Looking back on the first episode, which spent so much time introducing characters and so little time on the mystery, it’s impressive to see how many storylines circled back around to become vital moments in the series. Carroll calls Mare in about his once-missing gun, and also tries to find his own path forward, through her guidance, after the death of his wife. Wrapping up the kidnapping arc, Katie Bailey (Caitlin Houlahan) gets a happy ending, inheriting the house Beth Hanlon (Chinasa Ogbuagu) couldn’t bear to own after her brother’s death DJ gets the ear surgery that was vehemently debated in Episode 1, via a finale scene where we also see Lori struggling to accept being the mother to her husband’s illicit son Richard Ryan rides off into the sunset, teasing a hopeful, if noncommittal, future with Mare and remaining the easy, breezy presence she could use right now even the prowler comes back around when Mr. Still, this is just one way Ingelsby and the whole “Mare of Easttown” team managed to address the many, many lingering loose ends. Lori says she’ll never abandon Mare, no matter what, and in the finale, she doesn’t - granted, it’s more of a role reversal where Mare could’ve run away from Lori, and instead had to exhibit the same level of loyalty. After all, it wasn’t that long ago (Episode 4) that Mare was leaning on Lori, distraught and lost, admitting she was pushing away everyone close to her. Both sides feel wronged, both women felt like they knew the other better than to expect that, and their immediate volatility is as understandable as their eventual tenderness is cathartic. The anger and hurt shown by both sides over the coming days and weeks is what helps land “Mare’s” emotional conclusion. Julianne Nicholson in “Mare of Easttown” Michele K. But Ingelsby convincingly builds Ryan’s conviction from there, letting the young boy confess in his own words while simmering tension zips across the interrogation room between Mare and the best friend who lied to her - between Lori and the best friend who put her family in prison. Carroll’s lawn, even she exhibits a mix of irritation under her heartbreak, as she watches Lori’s kid, on video, emerge from the woodshed. When Mare first hears that Ryan is the one mowing Mr. Pinning it on the child is an inherently tricky endgame for any crime thriller, and a certain level of incredulity can be expected at the outset. Things went awry, John and Billy were called in for clean-up, and the rest is history. The pissed off son of John (Joe Tippett) and Lori intercepted a text meant for his father, who was having an affair with Erin (as proven by the photo teased last week), and went to the woods to threaten her, hoping scaring off his dad’s latest mistress would keep his parents together. Yes, Ryan Ross (Cameron Mann) is the killer. It takes a certain level of audacity to cast out this many misdirects and still believe you can reel in an ending that’s both surprising and satisfying, but gosh darn it, Ingelsby pulls it off - and with “The kid did it” as his ultimate hook. The implied pedophile Deacon Mark Burton (James McArdle) threw Erin’s bike in the river, Billy Ross (Robbie Tann) was caught covered in blood the night of the murder, and you’re telling me none of these people actually killed Erin?! Dylan Hinchey (Jack Mulhern) was such a dick, threatening Jess (Ruby Cruz), burning evidence, and generally acting like a violent asshole. Richard Ryan (Guy Pearce) was a nice (too nice?), if libidinous (foreshadowing betrayal?), suitor who entered Mare’s life at the right (suspicious?) time. For more than 70 percent of the season, Katie Bailey’s kidnapping clouded everyone’s focus on the murder investigation, making it a little hard to believe Wayne Potts (Jeb Kreager) had nothing to do with the subsequent homicide. We witnessed first-hand Brianna Delrasso (Mackenzie Lansing) beat the shit out of Erin the night she died. There was the prowler spotted by the Carrolls in the series’ opening scene. Over the first six episodes - and even into the finale - the sheer number of red mareings tossed out could’ve kept Easttown fisherman busy ’til winter. Really, it’s worth noting just how many there were, if only to understand just how many were given proper explanations.
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