HBO's Mare of Easttown recently ended its seven-episode run with a terrific and thrilling final hour that brought the whole thing full circle. Powered by Kate Winslet's towering performance, Mare gave audiences a classic whodunnit that kept them engaged and entertained for seven weeks.
But Mare isn't HBO's first whodunnit, but it might just be the best. The writing, directing, and acting all came together to create something exceptional. Still, over the years, the network has consistently put out remarkable and addictive shows about mystery and murder. Mare of Easttown is worthy of claiming the top spot, but several other contenders won't go down without a fight.
Mare Is Best: A Classic Whodunnit
Mare is a classic example of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." The show does not revolutionize the whodunnit but does represent it brilliantly. Mare takes all the classic elements of the genre — multiple suspects, shocking twists and turns, secrets polluting a small town — and mixes them with raw and deeply moving human drama.
The result is an engaging and moving study on grief and addiction that ranks as one of the best murder mysteries in years. The show thrives where many others failed by juggling multiple themes with empathy and delicacy without ever forgetting the central mystery that connects them all.
Alternative: The Night Of
Starring veteran actor John Turturro and recent Academy Award-nominee Riz Ahmed, The Night Of tells the story of a Pakistani American college student who is accused of murdering a young woman on the Upper West Side of New York.
Released in the summer of 2016, The Night Of received universal acclaim from critics. Ahmed's performance, in particular, attracted considerable praise and earned the actor the 2017 Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Miniseries or Movie. Like Mare, The Night Of does little to alter the whodunnit formula and instead thrives on all the elements that make it so addictive in the first place.
Mare Is Best: Shocking Twists
Episode 5 of Mare of Easttown will go down as one of the tensest and most shocking of modern television. It features a thrilling sequence in which Mare hides from and eventually kills the man responsible for one of the show's biggest mysteries: the disappearances of Katie Bailey and Missy Sager.
The sequence takes the entirety of the episode's final minutes and features Kate Winslet at the peak of her phenomenal acting abilities, channeling her inner Clarice Starling. What makes the experience even more stressful is that only seconds before, the man killed Colin Zabel, played by the underrated Evan Peters. Seeing one of the show's supposed main characters die in such a brutal way was definitely a twist no one saw coming.
Alternative: The Outsider
Mixing the classic elements of a whodunnit with those of the psychological thriller, The Outsider plays with audiences' expectations and delivers an electrifying mystery. Set in Georgia, it follows the investigation of a horrific crime seemingly committed by a local teacher and baseball coach.
Led by Ben Mendelsohn and featuring an outstanding turn by Cynthia Erivo, The Outsider benefits from its top-tier cast and powerful writing. The slow burn may not be for everyone, but the show delivers a satisfying ending, slightly brought down by its refusal to provide proper closure to the central mystery.
Mare Is Best: Exceptional Cast
Kate Winslet is the star of Mare of Easttown, but the show boasts some incredible supporting performances. Peters does some of the best work of his career in a role that requires him to be a leading man disguised as a supporting player. Veteran actress Jean Smart and the ever underrated Julianne Nicholson (who's also brilliant on The Outsider) are scene-stealers, especially Nicholson in the last episode.
Newcomers Angourie Rice, Jack Mulhern, and Cailee Spaeny also made huge impressions. Even Guy Pearce, whose casting was a stunt to throw audiences off, elevates an otherwise one-dimensional role.
Alternative: True Detective
Season 1 of True Detective has to rank as one of the best in television history. Boosted by Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson's career-best performances, the show employs a non-linear narrative to tell its story. The plot follows detectives Rustin Cohle and Martin Hart as they re-visit the seventeen-year-old murder of sex worker Dora Lange.
True Detective can't help but get dragged down by its second and third seasons, which can't quite reach the narrative heights of the first one. Still, the show remains a compelling and at times mesmerizing crime drama, leagues above its competition.
Mare Is Best: Tackling Deep Issues
Murder mysteries are always best when they dig into the characters' humanity and struggles. Shows like Mare of Easttown create a more compelling narrative that audiences can relate more easily to by painting an entire picture instead of just limiting to the crime in the middle of it all.
Mare Sheehan is a flawed and troubled protagonist dealing with her son's suicide and her feelings of inadequacy. However, the show also explores the demons that haunt the small Pennsylvania community where the action takes place. Audiences get to see topics like addiction, morality, regret, and atonement that never come at the expense of the thrills expected from a murder mystery.
Alternative: Sharp Objects
Like Mare of Easttown, Sharp Objects is another whodunnit elevated by its immensely talented leading lady. Amy Adams gives a career-best performance as Camille Preaker, a reporter living with alcoholism, who is recently discharged from a psychiatric hospital and returns to her hometown to investigate a gruesome murder.
As Camille, Adams is vulnerability embodied, a wounded, bleeding, walking heart desperate to find some release. Excellent supporting performances by Patricia Clarkson and an unforgettable Eliza Scanlen further enhance the material. The slow burn can be a bit much, but Sharp Object's final seconds make it worth the wait.
Mare Is Best: Kate Winslet
It's not an overstatement to say that Kate Winslet gives the performance of her career in Mare of Easttown. Winslet, famous for playing vulnerable, flawed, and deeply human characters, sinks her teeth into her best role since Steve Jobs, creating a moving portrayal of grief and depression.
Mare Sheehan may very well become one of Winslet's defining roles. The actress effortlessly travels between genres, juggling drama, thriller, and even comedy with such ability that it seems seamless. It's a true testament to Winslet's abilities that, in a career filled with peaks, Mare of Easttown is one of the highest.
Alternative: Big Little Lies
Big Little Lies, arguably the most successful HBO show in recent memory, was the definition of addictive television. The initial appeal was, of course, seeing actresses like Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, and Laura Dern sink their teeth into the material. However, the show soon proved an engaging and moving thriller, elevated by a wickedly funny script and the performances of its talented leads.
The show's second season abandoned the murder mystery aspect in favor of a more traditional family drama. It doubled down on the dark humor but considerably decreased the thrills. It remained as addictive as ever, though, thanks in large part to a scenery-chewing Meryl Streep.