'Mare of Easttown' Finale: Will There Be a Season 2 of the Kate Winslet Crime Drama on HBO?
Michele K. Short/HBO Kate Winslet
Warning: Spoilers for Sunday's Mare of Easttown season finale follow below.
And just like that, Mare of Easttown's vape is empty.
Over the course of seven episodes, Kate Winslet & Co. took HBO viewers on a wild ride through the outskirts of Philadelphia — accents and all — culminating in a rather shocking finale Sunday night.
The surprising twist saw the murder of teen mom Erin (Cailee Spaeny) having been committed not by John Ross (Joe Tippett), the newly revealed father of her son, but rather by John's 13-year-old son Ryan, played by Cameron Mann. He feared Erin and her son would break up his family dynamic.
Adding to the heartbreaking revelation is the fact that Ryan is also the son of Lori (Julianne Nicholson), Mare's best friend.
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This photo made me put a lawyer on retainer. pic.twitter.com/l8GJVG3bRL
— HBO Max (@hbomax) May 30, 2021
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With rave reviews and a cast that included Jean Smart, Guy Pearce, John Douglas Thompson and Evan Peters, it should come as no surprise that viewers are already wondering about the chances of a second season to the previously declared limited series.
But judging by the way the internet responded to the show over the past few weeks, it wouldn't be too surprising to see Brad Ingelsby's miniseries getting the Big Little Lies season 2 treatment somewhere down the road.
In fact, Ingelsby, 41, told The Hollywood Reporter he hasn't officially closed the door on more of Mare of Easttown for good just yet.
"It was written as a limited, and it ends — there's no more mystery to be solved. Kate and I, if we could crack a story that we were really proud of and felt like it was a deserving second chapter in Mare's journey, then maybe," the show's writer and creator revealed. "I haven't cracked that yet; I don't know what that is, honestly."
Mare of Easttown creator Brad Ingelsby, director Craig Zobel, and the cast highlight the show’s setting and its tight-knit community. pic.twitter.com/WH59K69ijR
— HBO (@HBO) April 21, 2021
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"But if there was a world in which we were convinced, this is a continuation of the story that honors the first chapter and does things an audience will appreciate, then maybe," he added. "But as of right now, I have no idea what that could be."
Inglesby also called the story "very much a closed" one with "all the loose ends [tied] up" in an interview with Esquire, but noted he'd be open to another season if they could think up something "as emotional and surprising" as the first.
"I don't have that in my head right now, but I mean, listen, I love Mare. If we could ever give her a great season, I would certainly consider it," he added. "I would only do it if I was convinced we could make it great, though."
"I wouldn't do it just because you have a chance to do it," Inglesby told Esquire. "I would want to make sure that it was as rich and compelling as I hope this season has been."