After weeks of shocking twists and red herrings, Mare of Easttown‘s finale gave us the answers we wanted… but maybe not the ones we expected.
Sunday’s episode picks up right where we left off, with Mare approaching Billy and John at the fishing spot. Back at the police station, we finally see the photo Jess gave Chief Carter: It’s of Erin… with John asleep in bed next to her. (Jess confirms that John is actually DJ’s father; Dylan only destroyed Erin’s journals because he wanted to keep custody of DJ, even though it’s not his kid.) And at the river, John pulls the gun out of the tackle box and points it at Billy, telling him that “it’s the only way I can be sure.”
Mare finally sees them, and when she shouts at John to put the gun down, he puts it to his own head. Billy wrestles it away, with the two brothers struggling for the gun on the slippery wet rocks. Mare gets there and tackles John to the ground, and he’s sobbing: “Just f—king kill me, Mare. Please.” In the interrogation room, he tells all: His relationship with Erin started at the family reunion, but “it wasn’t just sex.” They had a real connection, he says. The night she was killed, she called John and demanded he pay for DJ’s ear surgery, threatening to tell Lori everything. He went to meet her, and she pulled out a gun, saying she was going to kill herself. He tried to pull the gun away, accidentally shooting her in the hand. Then he panicked… and shot her in the head.
John says Billy helped him move the body to the woods so the cops would think someone at the party did it, and he even went back to Frank’s engagement party so he’d have an alibi. Lori knew everything, too, and lied to Mare about it. John gets hauled into court and charged with criminal homicide, and he asks Lori to take DJ in, since the kid has no parents now. Deacon Mark gets released from prison, with all charges dropped. Lori takes DJ in for his ear surgery — and DJ is short for “Dylan John”! Of course! So case closed, right? Well… maybe not.
At a pizza party with her family, Mare spots Sandra Elliott, the woman John had been sleeping with. She confronts Sandra about the renewed affair, but Sandra says she only slept with John years ago, and never again since. Then Mr. Carroll calls Mare over to tell her things keep going missing in his house, including a gun he kept in the shed. The gun was mysteriously returned, with two rounds missing. And yep, it’s a Colt detective special — just like the gun that killed Erin. Mr. Carroll says the only people who have access to the shed are him… and John and Lori’s son Ryan, who cuts his grass. Mare runs to the surveillance tapes to see Ryan breaking into the shed, and her face crumbles.
She heads straight to Ryan’s school, and the boy panics and sprints home, telling Lori: “It’s Mare! She knows!” Ryan admits that he knew about his dad’s affair with Erin and agreed to keep it a secret if he ended it. But he got angry when he saw John talking with Erin that night and texted her back from John’s phone, telling her to meet him at the park. He brought Mr. Carroll’s gun just to scare her into leaving John alone, but she grabbed the gun… and it went off. John and Billy took care of the body, and Lori learned the real story right before John and Billy went fishing. “I agreed to lie to protect my son,” she tells Mare, “and I would’ve taken that to my grave if you hadn’t shown up at the house today.”
Ryan is sent to juvenile prison, and Lori blames Mare, angrily pushing her away and declaring she never wants to see her again. (“My whole family is gone because of this.”) But time passes, and wounds start to heal. Mare’s therapist asks if she’s ready to start processing her grief about Kevin. Ryan settles in at juvie. Deacon Mark addresses the congregation, urging them to reach out to people they’ve rejected. So Mare pays Lori a visit, and they share an embrace, with Mare tenderly cradling her friend as she collapses to the floor in tears. And finally, Mare wakes up one morning and decides to pull down those attic stairs and walk up there for the first time since Kevin died. As she told Mr. Carroll, grief never gets any easier, “but after a while, you learn to live with the unacceptable.”
Elsewhere in “Sacrament”: Richard slow-danced with Mare at Frank’s wedding before leaving town for a year to teach at another college (see that, haters? He was just a nice guy after all!); Carrie tearfully gave up custody of Drew, admitting that she’s been using drugs again; Dylan nobly handed Lori an envelope full of cash for DJ’s ear surgery; Siobhan went away to school at Berkeley; and God bless her, Helen drunkenly fell on the floor trying to switch off the TV, and it was hilarious.
