Mare of Easttown Ending Explained | Episode 7 Series Finale Breakdown
Mare of Easttown ending explained. Episode 7 breakdown. Recap & review with a deep dive into s01e07 “Sacrament”. Please subscribe! 👉 bit.ly/PetePeppers
Mare of Easttown episode 7 just debuted on HBO and HBO Max. The series finale brought the limited series to end concluding the show's first season. Mare arrests John Ross for Erin’s murder and we learn that he is DJ’s father. Jess brought the photo of John and Erin together to the police station to confirm the paternity, and they destroyed the journals to protect her friend’s secret.
The big twist is that John, Billy, and Lori are all covering up for Ryan Ross. Ryan found out about his fathers involvement with Erin, and promised to keep it a secret if John ended it. On the night of Frank’s engagement party Ryan learned that it was still going on, and when he saw Erin was trying to meet her dad he went instead. He was just trying to scare his cousin, but she tried to take the gun away from him. As they struggled he ended up killing her.
Over the runtime of episode 7 Mare starts to notice that John is not the killer. She eventually figures out it was Ryan after getting a call from Glenn Carrol about some things going missing at his house. One of the things was the gun, the Colt Detective special that Mare knew was the same as the murder weapon.
The Mare of Easttown series finale ends when Mare and Lori come together being connected by their tremendous loss. We see how the murder and the investigation tore the town apart, and how these two best friends were able to forgive each other. Ultimately Mare is able to confront her grief over her son Kevin’s suicide, and the series ends as she’s able to go back up into the attic where he died. We know that Mare is able to move on, and there may be light at the end of the tunnel.
Let us know what you thought about season 1 of Mare of Easttown, and how you feel about it being a limited series.
This Mare of Eastown season 1 episode 7 breakdown explains what happened in the episode including the ending. We discuss what happened to the characters and explain the ending of the series.
About Mare of Easttown
Starring Academy Award®, Emmy® and Golden Globe® winner Kate Winslet (HBO’s “Mildred Pierce”), from creator Brad Ingelsby (“The Way Back”), with all episodes directed by Craig Zobel (HBO’s “The Leftovers” and “Westworld”), the seven-part limited series focused on family and community. MARE OF EASTTOWN debuted SUNDAY, APRIL 18 (10:00-11:00 ET/PT) on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max. Ingelsby returned to his home state of Pennsylvania to write the series, an exploration into the dark side of a close community and an authentic examination of how family and past tragedies can define our present. Winslet stars as Mare Sheehan, a small-town Pennsylvania detective who investigates a local murder as life crumbles around her.
MARE OF EASTTOWN also stars Julianne Nicholson (HBO’s “The Outsider”) as “Lori Ross,” Mare’s best friend since childhood; three-time Emmy® winner Jean Smart (Emmy® -nominated for HBO’s “Watchmen”) as “Helen,” Mare's mother; Angourie Rice (“Black Mirror”) as “Siobhan Sheehan,” Mare’s teenaged daughter; Evan Peters (“American Horror Story”) as “Detective Colin Zabel,” the county detective called in to assist with Mare's investigation; Guy Pearce (Emmy® winner and Golden Globe® nominee for HBO’s “Mildred Pierce”) as “Richard Ryan,” a local creative writing professor; David Denman (“Outcast”) as “Frank Sheehan,” Mare’s ex-husband; Joe Tippett (“Rise”) as “John Ross,” Lori's husband and high school sweetheart; Cailee Spaeny (“Devs”) as “Erin McMenamin,”
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Episode 107 - “Sacrament”
Directed by Craig Zobel
Written by Brad Ingelsby
First aired on 5/30/2021
Synopsis - When her investigation takes a series of devastating turns, Mare's friends and family members process the fallout as she attempts to finally find her own way forward.
0:00 Intro
0:54 Episode 7 Breakdown
1:56 Jess & Dylan
2:56 John’s Arrest
5:16 Katie Bailey, DJ, Carrie
5:53 The Case Falls Apart
7:10 Billy Ross, Frank, Richard
7:51 Erin’s Real Killer
11:53 Lori & Mare
14:28 Review and Final Thoughts
#MareOfEasttown #HBO #HBOMax
Not a happy ending but wasn't expecting one. A satisfying end for the character, and a lot of great performances. It was a lot of fun covering the show, so thanks for watching. Let me know what you think.
