At first glance, Mare of Easttown might strike you as a cliche "whodunit" cop drama, where the main character is a detective with an emotionally traumatic past, a heavy drinker, and someone that is dragged into a case that does nothing but remind them of their past failures.
While the show most certainly contains that character trope, Mare of Easttown is much more than that, thanks in small part to the incredible performance by Kate Winslet as Mare Sheehan, the detective tasked with solving the murders.
SPOILERS FOR MARE OF EASTTOWN FOLLOW
"In the suburbs of Philadelphia, a detective named Mare Sheehan 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 another murder case 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 a heroin-addicted daughter-in-law battling for custody of Mare's grandson" describes HBO, and while Mare of Easttown follows that closely, it quickly spirals into something deeper and more sinister.
