Summary
Three years afterMare of Easttownended, the show now has a fantastic-looking successor with a new Apple TV+ show.Mare of Easttownwas anHBO limited series starring Kate Winsletas detective Marianne “Mare” Sheehan, who is tasked with investigating the murder of a young mother while also grappling with her own family issues on the side.Mare of Easttownreceived four Emmy wins, including for Best Lead Actress, Supporting Actress, and Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series.
ThoughMare of Easttownwas planned to be a limited series, there have subsequently been talks of a potential second season for the crime show. Last month, HBO executive Francesca Orsi noted that they were in “early discussions” of a second season that would look at Mare and the other characters years after the conclusion of the events of the original series. As of now,Mare of Easttownseason 2has not been confirmed, but while the wait for answers on the status continues,an Apple TV+ show may be the perfect materialto take its place.
Mare of Easttown Ending & Real Killer Identity Explained
HBO’s Mare of Easttown has ended, revealing the identity of Erin’s killer and offering a sense of resolution. Here’s what it all means.
Lady In The Lake Is A Great New Murder Mystery Show To Watch After Mare Of Easttown
Lady In The Lake Shares Similar Themes
Lady in the Lakemay be the show that can fill in the voidleft byMare of Easttown. Based on the novel of the same name,Lady in the Lakeis a mystery story set in the 1960s, when an aspiring reporter looks into the murder of a Black bartender and a young, Jewish girl. The seriesstars Natalie Portman in the lead role of Maddie Schwartz, with a supporting cast that includes Moses Ingram, Y’lan Noel, Brett Gelman, Bryon Bowers, and Noah Jupe. It aired its first two episodes on July 19 and will continue through August 23.
Lady in the LakeandMare of Easttownshare a number of similarities in terms of plot and character details. For one,exploring the deaths of young women comes with similar themesof whose murders are the most cared about in a community. The settings of the two stories are also similar, as they are both set on the East Coast, in small town communities. How these murders rattle — or go under-addressed — in the small communities that surround Maddie and Mare become central background to the arcs of each story.
The protagonists of the two series also share some characteristics. Both possess an extreme passion for what they do, with Maddie leaving her role as a homemaker to pursue her passion for journalism, and Mare doing whatever it takes to solve the crime, even if she faces temporary suspensions along the way. It is the intense motivation of Mare that madeMare of Easttownso compelling, and it is something reflected in theLady in the Lakebookthat will hopefully continue to translate well to the show as it continues its run on Apple TV+.
How Lady In The Lake’s Reviews Compare To Mare Of Easttown
Lady In The Lake Can’t Match Mare of Easttown’s Acclaim
In addition to its Emmy wins,Mare of Easttown’s reviews showed nearly universal acclaim for the series. The series boasts a 95% on the critic aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Critics felt that the limited series was a captivating take on the thriller genre, and lauded the performance of Winslet.Audiences also lovedMare of Easttown, giving the seriesa 94% approval rating.
95%
94%
Lady in the Lake
72%*
51%*
Right now,Lady in the Lakehas not achieved nearly the same level of critical success asMare of Easttown.While its critics' score is positive at a 72%, audiences have not taken as kindly toLady in the Lake, giving it a 51% approval rating thus far. WithLady in the Lakeearly on in its run, this Rotten Tomatoes score is still subject to change, but does not start thePortman-led projectoff on as good of a footing asMare of Easttown.
These scores are subject to change as the show is currently airing.
Lady In The Lake Is A Big Reminder That Mare Of Easttown Season 2 Doesn’t Need To Happen
Networks Should Devote More Energy To New Stories
Even withLady in the Lake’s mixed reviews, the show is a testament to the unnecessary nature ofMare of Easttownseason 2. New shows like the Apple TV+ series can provide original mysteries to excite an audience that are more intriguing than rehashing existing works.Mare of Easttowncompleted its story in the first season, so while it could be intriguing to look at Mare’s life after the events of season 1, the series works perfectly well in its current form.
Lady in the Lake, on the other hand, can keep audiences guessing as they are faced with a new set of murders. HBO has already shown their ability to make engaging new limited series sinceMare of Easttown, including last year’s splendidLove and Death. Rather thanMare of Easttownseason 2, it would be best for HBO to follow in Apple TV+’s footsteps and devote more resources to new stories for limited series.
Mare of Easttown
Cast
Mare of Easttown is a mystery crime-drama that stars Kate Winslet as a detective attempting to solve a murder as her life crumbles around her. Marianne “Mare” Sheehan is assigned to investigate the murder of one girl while trying to tackle a cold case of another missing girl. Having recently lost her son, Mare’s world is steeped in chaos as she attempts to reclaim her life in the eyes of the town - and herself.