Thank god you came to explain it all because that left me with too many unanswered questions.
@@samanthab1923 hope the video helps. Thanks for watching.
It was kind of happy ending for Mare her arch was kind of fullfilled, I would love that when series would end at Lore and Mare in car while she said Mare ruined her family. It would be great end and would contrast Mare saving Bailey and with the same of effort and persistence to dont give up ruinimg other family. Saving one and destroyimg the other.
I want to say thank you for covering the show. You were one of the only few doing analysis of each episodes. Again, thank you!!!
@@ShevonnePolastre thanks for watching!
Julianne Nicholson blew me away . Her falling into Kate’s arms was the best scene of the series I think.
It really made the finale come together.
I agree. I was sobbing
@@PetePeppers1 I hope HBO gives her, her own lead project. She’s always been a great actress, been a fan of hers since August Osage County.
Yess
She was also great in Boardwalk Empire as Ester Randolph the US attorney.
The scene where Ryan is running and then he runs in the house screaming "MARE KNOWS" and then you see the cops coming over the hill, that scene is brilliant.
Alec, I totally agree. When the scene with the police cars showing up over the hill came up it almost gave me the shivers. There is a lot of really well filmed scenes in this tv show but this one… there’s something about it for sure. I am glad you noticed this too. God bless.
Him running home is so on point for what a kid like him would do then, made me empathise so much
one of the best shows I've watched in awhile.
I liked this even more than Sharp Objects and that had Led Zeppelin going for it too! This finale reminded me a lot of the True Detective season 3 finale where dark and sinister appearances end up being raw emotion combined with tragic accidents. Bravo.
I agree! Best murder mystery series since Broadchurch (which this series had the same feel)..it was so well written. Guessing until the very end and I'm so glad the finale tied together all loose ends
Ditto!
Agreed, Kate Winslet killed it. Such good acting
my sister and i were two of the extras sitting on the bench in the scene where ryan jumps the fence. they didn’t even tell us what that scene was for or anything so we were so confused and even when the show was still being released weekly i was still trying to piece together what ryan had to do with anything. this show is truly amazing it better win some emmys this year
WOW! What an adventure you had :-)
Great story
Where was it filmed ?
Haha I loved that that scene had genuine reactions 😂
Since John was arrested in the first 10 min of the episode, I think we all knew he hadn't done it and he was protecting Ryan. But I really wish it was different. That was such a devastating ending.
I know. Personally if I were mare I would have kept quiet. Let John do the time since he is the cause for the entire debacal
@@ED80s at some point I was sure she would confront Laurie and keep it a secret between them. When she didn't, I thought it was because she broke the law, for her own benefit, once, when she put the drugs in Kerry's bag and she didn't want to do it again.
Yeah, when Billy didn't die and John was in custody right away I knew it would probably have to be Ryan.
@@sophiepap2462 No, Mare didn't do it ''for hew own benefit'', she did it for justice. It's her job to bring people to justice, no matter what.
@@ED80s I don't know about that. John certainly deserves to tot in jail forever for what he has done. But Ryan is still a very troubled kid. No matter how traumatised he was, NOONE in their right mind goes to threaten someone with the gun with the purpose of ''scaring her''. You want to scare her? Well go yell at her or something. But even if it was an accident he still showed a level of calculation when he devised that plan on the spot.... Kids do stupid things but not like that...
I thought the scene where Lori collapses in Mare’s arms was something of a callback to her description of her experience with her son after she took his body down from the rafters.
I don't know whether that was intentional but yes it does symbolise the main theme of the show being the aftermath and consequences of trauma
I didn't see that callback but it makes sense. The obvious callback was when Mare whispered "I'm here" after Lori's collapse which tied back to pastor Mark's first sermon (shown in episode 2 I think). It was also a call back to the I won't let you push me away scene in the park.
I was so invested in this show, oh my God. The ending was such a climax. Up until it was revealed I had no idea who killed Erin. For a while I thought maybe Lori did it because she found out about the affair, because I knew there was a twist to the twist in the last episode. And the acting throughout this show was just phenomenal.