Did you guess the real killer’s identity? And how’d you like the finale overall? Grade it in our poll, along with the full season, and drop your post-finale thoughts in the comments below. (Plus, for more Mare, check out our post mortem with director/EP Craig Zobel.)
Lori really should have been arrested as well… as she was part of the coverup.
I would presume John is free since he didn’t do anything but cover up for his son… What a wonderful show that will in all likelyhood sweep the Emmies… Obvious Winslet was great but I feel this is Julianne Nicholsen’s best role… Jean Smart might get a nominee in Supporting…
He hid the body, that is definitely a crime
If Erin was underage, that would be a crime.
Had sex with a minor. Impeded a murder investigation. Tampered with a dead body.
Yeah, if Billy got time; John definitely also got time. And don’t forget he tried to kill his brother.
Yes, but they clearly declined to charge her, as it’s “what any mother would do,” plus she has two other children with special needs who depend on her. The decision not to charge her is realistic, but yes, she is guilty of a crime. As for John, no, he’s not out of prison. But he’ll end up doing a lot less time than for murder charges. Ryan, on the other hand, will be out by the time he’s 18, so I don’t see why John going to prison for life was a considered a better option by him and Lori, when John will probably be out in 10-15 and Ryan’s out in 4.
In Pennsylvania, you’re automatically tried as an adult if you commit murder, even if you’re as young as 13, so the likelihood of Ryan getting out of jail before he’s at least 25 is very slim.
Wow, I didn’t know that. I’m honestly surprised it’s constitutional, considering everything we know now about the brains of people that age and their capacity. Thanks for the info!
No, she wasn’t. She lied just once, and it happened during a PRIVATE conversation with Mare, it wasn’t a formal interrogation. Also, you would rather her special needs daughter go to foster care instead of staying with her Mother? You’re judging Lori for protecting her son?
So the kid did it twist is what everyone defaults to? The show was very well done but the ending is just a rehash of Gracepoint, Secrets and Lies and several other shows. A show doesn’t have to have 47 twists to keep up engaged it just needs good characters and a story that is well written. This had everything and it spoiled it at the last moment.
Complete agree with you. The ending felt very contrived. It’s a blemish that tarnishes what had up to that point had been an excellent show.
Gracepoint was the first thing I thought of. The show was great right up to the ending.
The US version of Broadchurch did it too. The UK Broadchurch had a much better ending without resorting to this kind of “twist.” It’s the only blemish in this fantastic show.
Ryan Ross says he took the gun from the shed (and survellience tape shows) the night Erin was killed @11:48pm. He gives his account of what occurred and says he rode back to me Carroll’s house and put it back. So it was only gone from the shed a couple hours.
Mr Carroll said his gun was missing and is now returned.
“That night I heard a noise” and went out to the shed and the gun was gone
“But the other day I went out to get some tools and there it was”
So if it was only gone for two hours or so, why didn’t Mr Carroll find that it was returned sooner?
Did Ryan really return it same night?
And if he was a detective why wouldn’t he have reported the gun missing when he noticed it missing or reported the two Rounds missing when he noticed that?
That seemed implausible to me also but I forgot the part about Mr. Carroll going out to check on a noise. It’s true that he should have reported it missing, but I can see him not going back in the shed for a while (even after a local murder) because he’s shown to be forgetful. Also his wife died and there would have been a lot for him to deal with. He did report when he saw the rounds were missing by calling Mare that morning.
Yeah, that timeline tripped me up too. But thanks for the quotes, I guess it seems plausible.
That was so bad. Why can’t series like this stick the landing? Even without the dumb twist that so many mysteries have done (including the simpsons!) the characters felt like happy pod people took over their bodies. Everyone was so happy and everything was wrapped up in a bow, it did not feel like what would happen. That was a completely different series than the sex episodes that proceeded it. Also everything was so overexplained and frankly that kid was not good enough an actor to sell it
I agree with you .
