do–they’re telling a story about characters, not just a mystery. It helps that 1) the mystery is actually kinda compelling, 2) that it does have a sense of humor. Especially #2.
Agreed. The surprise of Katie being alive is a bit of a twist but by and large, the mystery is background and I think happy to be so. This is more about the perils of living in the same small town all your life, how the opioid crisis has ravaged families, etc. Plus plenty of space for unusual jokes. (I might start hiding cash in a bag wedged inside a pint of ice cream, hidden inside a bag of frozen veggies.)
Side note – Jean Smart is incredible, she steals every scene she’s in. But also incredibly under-utilized, which is too bad.
In particular I really love how Smart has been portraying Helen’s relationship with Drew. Up until this episode Helen has always outwardly held Drew at arm’s length, as you can tell she’s acutely aware of how tenuous Mare’s custody is. But every time custody becomes an explicit topic of conversation, Smart will betray a slight twitch or brief midsentence pause that shows how much affection and attachment she has poured into this kid and how devastated she’ll be if they lose him. It provides just enough buildup to make her blowup in this episode’s family meeting feel fully earned.
I dunno if you seen Fargo’s Season 2. She was utilized to her fullest pedigree and she’s just so damn amazing. She’s also incredible during her run on Legion series, though yes she was also underutilized here. She deserves an Emmy for her role on Mare of Easttown, so far!
I did – admittedly I didn’t really know her prior to Fargo and she was amazing. She was also pretty good in “Legion” season 1.
Not a Designing Women fan, I take it?
LOL – no, but now that you mention it…
Don’t forget Jean Smart’s incredible run as Agent Laurie Blake in Watchmen.
OMG, I knew I forgot another role she did!She was perfect as Laurie, dammit.
Yes: Smart in season 2 of Fargo and in Legion. I hadn’t watched Designing Women, but I’m here for all the Jean Smart I can get.
Bingo.The show’s bleakness isn’t all that dark comparing to The Outsider, Undoing, and even Sharp Objects, which gave Mare of Easttown its own signature style. There’s certain warm levity to the town and its people, in which there are hope and outlook to the future despite depressing circumstances. Bolstered by great scripts and powerful actings, this show is already step up above the other murder mysteries because it isn’t afraid to mix in the dark with the light.
Frankly I find this show hilarious. Friends keep asking if I’ve seen it, couched with an apologetic “it is really depressing but…” and I don’t know what they even mean. Obviously the murdered and missing girls aren’t funny, but the day-to-day town stuff is pretty damn clever and fun.
Another reason why the show is damn good, it isn’t afraid to be funny at times with everyday drama going on in midst of crimes. The show reminds me of Fargo during its incredible height of Season 1 and 2, except less surreal.It’s quite refreshing from usually dour and film-noir styled murder mysteries we seen in last few years.
I agree with you but the “whodunit” is what gets the show sold and it’s the hook that gets viewers watching.
Was I the only one who for one moment thought Dylan was going to smother DJ? The earlier scene with him expressing disgust and near hatred because the baby wasn’t his and wanting it out of the room. Then him lying in pain at night, the screaming baby, no one around, he gets up and walks over slowly with a pillow, I was damn near terrified. Then he picked it up and I felt so relieved.
You weren’t the only one. Plus, Dylan hasn’t exactly shown that he’s all that happy to have a kid in the first place – he’s not willing to pony up any money to help his kid’s health problems without it going through the court, but he’s perfectly happy to take him for the weekend just to piss off Erin (or probably because he’s required to).I also wonder if he’s in high school or not – he buys cigarettes, but maybe he’s an 18 year old senior (or it’s another small town thing where they just don’t care about that sort of thing cause the police won’t bust you for it). I doubt he’s in college – so is he working full time or something? He’s driving a restored vintage Ford Bronco, which is like a $30,000 car – even if he restored it himself that’s some money invested.
TL/DR, Dylan is kind of a jerk who doesn’t really want a kid.
My wife and I just finished the series last night, and she said something similar — that she wishes we had more time just living with these characters in Easttown and not just so focused on the murder/kidnapping plots. I do appreciate that this was a pretty tight 7 episodes to get through a lot of set-up, twists, and resolutions, so I felt satisfied, but I definitely would not have hated a little more time/space for the day-to-day drama / lighter moments. And I’m still mad about Colin (I think that’s safe to post spoiler-free at this point?).