Didn’t see the real killer coming. I hope we don’t have to wait for such a compelling and superbly acted mystery to appear again. I will miss Mare on Mondays.
I cried like a frickin' baby through at least half of the finale.
Omg same here! Such a powerful scene!
Sameeeeee what a show!
The actors and character development made the series finale work for me. Thank you for your excellent recaps/reviews.
Thanks for watching
That was such a crushing ending 💔 Mare going up to the attic at the end was so poignant! I would have kind of liked to see Erins dads reaction to what happened! I didn’t click about DJs name 😱 Im going to miss watching this each week, one of the best shows I’ve watched in a while! I’m still not over what happened to Zabel tbh 😩
That is one thing I figured out right away. That John was the dad because DJ stood for Dylan John. I knew John wasnt the killer tho. It had to be more complex. I knew Ryan was involved somehow but I thought it was wbcasue he knew who killed Erin. Never imagined until the last episode it was him. In episode 4 when the news report comes on the tv and Ryan walks in, he sees Erin's face on tv and he was stone cold. That was a relative. He should have shown some emotion.
@@ED80s also I thought the security camera wasn’t working until after the night of the murder 🤔 so how did it record ryan taking the gun!
@@meowlovesmakeup hmmm true!
@@meowlovesmakeup It wasn't working when she went over for the prowler. Betty was on him to fix it after that.
I'm going to miss it too.
I bawled my eyes out in that scene with Ryan and Lore as Mare was approaching the house. He’s a scared kid crying in his mom’s arms, she’s broken because she knows what’s about to happen and you can tell from Mare’s expression that she’s having a hard time with what she has to do. Really enjoyed the show overall and loved watching your breakdowns as well. Made it that much more enjoyable!!
I find it strange how many people are excusing Ryan's mistake to bring a gun to threaten Erin, and Lori's decision to "protect" her son as if he's done nothing wrong. Ryan shot Erin the second time, for real shot her, scuffle aside. Lori should've realized the most that can happen to Ryan is trial as a minor and juvie, and maybe he needs juvie to work through his mistake. But "protecting" him has escalated disastrously already. I don't understand why we're supposed to find it understandable that she agreed to lie to "protect" Ryan, to lie for John and possibly even let Billy get murdered, if John confessed his intentions about that, too. The rest of Ryan's life will be impacted, but again, he brought a gun to ambush and threaten someone. At 13, you're not too young to know that's wrong, or that it could go badly once a gun is involved. Ryan should be given a chance to atone, resolve his own conscience about it, and if he serves his sentence out, it's possible his record will be sealed, even. He can have a relatively normal, atoned adulthood. What kind of parenting is it where you help your son get away with, ok -- if not murder, then at least manslaughter? Why am I supposed to find all this understandable? I get that it's fiction, but... I don't get it. Like, I'm sorry, but this is how you get parents who, when their son rapes an unconscious woman behind a dumpster, say stuff like: “His life will never be the one that he dreamed about and worked so hard to achieve,” Dan A. Turner wrote in a letter arguing that his son (Brock Turner, the Stanford rapist) should receive probation, not jail time. “That is a steep price to pay for 20 minutes of action out of his 20 plus years of life.”
I agree!
@SilverScale. Two other series, Your Honour and Defending Jacob suffer with this same premise - defending the indefensible. If this is supposed to be good parenting we are all doomed.
Why was Erin found naked?
Guilt. Ryan's father felt guilt because his actions led to Ryan threatening Erin. And Lori felt guilt because her reaction to her husband's prior infidelity led to Ryan's fear of his family being torn apart again.
@@Carlyon100 To presumably lead the police to think that the murder was sexually motivated and thus draw attention from the true murderer.
The emotional impact of this show was pounded home in multiple powerful scenes. But some of the most powerful didn't even use words. The small gasp from Mare as she saw Ryan on the security video. The hitch in Mare's voice as she calls in the bolo. The utter devastation on Lori's face as she screams My Ryan. And of course the silent collapse of Lori into Mare's arms. If any of these actors get another chance to act in such powerful scenes they will be very lucky.
Carrie's relapse and not being able to take custody of Drew was just heartbreaking. I really wish she became sober and won her son.
yea she almost killed his ass, better luck next time
That was Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick’s daughter. Good acting from her.
