HBO’s limited series Mare of Easttown continues to be spectacular programming for the network’s heralded Sunday night time slot. The crime drama featuring Kate Winslet as the detective of the title delved even deeper into the show’s central mystery this week. ‘Enter Number Two,’ the show’s third episode, again featured some new points (and people) of interest in the case of Erin McMenamin’s murder. However, this recent installment also managed to include plenty more great character development, not only from Winslet, but from some other ladies of the cast. Once again, to brand new Easttown viewers, please do not read any further if you wish to avoid spoilers.
Mare Sheehan (Winslet) and Colin Zabel (Evan Peters, WandaVision) continue their investigation into Erin’s past to uncover possible clues into the case. They’re thrown for a loop when the girl’s father, the hungover and emotionally wrecked Kenny (Patrick Murney, Seven Seconds), turns himself in for his near-fatal shooting of lousy baby daddy Dylan (Jack Mulhern, The Society) last episode.
Looking through Erin’s cell phone records also points them in the direction of secretive Deacon Mark Burton (James McArdle, Star Wars: The Force Awakens), a recent transfer to the local church and friend of Mare’s cousin Father Dan Hastings (Neal Huff, Spotlight). As if things weren’t complicated enough, Mare confronts her ex-husband Frank (David Denman, Brightburn) for lying about knowing Erin. The high school teacher admits to having financially helped his pregnant former student but denies the accusations of killing her and/or being the true father of her baby. Got all that?
Burton and Frank appear to be the “two” new suspects of the episode’s title, as they are now at the top of Mare’s list. And while these fellas got most of the attention of Winslet’s protagonist this week, the women of the Sheehan household got mine. The invaluable Jean Smart proves yet again how much she can make any role work for her as Mare’s feisty mother Helen. She brings the heat to Winslet in a vicious argument over the forthcoming custody battle involving the latter’s grandson Drew.
The next day, Helen’s bickering turns to sweet delight upon Mare begrudgingly telling her about Richard (Guy Pearce, Memento), the man she’s been seeing. The comedic highlight of ‘Enter Number Two’ is the beaming Smart getting to actually meet her daughter’s new boyfriend. Both veteran actresses do a great job at establishing that realistic “flipping a light switch” dynamic, as this writer told his wife while watching that they admittedly reminded yours truly of her and her own mother.
Also impressive this week was Angourie Rice as Mare’s teenage daughter Siobhan. The young Australian actress got plenty of screen time this episode, and she definitely made the most of it. Equally sensitive and headstrong like her mother, Siobhan caringly comforts and distracts Drew while he’s getting his toenails cut. And yet she also asserts herself quite well playing makeshift referee during Mare and Frank’s verbal fisticuffs over his involvement with Erin.
Also similar to her mother, Siobhan unexpectedly finds a potential love interest when sparks fly with Anne (Kiah McKirnan, Hidden Tears: Tanya), a campus radio DJ at the local college. But unlike Mare, she appears to be coping better with her brother Kevin’s suicide, even doing a web documentary on him for a school project as a sort of memorial. It’s safe to question if Siobhan is handling her grief more maturely than her mother, but it’s without question that Rice has put herself on notice as a young actress to watch for.
Despite the generations of Sheehan women around her, it is still Mare herself that is Easttown’s most fascinating element. Winslet’s A-game is on point, unsurprisingly, as she reveals even more facets on who her character is. Mare’s skills and determination as a detective are shown when she and Zabel cover the scene where Erin was potentially shot, and he’s clearly amazed at her forensic brilliance. Mare’s vulnerability is on display while on a dinner date with Richard as she opens up about Kevin, her late father whom she idolized, and her fear of losing Drew.
And, speaking of her grandson, the lioness inside Mare comes roaring out when she confronts the boy’s mother Carrie (Sosie Bacon, 13 Reasons Why) over their inevitably ugly custody fight. Winslet is excellent in how she is never afraid to show the damaged Mare at her most exhausted and overwhelmed. The actress knows when to add little touches to her character, as the stressed-out detective’s best friend this week seemed to be her trusty vape cigarette.
Mare of Easttown proves itself yet again as one of the most unexpected surprises on television this year. The HBO/Kate Winslet dream team continued to do awesome things here with ‘Enter Number Two,’ the limited series’ third installment. It concluded with Deacon Mark Burton being linked to an important clue to Erin’s murder that has been missing. Plus, the desperate and worn-out Mare makes a morally ambiguous decision that could cause her to further spiral into self-oblivion. Stay tuned…
Mare of Easttown Episode 3, ‘Enter Number Two’ is Now Streaming on HBO MAX.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miQqyfO66uw