I’m more shocked that SNL did a sketch that’s actually funny than anything else.
Me and my family were roaring with laughters because it’s just so perfectly done.
Given that we now know Missy and Katie are alive, I’m predicted a Black Snake Moan type scenario. The key being they are both drug abusers and sex workers. I think whoever has taken them is trying to “save” in their perverse mindset. The tell being the perp didn’t do anything sexual with Missy. So we’re not necessarily looking for a typical sexual sadist. It’s a misdirect, and we should be looking for a perp who is more of an upstanding citizen. The one pastor – Mark – with a past accusation seems too obvious now. Plus, was he even in the area with Katie disappeared? I think it could be the other pastor…And I agree, Erin’s killing is unrelated. And I still think Julianne Nicholson’s character is this show’s Chekov’s Gun. I just feel like she’s too high profile of an actor, but her role so far is so small, I’m waiting for a big development. I hold to my long shot theory she’s involved in all this, somehow.
I think the deacon killed Erin, but it could be any number of people. That dude has more to answer to about her for sure and I think he is DJ’s father. I am thinking the same way you are about Missy & Katie. From what we saw, my new favorite suspect for who kidnapped and is holding them is Dylan’s dad. With the footage we saw of him it can only be so many people and he ticks all the boxes.
The book author is my Chekhov’s Gun. It’s just a strange pairing to me. I feel like he is getting close to Mare to get intel on the disappearance investigations. So he’s my kidnapper theory, and the priest is the red herring for the kidnappings but not the murder. Are we to assume the priest is the babydaddy at this point? I think this is a two psycho story to mix up the mystery. I hope I’m wrong about all of it—to keep it interesting.
Yeah I don’t know WHAT to make of Author Guy. Because yeah he’s definitely a Chekhov’s Gun, but it seems so obvious a plant, unless they’re thinking of pulling a double fake out? Because I agree he sticks out. He’s like that one guy in the Simpson’s episode featuring a mob war, and he’s standing there while everyone else is fighting, and Homer is convinced he’s about to do something cool. I’m waiting for the Author Guy character to pay off somehow.
I’m hoping Richard is just the love interest, meant to provide Mare with a opportunity to move on from the stasis she’s in due to her son’s death, and find love. They’re both alike in that they’re on the downward slope of life, their main successes achieved long ago. Richard seems content, but Mare has to learn how to be. Making him a suspect would be going back to the cliches of the genre. As I’ve said, the show is successful more as a drama with these characters than they having to be suspects.
I agree. I’m hoping the reason they cast such a high profile actor for the role, was because they are thinking ahead to future seasons, and wanted to position him as a larger presence in her life going forward. Because as you note, if it is stunt casting, and he’s going to be a suspect, then it is really, painfully obvious.
Kate said in an interview that another actor was cast as Richard and had to drop out, so she called Guy, as they’re friends from when they made Mildred Pierce. I don’t know why Lori would kill Erin, and how did the Deacon end up with the bike if he didn’t have something to do with it. If he just found the bike, why would he throw it in the river?
Playing Nostra-dumbass here and thinking Freddie somehow turns the cases for Mare. I’m thinking Freddie dies in some manner to save one of the girls or to pin the culprit to give his character a redemption arc. His sister already said she wishes he was dead and I don’t see them completely throwing a beat down black addict character into the mix just for diversity. Freddie is a Chekhov’s gun.
Or he’s just trying to get info to write a new book about it. But I dunno. That seems kind of bland for somebody of Pierce’s calibre.
Freddy now has a gun, this is truly a Chekhov’s Gun. Nothing good will come of this.
But he’s shown no interest in the case at all…he’s asked more about the custody case and her relationship with her grandson’s mother than he has about her police work.
Yeah I’ve basically been convinced (with zero actual evidence) that Lori is the killer since episode 2. I wouldn’t call it a long shot.
I’m glad I’m not the only one. I’m with you, I’ve got no evidence, but I’ve just seen enough whodunnits to get vibes from her. She’s too helpful, too passive. I sense there is more here, and if she’s not THE perp, then she is an accomplice somehow.
