Mare of Easttown Finale Review: Sacrament (Season 1 Episode 7)
Mare of Easttown ends on a hopeful note despite one last tragic twist on Mare of Easttown Season 1 Episode 7, “Sacrament.”
At the end of Mare of Easttown Season 1 Episode 6, “Sore Must Be the Storm,” things seem to be tied up in a neat little bow. Billy says he is the murderer and Lori confirms Billy is the father of Erin’s baby.
But, viewers know things aren’t what they appear before the credits on “Sore Must Be the Storm” even start.
Thankfully “Sacrament” doesn’t waste time drawing out the reveal that Billy is neither the killer nor the father. Instead, it replaces one neatly wrapped up narrative with another when John confesses to the murder during the first few minutes of the episode.
John being the murder makes more sense but still feels off. Almost as soon as he confesses, it’s obvious we still aren’t getting the real story. It’s not just because the confession comes with 45 minutes of the episode left either.
The pieces seem to fit together, but not the way they should making this new confession as suspicious as the first.
Even if most viewers — though if you follow fan theories online, you know not all — didn’t guess the truth before Mare makes the connection, the hints that Ryan is the killer are there from the start.
Whether it’s the deliberate shots of Ryan throughout the series or his extreme reaction to what we originally think is his father restarting an old affair, the clues are hidden in plain sight.
Mare of Easttown does what the best crime dramas do. It surprises us but doesn’t trick us. That’s why it works. It’s the inevitable end we don’t see coming.
Ultimately, like so many other episodes of the series, it’s the last fifteen minutes of “Sacrament” that are the most important. It’s the time it spends on the aftermath of the reveal about Ryan that elevates the episode into something special.
The scene of Lori crying in Mare’s arms as they start their reconciliation, for instance, is one of the most powerful and cathartic of the series.
It would be easy to point to that scene as the reason to cast someone of Julianne Nicholson’s caliber as Lori. She is absolutely fantastic in it.
But, it’s important to remember that scenes like that aren’t created in a vacuum. They are built to through all the moments, big and small, leading up to them.
The real genius of Nicholson’s performance is all the ways she makes us care about Lori and her relationship with Mare, despite the relatively little screen time she has to do it in.
Just looking at what’s on the page, there is very little opportunity for viewers to get to know Lori or understand her relationship with Mare. Not in the same way we get with Siobhan, Carrie, or even Frank.
Nicholson’s ability to fill in the blanks and communicate how important Lori and Mare’s friendship is, makes us care about that relationship before the big emotional scenes on “Sacrament”.
The more subtle work done by both Winslet and Nicholson over the last 6 episodes is why that final scene as poignant as it is.
If we aren’t already rooting for them, then there is no devastation when Mare confirms Lori lied, or heartbreak when Lori lashes at Mare in her car.
No matter how good Nicholson is in that final scene, that deep sense of relief and catharsis that it gives viewers only comes because of the small ways Nicholson and Winslet work to build that relationship throughout the series.
In my review of “Sore Must Be the Storm,” I said that the ultimate success of the entire series depends on whether it can stick the landing. That’s exactly what “Sacrament” does.
“Sacrament” doesn’t explicitly tell us everything is going to be ok.
It doesn’t give its characters neat, clear-cut happy endings. That wouldn’t feel honest. It would minimize what these characters have been through and the trauma they have endured.
Instead, “Sacrament” gives us what Mare told her grief counselor she is looking for. It gives us hope.
“Sacrament” leaves viewers with the feeling of hope in the darkest of circumstances. It suggests there is the potential to heal even in the face of things we think we can never recover from.
It’s an ending about resilience and recovery. It’s the ending the series earned and the one these characters deserve.
Stray Thoughts
- So, the kid playing DJ on “Sacraments” is definitely a different kid from the one playing him on earlier episodes, right?
- I’m not sure I buy the whole Dylan burned the journals because he would be heartbroken to lose DJ thing. That’s the one misdirect explanation that feels like a stretch.
- Richard really is who he seems and isn’t connected with any of the series’ larger stories. I still don’t exactly understand what purpose he served, but he is such a small part of the series it’s only a minor quibble.
- My biggest complaint about the series is we did not get enough Jean Smart. That is almost made up for, though, with her brief but touching scene at the restaurant when she tells Mare to forgive herself.
- John tries to act like he cares about DJ once the truth comes out and maybe he does. Still, he could have found a way to pay for DJ’s surgery from the beginning and didn’t. Maybe DJ would still have his mom if he had.
What did you think of the Mare of Easttown series finale? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Critic Rating:
User Rating:
Follow us on Twitter and on 
Instagram!
Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!
Sarah Fields
Sarah is an obsessive geek who likes to get into the weeds and over think things. She is passionate about Sci-Fi and comics and is a giant classic film nerd. Sarah cares deeply about media representation and the power of telling diverse stories. When she's not writing or watching her favorite shows she spends her days working in the non-profit world trying to make life a little better for those that need some extra help.