Mare of Easttown Review: Miss Lady Hawk Herself (Season 1 Episode 1)

Mare of Easttown kicks off its seven-episode run with Mare of Easttown Season 1 Episode 1, “Miss Lady Hawk Herself.” The episode sets up a moody character drama anchored by an investigation of the murder of a young mother.

The framework of Mare of Easttown is a familiar one. A bitter local cop investigates a grisly crime while haunted by their past and dealing — poorly — with a complicated personal life.

Think The Killing or True Detective in a town so small the main character knows most of the people they arrest personally. 

As with shows like it, the success of Mare of Easttown depends on how invested viewers are, not so much in the investigation itself but in the characters and relationships surrounding it. 

That’s why the series uses almost all of its first episode to set the stage and introduce its characters. The series takes its time. It moves slow and lets the audience get to know who these characters are before diving into the main plot.

The episode also takes great care to create a sense of place for the close-knit town where the series is set. 

The murder that will drive the series doesn’t even happen until the last few minutes of the episode, which is a little different from a lot of other crime dramas.

Often in crime dramas, we are introduced to the murder victim after they are killed and learn about them through the investigation.

On “Miss Lady Hawk Herself,” we spend a significant amount of time getting to know the murder victim and rooting for her before she dies.

If you didn’t know anything about the series going in, her death might feel shocking.

Erin — the young mother who is killed — is one of the few truly likable and sympathetic characters we meet on “Miss Lady Hawk Herself.”

The scene where she finds out she’s been catfished by her ex and his new girlfriend is the most emotionally devastating and cruel of the hour. 

Spending so much time with her makes the tragedy of her death hit harder. Not just for her but also for her son, now stuck living with either his father or grandfather, neither of whom are kind or loving people.

As for Mare herself, the episode does a good job of establishing who she is without revealing much about her past.

As the series goes on, we’ll get details about Mare’s past along with the revelations about the murder. We will eventually find out why she is the way she is, but we know right away who she is without that context.

Behind her jaded exterior, Mare still takes care of the people in her life and her town.

That is evident in her interactions with Freddy and the rookie cop on the scene during Freddy’s arrest. She goes above and beyond for the people in her charge because that’s who she is, even if she’d rather be cynical or indifferent.

Mare’s exhaustion with the burden of that responsibility is evident, too. She cares about the people of her town and her family, but she’s also suffocated by them.

Part of her connection with Richard is the freedom he offers her. He has no expectation of her based on her past or her connections to her community. He is a release and an exhilarating escape, at least for the night.

I’m not particularly invested in their relationship just yet, and I don’t think we are supposed to be.

I can see potential where I might be more invested in them later, but right now, I’m more interested in Mare’s other relationships, namely, with her mother and with her daughter. 

I am also intrigued by the vision of the teenage boy she has at the end of the episode. The episode doesn’t tell us who he is but it seems likely that it is Drew’s dad — and Mare’s Son — Kevin. 

Dealing with whatever happened to Kevin will obviously be a significant part of Mare’s journey and one of the things I’m most interested to learn more about. 

There isn’t much to dig into yet on Mare of Easttown as far as the plot goes. This first episode teases what’s to come, but mostly it acclimates viewers to the dynamics and connections that will shape the rest of the story.

I’m ready to find out more about who these characters are, though. I’m invested in seeing how their past shapes their present, what hidden secrets will be revealed, and what happened to Erin after her confrontation with her ex. 

“Miss Lady Hawk Herself” does an admirable job of immersing viewers into Mare’s world and etching out the beginnings of the characters and relationships that will carry the show. 

My guess is that if these slow-burn, melancholy crime dramas are your jam, you will be all in immediately. Mare of Easttown has everything people love about those stories and does them all exceedingly well.

If these types of crime dramas aren’t normally your thing, it might take a bit more time to draw you in completely, but there is still good reason to give it your time. 

There is Kate Winslet’s understated and quietly angry performance for those not immediately gripped by the small-town melodrama and murder mystery.

Through her exhaustion and disillusionment, Winslet paints a portrait of a woman worn down by life but still trying despite herself. 

Without Winslet, Mare of Easttown’s first episode is just another entry in a long list of high-profile crime dramas. Winslet makes it a compelling character study that I’m looking forward to unpacking over the next 6 weeks.

What did you think of this episode of Mare of Easttown? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Mare of Easttown airs Sundays at 10/9c on HBO.

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