Have an upvote for the Black Snake Moan shout out. That’s a really good movie that doesn’t get mentioned much.
***minor spoiler for The Undoing***Idk, that’s what a lot of us were saying about Lily Rabe’s character in The Undoing, and she ended up having fairly little relevance to the plot. Also Janel Moloney who showed up for one episode as a random PTA mom and was never seen from again.
So who’s a better catch for Mare? Realistically speaking- Richard, but ha-cha-cha gotta be Colin. Real life? Step up for Evan Peters. Step up for Guy Pierce.
Richard is suspected of dark deeds. Even if he’s innocent of all crimes he’s probably too much of dog for monogamy. Colin is too young for Mare, conventionally, but he he won’t always be and she’s aging well. Colin.
One of them is the peeper perv and mare’s gonna choose wrong.
What “dark deeds?” He’s hinted that he was a pushover when it came to women showing him some attention, even though he was already in a (presumed) monogamous relationship. Which makes him appear to be a riskier choice, if monogamy is a deal-breaker. But beyond that, what dark deeds is he suspected of?
I suspect if any “romance” arises with Colin it will be to sabotage the relationship with Richard; Colin will figure it out and she will blow up both relationships.
I don’t have a lot of interest in watching Zabel pursue Mare. Seems like a waste of valuable screen time with only 3 hours to go and now three missing or dead girls.
I’d say the Richard/Mare thing is far better, especially if he has some skeletons in his closet.
did she agree to the two dates at the same time?
She didn’t technically turn them both down..
The show takes an even harder turn into comedy as Mare struggles to juggle two dates at the same time, in the same restaurant!
Holy snopes, that’s Evan Peters?!? He looked so familiar but I kept mistaking the familiarity to the fact that he looks kind of like Topher Grace, who I knew was not the actor.
He’s doing a great job too! Plays normal, competent and funny really well!
I hear tomorrow’s feature article will be about how authentically Mare of Easttown captures the rampant sugar addiction that plagues DelCo.
great episode. things are building up. loved the ending. enjoying the journey so far.watching this on monday mornings before work gets me so buzzed, lol.i think the preview at the end wasn’t necessery. Viewers are already drawn in.
If SNL is doing parodies of this show, you know it’s normy bait.
assorted frozen vegetables.
I skipped SNL (did you see who they let host?!?), but I did watch that clip online and laughed my ass off. Then watching the show the memory of the spoof had me laughing at extremely inappropriate points of the episode.So my money is on the deacon for the father of that baby, but not for the killer/kidnapper. For that, I’m betting on the best friend’s husband.
why did deacon have the pink Huffy and why toss it in the river unless he wants to divert or ditch evidence? Y’all think deacon is pimping on the side and he’s really got a burner phone or two to handle all the biz? All I know is the actor playing the deacon is either so good ‘cause I hated him at first sight & sound, or he’s just one of the few actors that no matter what he ever does he just will always be wrong for me. Something about that dude …
Agreed on Deacon being prime suspect for Erin’s death. He would have possible motive to kill her if she came to ask him for money to help pay for DJ’s ear surgery. And he has means and opportunity to do so given that he drove his truck and dumped her bike into the river at the end of 3rd episode.Jury is out on the serial kidnapper, though.
I was annoyed with Jess for not telling Mare about the escort site beforehand. Like, you tell Mare about the rumor concerning her ex-husband (OK, fine), but not about the confirmed fact that Erin was potentially promoting herself on an escort site to raise money for her kid’s operation?! STUPID TEENS!
My thought: everyone in this town lies (assuming withholding the truth is also lying), and nearly everyone has an addiction. Several alcoholics, nicotine, video games, heroin/painkillers, sex, kidnaping,…
kinda sorta feels a bit like Twin Peaks, but without owls and the Black Lodge (so far)…
… flannel, bad facial hair, homes make ‘em all look like hoarders, and more an obsession that addiction but wtf with the 25-yr old girls basketball season and everyone hangs out at just ONE bar?
