HBO’s 7-Part Crime Masterpiece With 95% RT Score Is Among Its Very Best

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With a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, HBO’s seven-part series Mare of Easttown, starring Kate Winslet, is considered one of the network’s all-time best shows. It’s a fantastic crime drama that every HBO subscriber should definitely see.

Kate Winslet stars alongside a talented group of actors including Jean Smart, Evan Peters, Julianne Nicholson, Guy Pearce, Angourie Rice, and Cailee Spaeny. The series is created by Brad Ingelsby, who also wrote HBO’s crime drama Task, and it’s a truly exceptional show you won’t want to skip.

Mare Of Easttown Is Among HBO’s All-Time Great Series

I was really struck by Mare of Easttown. It wasn’t just a whodunnit; it felt like a show about people, their struggles with loss, and how they lean on each other in a small town. Like Task, it went beyond the typical crime show and felt incredibly real and moving – it really explored what it means to be human.

The HBO series Mare of Easttown centers on a police detective in Easttown, Pennsylvania, as she investigates the murder of a young mother. The detective, Mare Sheehan – portrayed by Kate Winslet – is a divorced, former basketball star who throws herself into her work to cope with personal struggles.

A small town is rocked by a new murder case, coming just after a year-long search for a missing girl. Mare, a woman who is both a mother and a grandmother, struggles with her own problems while trying to uncover the identity of the killer.

At first glance, Mare of Easttown seems like a standard crime show, but it has a surprisingly distinct feel. The first episode mixes seemingly unrelated elements – there are moments that feel like a classic comedy, like when Mare’s ex-husband asks to borrow oregano, alongside typical high school drama, including teenage romance and parties.

Mare of Easttown skillfully combines compelling family and community stories with a gripping murder mystery that really picks up after the first episode. The show shares some similarities with Twin Peaks because it focuses on the lives of many town residents, rather than just a few main characters or a pair of detectives like you see in True Detective.

Mare Of Easttown Is The Perfect Weekend Binge On HBO Max

Even though Mare of Easttown came out almost five years ago, it’s still a great show to watch this weekend – either for the first time or another viewing. HBO recently announced a second season, following the success of The Last of Us (which is also getting a season two), making it a series worth getting into now to enjoy future episodes.

Beyond the central murder mystery, Mare of Easttown feels instantly relatable. Like all great crime dramas, rewatching the show reveals hidden layers and new meaning in earlier episodes. You’ll notice subtle clues you missed the first time around, and realize scenes and images were carefully chosen to hint at what was to come, showcasing the creators’ deliberate approach to storytelling.

What really sets Mare of Easttown apart is how incredibly realistic the characters feel – it’s easy to forget you’re watching actors. This genuine quality creates a powerful connection with the audience, offering a deeper emotional experience than many other HBO series. While shows like The Sopranos are highly enjoyable, they primarily entertain, whereas Mare of Easttown achieves a more profound resonance.

Mare of Easttown isn’t just entertaining—it’s deeply impactful in a way that’s hard to put into words, but immediately felt while watching. The show boasts a remarkable sense of realism in its scenes and characters, a quality rarely achieved in television. This is a result of superb writing and vision from Ingelbsy, along with the incredible work of the entire creative team. For all these reasons, Mare of Easttown stands as an unforgettable and essential watch on HBO.

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2026-02-21 18:18