I agree about the happy pod people – over explained the grief but it was so corny and “under explained” all the mysteries. the writers had a lot to work with and make this finales really great but for whatever the reason wrap this up in a bow that would be the kind of bow I make – sloppy and hurried. A season to is needed – with new revelations along with a new case to solve.
Great series and they should sweep the Emmy’s but how disappointing to have happy pod people appear out of nowhere
I see that Stephen King posted his (correct) guess about the killer’s identity earlier in the day. Glad I didn’t have a bet on this! My money would have been on Lori.
The gun having been out of the shed for such a short period of time would have bothered me if its owner hadn’t clearly been in a fog following his wife’s death. I got the impression that he had no idea how much time had passed between his seeing that it was missing and noticing that it was back.
I hope to see Mare in more cases😃😃
Goo to see Kate W. Such a great actress
Jean Smart talked with Terry Gross on NPR about this show. Its an AWESOME interview. A lot about her use of a dialect coach She also discusses the death of her husband in March. Just an FYI.
I did get it right! And yes I loved this show and the finale which was so weirdly hopeful and uplifting- not at all what I expected in terms of tone but strangely just what I needed. Excellent show.
Completely agree. I believe it ended perfectly. Kate and Julianne were absolutely amazing! I get chills just thinking about their performance.
Amazing finale. Julianne Nicholson deserves an Emmy for her performance this episode.
she is a terrific actress, been in many great movies and Law and Order Criminal Intent for several years.
I was confident that John was still covering for somebody after his arrest, given his hazy recollection of events. At first, I thought that he was trying to protect Lori, but after the revelations about access to that tool shed, I knew that Ryan also had to be a suspect.
What I expected for the most part… a couple of things I didn’t expect… 1. John Ross was actually going to shoot his brother Billy to keep the secret. Really JR? I always think of Dallas when I hear John Ross. 2. Dylan wasn’t trying to hide his complicity but simply didn’t want to lose DJ.
Excellent… Mare showed so much personal growth.
Jean Smart really gets to show her range as an actress between this and Hacks! Who knew an actress over 50 would be HBO’s it girl!
One of the BEST limited series I have watched in a very long time! Kudos to all of them!
I loved this series, but the finale was probably the weakest of the episodes, not that it was bad. My one complaint is that they kind of cut Siovhan’s storyline short or off, the only resolution was her leaving for Berkeley. They should have wrapped up her Annie storyline and given a little more insight into how she was feeling before she left for college. Would like to see another season of this series for sure!
The entire Berkeley plot was ridiculous. They couldn’t have gotten the admission process more wrong if they tried.
It was great
The only other thing I kind of wanted to see is Kenny finding out that so many of his family members were involved in his daughter’s murder.
Yes!!! I really wanted to see this too!
Me too!
Excellent point! And a huge missed opportunity.
If Mare could see the video of the shed, why didn’t Mr. Carroll look at it & see who went in & out of the shed?
I think they made a point earlier in one of the “silly” scenes with Mr. Carroll and his wife that he didn’t know how to work those cameras
Mr Carroll gave the impression he was failing healthwise and his mind was playing tricks on him. I suspected the early stages of dementia.
I really thought it was Lori until John asked her to take care of DJ. I thought at first he has some nerve asking her to do that. Then when she accepted, I realized that there was only one reason she would agree to do that. I loved the show from beginning to end.
Great episode. I did not expect the killer to be Ryan however I knew once the case was solved within the first 15 minutes that that could not be the whole story.
Fantastic series! You really got a feel of what it was like to live in a small town in USA. The storyline was extremely well crafted and the acting superb, particularly Kate Winslett who gave a masterclass in subtle underplaying.
I do hope that there is a season 2.
I think the Dylan angle was a loose end. Where was he when his GF said he went missing. Why was he so violent with Jess.
Also Mr. Carroll said the gun went missing. But Ryan is shown returning it right after ! Didn’t add up.
The interrogation had Dylan say he was smoking pot. He probably needed to calm down after seeing his GF beat up his ex & baby mama. He was violent because they had agreed to conceal the diary contents to keep DJ with his family. He did lose DJ when it was discovered John Ross is the father.