Shit happens. When I was fifteen a friend of mine was kidnapped and nobody shared pertinent info that might have helped her in fear of getting their friend in trouble or making her look bad. Yup, but I think even adults pull that shit.
She still hasn’t been found. Now thanks to some new info they think she might have been a victim of a serial killer that was in our area at the time. They talk partly about it on the Piers Morgan Netflix serial killer show. I haven’t watched it I just read a local article about it.
Jess is the killer. She was jealous she didn’t get to go to the party in the woods.
I dunno, after reading AVClub’s amazingly thorough oral history about the genesis of the show’s band, Adrogynous, I was just so incredibly invested in the Siobhan/Becca/College Radio Woman storyline—so thanks AVClub.
Anyway, I appreciated that the show went off in a few more directions and wasn’t so focused–for me, that’s a fine place for a show like this to be at the midway point and it never felt “overstuffed” to me (AVClub sure loves that criticism.)
I mean, that article was 100% an advertorial. It’s exactly the sort of article The Ringer used to run a lot when they were tied to HBO.ETA: and the article about the actress who plays Siobahn also feels like spon-con. Clearly somebody feels this one thread on the show is going to get AVC readers to watch. And again, it feels and reads like something The Ringer would run when they were flooding the zone with coverage of HBO shows.I’ve said this, like, every week but I’ll take a show ‘overstuffed’ with too much plot over a show with 28 minutes of Amy Adams driving while drinking vodka and listening to Zeppelin. It’s not clear how all the side stories will (or won’t) tie into the main plot but they’re all at least interesting on their own.
(Tangent) “Sharp Objects” reminded me of the movie where Meg Ryan dyed her hair brown, smoked cigarettes, talked like Elizabeth Holmes, had rando sex and was a cop. And this movie did NOT at least have cutie Chris Messina. And yes it was even worse than it sounds. (End tangent).
Same. I’ll take an episode with lots of action vs the first 4 episodes of Handmaid’s Tale. What a disappointment.. about 2 things happen all hour.
ahh, you too indulged in that 15,000 word 2-volume treatise …
Yeah I feel the same. I saw the “overstuffed” headline before I watched the episode and was pleasantly surprised. Good stuff. Good momentum. The Siobhan stuff is definitely extraneous, but it doesn’t take up so much of the show’s run time to really be a distraction. It cracks me up that the AV Club can kinda dog an episode of this mostly-excellent show and call it “overstuffed” yet generally heap praise on the fucking trash bag of a show that was Little Fires Everywhere. I mean, talk about overstuffed!
Same here (saw the headline before the episode, was delighted by said episode)
Missy Sager. Also, the cash bag wasn’t full of coupon clippings, it was full of pieces of Katie’s missing person flyer.
Did anybody call Freddie as the extortionist from the moment you heard his voice on the other end of the line? They threw in some misdirection by having him come into his sister’s house practically coughing up a lung while Dawn was there. In that second phone call I was expecting to hear some coughing on the other end of the line, but that didn’t happen, which made me think, “Well, maybe it isn’t him,” but of course it turned out that my original instincts were correct.Dawn is infuriating. Every time she sees Mare she’s either giving her the stinkeye or she’s all up her ass, like, “What are you doing to find my daughter, Mare?! When are you gonna find my daughter, Mare?! Find my daughter, Mare!” Then junkie Freddie extorts money from her, lures her out to some abandoned house in the middle of nowhere, giving her false hope that her daughter is alive, and mugs her, and then leaves her injured with the apology “Fuckin’ sorry, Dawn,” and she’s like, “Oh well, it can’t be helped, I guess.”
I did have a question about Dawn. In one of the opening scenes she is taking care of a very young child. I didn’t know who that kid was, and was wondering if it was possible that her daughter Katie have a kid of her own?
There are a lot of characters in this show and I am always trying to figure out who is who.
Yes, that’s Katie’s daughter. One of the things Freddie says on the phone to confirm he knows Katie is saying that Katie’s daughter’s middle name is (whatever it is, Grace, i think.).I think that’s what sets up the parallels between Mare and Dawn so well. Both are caring for their addicted child’s child; Mare’s child died by suicide* while Dawn’s has been kidnapped. Both probably somewhat envy the other – Mare because Dawn’s child didn’t “choose” to leave her, Dawn because Mare at least has closure about her own child.*the implication has always been that Kevin died by suicide, but I’m not sure we won’t find out that he mistakenly had a hot shot.
