The penultimate episode of
Mare of Easttown can best be summed up as an hour of breakthroughs and breakdowns. Itâs an episode that sees Mare (Kate Winslet) finally reach her breaking point as the emotions of the case cause unresolved grief to rise to the surface. At the same time, there are monumental breakthroughs in the murder investigation that sets up what promises to be a tense and riveting finale.
Colinâs (Evan Peters) death weighs heavily on Mare, who is reinstated to the Easttown Police Department. After all, she was the one that led him to the kidnapperâs house, despite being on suspension. Mare tries to do right (and rid herself of guilt) by visiting Colinâs mother and telling her how great a detective her son was. All Mare gets for her trouble is a slap across the face and a heaping helping of blame for Colinâs death. With this, Mare returns home and finally snaps, her usually steely demeanor cracking as she cries in her momâs (Jean Smart) arms (a scene echoed later in the episode by Mare and her own daughter).