Mr. Carroll said he went out to the shed that night after hearing a noise after Ryan got the gun. It wouldn’t be shocking if he was sound asleep when it was returned in the early morning. He forgot about the gun for a while with the deaths of Erin & his wife & the solving of the 2 girls’ abductions.
Kate Winslet was outstanding in this series; every movie I have ever seen with her has been exceptional. i hope they will pursue a second season.
Why did the boyfriend burn the journals? And why did he chase after her best friend if they had nothing to hide? There was no reason for this other than making us think that he was the killer. Same thing with John taking his brother out to the river to kill him. Why did he do that? He was going to kill himself because his son was the murderer? That just felt like lazy writing to make us think something but didn’t really make sense.
I love the series but that ending was all over the place.
Dylan was violent because they had agreed to conceal the diary contents to keep DJ with his family. He did lose DJ when it was discovered John Ross is the father.
John was going to frame Billy by killing him. When that failed he was going to kill himself either to frame himself or because he was ashamed of what he or his son did.
Mr Carlson said he noticed the gun missing but it showed up again with two rounds missing, but Ryan said he took the gun and replaced it the same night. Is this a flaw in the script?
That was my thought too. Plot hole. But more importantly he was an excop. He would have reported his stolen gun right away.
I think Mr. Carroll noticed the gun was missing right after Ryan took it and didn’t check back until the next day or so. The writers made a point of Mr. Carroll forgetting things so his recollection was foggy.
Hope there is a season 2
I think the final episode was “hurried” and a bit sloppy. I mean Dylan is all of a sudden angelic – appears at Lori’s house with a halo on his head and not just the money Erin was saving – which by the way I guess is from prostituting ? Franks wife just re-appears and is chumming it up with Mare? John says it was more than sex with his niece/cousin so he buys her the necklace using Billy’s name? Not only does this not make much sense but also he’s really a sicko. Carrie all of a sudden is back on drugs? The deacon’s cut I suppose happens after the kids throw water on him? Small thing – but Katie’s mother grew her hair back? When? Katie is given a house yet still has some serious issues to work through – but is doing great now? It’s like we were sent a couple years into the future. Let’s see, Mare over takes John with such ease? Potts we are lead to believe must have shaved his beard? Ryan as the killer was good but I don’t see a 13 year old doing protecting the family in this way. And, it really did not look like an accident either. He pretty much steps away and shoots her point blank. He sneaky too. I mean how many time does go through his father’s phone. He seems to be at the very least a sociopath. Which of only 2 bullets ended of high in the tree? Is it the same bullet that ricochet off the eave of the building?
I get it the show is more about grief than a murder mystery but they could have had a much better story for both rather than just hurriedly tie up the grief and the murder.
Jeez Kate McKinnon’s Care on the SNL spoof kind of nailed it when she said – ” I don’t know what I know. All I know is what I don’t know.” !
If HBO is thinking about a 2nd season I would be all in , if it could be not only be a new case but lead to some new revelations about this case and those kidnapped girls too.
Maybe you should go back & rewatch the series. Stay awake or off your devices.
Dylan wasn’t the dad but was thankful that Lori got DJ the ear surgery & was in a loving home. He’s a kid & probably wasn’t ready to be a closer to full time dad. His parents may have given part or all of his share. Jess said Erin didn’t do prostitution. Frank & Mare share a family so it wouldn’t be a huge shock if the new wife wanted to get along after everything was cleared up. According to Deacon Mark’s sermon it’s been 8 months from when the rumors about him started until the sermon. The necklace receipt only said Ross. Carrie was struggling with staying awake for her job to earn enough money to afford her place for her & Drew & lawyer bills. Many drug addicts relapse. Deacon Mark was chased after & attacked by the kids. Katie & her mom again a potential 8 month window. Mare & John were in water. She tackled him & he fell & she was in a position of power. She only needed to control his arms which she did. I would guess the bullet shot at Erin’s hand would’ve been a through & through & ricocheted.