Okay? Some people are like that in real life? She has reasons she didn’t tell on the brother?
She has her reasons, obviously, but it’s still irritating. My guess is that there was always some bad blood or acrimony between her and Mare, or they were friends and had a falling out. Dawn seems closer to Freddie’s sister (sorry, can’t remember her name right now) and her family, and she is obviously more willing to cut them more slack in general. Her attitude towards Freddie seemed to be sort of an “I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed.”
Dawn’s thought process may be unfair, but it still makes a certain amount of sense from her perspective. Her relationships with Freddie and Mare are very different and that colors her reactions. You’re right to see that Dawn is closer to Freddie’s sister Beth, and I think that’s key – taking any action against Freddie isn’t going to hurt Freddie so much as it’s going to hurt Beth, who seems to be Dawn’s most reliable friend at this point.Mare, on the other hand, is someone who Dawn has not only been close to forever, but who Dawn has known as a leader and someone who could seemingly achieve the impossible (as represented by the “Lady Hawk” basketball moment). So when Katie disappeared, Dawn, probably trusted Mare to be the person best equipped to bring her back. When Mare couldn’t do that it felt like a betrayal, as unfair as that is to Mare.
This ignores Dawn backing her up when bully chick’s dad shows up at the store to hassle Mare. And it also ignores Mare hassling Dawn at the basketball reunion. She may have been justified but you can’t pretend that it’s all Dawn being aggro.
That’s a fair point. I think she just felt sorry for Freddie and didn’t want to bring any more sorrow into her friend’s life, but on the other hand, if she doesn’t say something, Freddie doesn’t get the help he needs, and his presence remains a strain on his sister’s marriage. Maybe she will confide in Mare and get Freddie brought in on lighter charges than extortion and assault & battery.
I recognized his voice lol
I can’t say I recognized his voice, but being honest, it sounded like black male (ha! blackmail!), and the only ones I could recall being introduced so far were the police chief, the rookie cop, and Freddie. Working under the assumption that they’re not going to introduce a new character for this subplot, we can eliminate the chief and the squeamish rookie, and that leaves Freddie, whose drug addiction and need for cash makes doing something like this not out of character. Shitty to do something like that to a family friend, but he had to feed the monkey.
The second Jean Smart took the bag of vegetables out of the freezer, I knew something yummy was hidden inside. My mother had to hid stuff from my step-father because he would vacuum up anything he found.
the flashback with Mare’s son was pretty shocking but also made a ton of sense. We are now up to 4 shows in a row where someone has insulted her to her face while laughing about it. I know this would be out of character for her, but I hope before this series ends she gets to punch someone in the fucking face for the abuse they have heaped on her (and not her daughter or mom). It would be close but I had to pick one, I’d have to choose the teenage girl she arrested (wow the kids in this town are a bunch of fucking assholes).
I was really starting to feel sorry for the Mare’s son ex. I forget her name, but the DIL.But after the flashback…whooo boy okay I see now why Mare did what she did with the heroin. Also Erin’s daughter, the baby boy without a father, is blonde. Erin had dark hair and so does everyone in her family. I’m guessing Baby Daddy is the first blonde creepy adult we see. Besides Evan Peters obviously.
I don’t think we can punish the ex as the audience, she’s trying her hardest to get substance free, we can see why Mare is scared, but what Mare did was even more fucked up and could have destroyed that girls life forever. If she really wants to do right by her son, she’ll help her. I hate the narrative that being a drug user automatically makes you a bad person.
It’s clear that the best place for the Kid is in Mare’s home.
Mare shouldn’t destroy someone’s life because they are trying to do right. That’s fucked up. She definitely isn’t at a place to raise the kid on her own, but that doesn’t mean Mare has the authority to never give her that opportunity.
I agree not all drug addicts are bad people, but that flashback showed pretty clearly the DIL is a bad person.
we saw her at her sickest, that’s not a fair way to gauge her as a human being. Mare did something terrible, I still think she’s a good person though, just like people with substance issues are still people first and shouldn’t be held only to the standard of when they were at their worst trying to feed their drug habit.
I think we’re going to agree to disagree. I think Mare and DIL are both terrible people. Mare might have had a rationalized (to her) excuse but both of them are responsible for all their actions. No one should be able to commit a crime and then plead innocent because they were drunk, right? We haven’t even seen the DIL apologize to Mare (or Mare to the DIL). I wouldn’t say the addict-brother is a good person either, trying to steal thousands from a poor single mother.
she was very sick at the hands of their opioid issues. DIL is doing what she needs to do to get better, what she did was bad sure, but she needs help not more punishment.
I think the quick transition from the Kevin flashback to Mare meeting her son’s ex at the door kind of established both of their positions really well. In the span of about two minutes, the audience gets to empathize with Carrie and see how deeply devastated she is by the lack of relationship she has with her son, but we also completely understand why Mare is unable to extend her any empathy herself.
yes, I just hope the audience remembers to extend some of that compassion that they have been giving to Mare to the actual victims suffering from the opiod crisis . I know the show is attempting to do that, but sometimes the characters are a little two dimensional that I fear they just look like ‘junkies’.
Yeah, not to be all “that cop was right to plant drugs on an addict who’s trying to get her life together” but having seen that clip I’d also want to keep my grandson away from that woman.
They’re both bad people. I appreciate there is no clear Good Guy in this show but it’s kind of bleak for the future of that poor kid.
Mare has been such a tough character this whole season that seeing her cowering on the bathroom floor in tears was incredibly powerful. They hinted at the trauma in that brief scene with her grandson’s doctor, but to see it full blown like that, while also knowing what happens to her son, really showed and helped to explain her mindset. The writers have done a phenomenal job in laying out this season and developing Mare and her world. It also helps that once again Kate Winslet doing absolutely brilliant work.
Right? Even Dylan’s parents who seem to have their shit together better than anyone else we’ve met, somehow raised this fucking monster of a spoiled prick for a son.
Yeah I’m hoping we get to see Brianna (I think that’s her name) face actual consequences for being such a piece of shit.
Digging the ride, but it nails what I hate about mysteries: the killer will be a dude who has had all of five minutes of screen time. The priest is a red herring, and not a subtle one.
Bearded-cousin-guy (my choice as DJ’s father and Erin’s killer) got another shot, this time in bed with his wife (Mare’s friend), and their son with some “Oh, shit, I know something” face. Why this couple and their son watching the news about another kidnaping? Could have been anyone in town, but it’s them. If you add it all up, yeah, it might be about 5 minutes.I agree with the others about the kidnaper: some Black Snake Moan business that points to no characters just yet, except maybe one of the priests. I’ll have to go look for that van in some far-back part of an episode.
Not that I’m sleuthing because I’m enjoying the lived in aspect of the show vs. the murder mystery, but it’s gotta be Guy Pearce, right? You don’t cast that big of a name to have a couple scenes as a tertiary love interest.
To be fair, they didn’t cast Guy Pearce in that role. He only stepped in last minute when the original actor had a scheduling conflict or something. So perhaps the question you should be asking is, do you cast Ben Miles to have a couple scenes as a tertiary love interest? And I suspect the answer to that is “quite possibly”.
would he have the keys and access to the pub basement though? and didn’t he only just get into town after Katie went missing?
If it *is* Guy Pearce, good LORD is that gonna be some unearned horseshit.
I suppose we can’t necessarily trust what they are showing us, but from the brief glimpses of the bad guy he looks like a younger guy with a clean-shaven face. In other words, not Guy Pearce or the beard guy.
anyone else notice the TV coverage of the murders misspelled Erin’s last name as “McMennamin”
I sure did, since my South Jersey hoamtown had a family with that name.
Just gotta say: Haverford College doesn’t have a radio station.
what about Cabrini, Eastern, or Villanova … hell can’t we just lump ‘em all together as a Main Line conglomeration
Channel 9 is not a thing here. They can’t get the rights to Action, or Eyewitness, News? Jim Gardner or Ukee Washington weren’t available? Uke turns up in Split so we know he’s not adverse to playing himself. Freddie tells Dawn to get on the Turnpike. The PA one I assume, which isn’t close at all to Delco. (The NJ one is nearer.) To get on the Pee-Ay turnpike, Dawn would have to get on the Blue Route via 95 and then back again and that would take time the ep doesn’t show.
There’s a shot that includes what looks like the Commodore Barry Bridge so we can give the show credit for that.What up with that generic “Pharmacy”? It should’ve been a Rite Aid. And Dawn should be working at a Wa instead of that generic gas-n-sip.
I like that she doesn’t work at a Wawa. First of all, not every Pennsylvanian is going to Wawa all the time. Sometimes we go to Turkey Hill. (not in Delco admittedly). But it also establishes a grittier vibe for her character. Wawas are pretty nice, with multiple staff people per shift. She works alone at a gas station that’s probably just skating by.
Good point. If there’s a skeevy Wawa, I haven’t been in it.
Haverford used to have a radio station, going back to the 20s (you can read about its history here if you so choose https://www.haverford.edu/college-communications/news/haverford-radio). They had an online station for a while (WHRC) but it’s had a few down years the past decade (I don’t think it exists right now). It was alive and kicking in the early 00s when I was an occasional DJ there. The actual station is too small to film in but the show more or less captures the vibe. I’m guessing its inclusion is mostly an homage to the Main Line college scene by Inglesby, who went to Villanova, which is a long but doable drunken walk to the Haverford campus.
That’s cool. I used to visit my friends there in the early ‘90s. Definitely no station, and definitely no station that looks lived in as the one on this show.
I always find it weird that reviewers or viewers say stuff like it’s “overstuffed”. Overstuffed? How? Everything was just fine and fit where it needs to be.
I enjoyed this episode exactly for those “detours”. They add a very interesting and necessary substance to the main plot. For me, it is as much a character drama as it is a crime drama. And it works because this whole environment feels lived in. I have no problem imagining that this place and these people existed before the timeline of the show and will continue to exist after. Which is not very often the case. Like Helen.. Her reaction when Mare tosses the popcorn at her, her “What does that mean?” when Mare tells her she doesn’t know if her date is going to be with Richard… Jean Smart is just great. I like Zabel and seeing his relationship with Mare grow (whatever it turns out to be), but not too fast. It’s a little bit awkward, it feels believable. “Mom, this is my Mare..” It’s nice to see this kind of work from Evan Peters. Also, I’m not sure why but for now, I think something’s up with John, the best friend’s husband.
Pretty sure those weren’t “coupons”, they were cut up “missing” posters for Katie.
Doesn’t star a horse? The name is a lie. Done.
I was worried about the Siobahn storyline because I want it to at least have a thematic relationship to the rest of the show (or a “she’s more like her mother than she would like” and so her whole documentary isn’t just her blaming her mom, which is how it looks now), but it really only took up about a minute of the episode…plus they had to give Mare time to get restless. Dawn and Freddy’s storyline was meh but was worth it for the ending where she doesn’t tell the sister, which was handled beautifully. I actually thought this was a pretty good episode. It looks like there are two separate baddies, and the one keeping the girls captive might not be on the show? In any case it is somebody with access to an abandoned Irish bar (question why they are so focused on the Irish population of delco/chester to the exclusion of the italian population which is very significant). Finding out so many girls are on that Sidedoor site has echoes of One-Eyed Jacks in Twin Peaks. And the journals were missing? I wonder if Harold Smith has them, did Erin work for Meals on Wheels?Good music choices again, Big Thief this time.
The show takes place in January. Don’t any of these teens go to school?
I think they spend their lives in their hoo-mes and on the phoo-ne
I want this to turn into a full time sitcom starring Mare and Mom. Their chemistry is the real chemistry of this show.
I really don’t like Siobhan. She never talks to her ex. Then her inconsiderate actions gets grandma injured. My real problem here is that the show brings in all this drama involving Mare’s selfish and annoying kid and they dont seem interested in following through.
I didn’t remotely believe for a second that Colin was into Mare. Not one tiny little bit. I found that all completely bizarre. Maybe because Evan Peters looks about 10 years old? Even though he did Angel so bad on Pose? I dunno.