@@user-ParisFashionista correct, she killed it
best show, masterpiece of everyone's performance, especially Mare and Lori, shook me to the bone real life....emotional rollercoaster
I liked that Mare faced no immediate consequences from her evidence tampering. That feels like real life. Tons happen at police stations we never find out about. Colin's death could be a consequence cuz Mare might've pulled her pistol faster.
Colin's death is totally on Mare planting that evidence. She would have drew her gun and probably saved him.
@@TheRoyalFino You can see Mare partially learned her lesson about calling in for backup when she approached the house of 13-year-old, Ryan. Plus, after Mare just learned that Colin was anything but a super cop (which she prolly already had significant doubts about) she should have rethought going to the suspect's house with him.
@@Stress-Free-K Agree!
Whoever played “Lori” is an incredible actress and NEEDS to win an award for her performance
Julianne Nicholson, not ''whoever''
heck yes, Julianne Nicholson is absolutely incredible and deserves way more recognition and roles!
She did win an Emmy’s for best supporting actress and best actress goes to Kate Winslet. 🎉
Did anyone else notice Guy Pearce driving off in a Jaguar convertible in this episode? Must be a nod to his starring role in Memento (2000) where he drove around in a Jaguar XK8.
I saw that immediately. Memento is one of my favorite movies.
I understand Lori’s desire to protect her son. But in the end, it would have effected Ryan’s life and mental health negatively.
True.
Well...
Thank you for this great and thorough breakdown. I too will never forget the Laurie/ Mare scene or Kate Winslets performance throughout. Jean Smart was a gem in this series as were all the actors. I loved it
Thanks for the comment. Glad you enjoyed the videos.
The ending was so perfect and unexpected. Just when you know you got the killer but there’s actually more behind it. So perfectly done! 👏🏼👏🏼
As a Berkeley media studies Grad, this show makes the media studies department sound a lot cooler than it actually is. Nobody is going to look at the documentary you made in high school when you apply. There are no filmmaking/content producing classes. We just write essays about things a bunch of dead philosophers said decades ago.
The grooming of each character is commendable in this storyline, and the tension kept me on the edge of my seat always keeping me guessing. One chapter of this limited series was titled ‘Illusions’, which was exactly the plot of don’t believe what you are seeing. I truly didn’t know who was responsible for Erin’s demise, but I in this lifetime would never guess who it was. I thoroughly enjoyed this limited series immensely. Acting of all superb, many thanks HBO.
When they said their goodbyes to Siobhan when she drove off to college I teared up a little bit 😭
I was completely invested in the last scene between Mare And Lor......I wasn’t expecting that emotional commitment and it really connected. So powerful and real.
Yeah.... Heartbreaking as well(((
What an amazing series. The parallels between Mare and her best friends life was heartbreaking.
I don’t know about you guys but I really felt Lori’s pain when she said to Mere “why you couldn’t come to me first, it’s my Ryan Mere” I felt that and I cried
Julianne Nicholson showed up for work.
@@PetePeppers1 she sure did! She made the show as well!!
You don't know why? Cause you're a human and understand the tragedy of situation (especially if you're a Mom as well) and cause Julianne acted the hell out of that scene. It was their intention to make us feel her pain....
nah, it was just a mere feeling.
Definitely one of the most heartbreaking moments of the show... I cried too.
I totally agree Dylan was made to come across more violent than scared, or necessary lol. there is one thing I noticed from that scene that is noteworthy while rewatching before the finale though. when Dylan is on top of Jess pointing the gun in her face and he says something along the lines of “you better shut up or you’ll get your face blown off just like Erin” I know this sounds crazy, but that ruled him out for me. The wound on Erins face was definitely not anywhere close to “blown off” levels of damage, meaning he wasn’t there to see it. Sorry for the novel on a point from the last episode but i’m glad I could find some meaning out of one of the plot points that bothered me in the finale hahah. I’ll miss your Mare videos!
Yeah, I have character remorse on Dylan. He was just as manipulated by John as Erin was. John was a sick narcissist who manipulated and used people, and he discarded them when he was done. They really set us up with the Dylan aspect though, because it was definitely he who wanted the journals destroyed. I got the impression in the ending that it was because he wanted to spare himself and the family the shame and heartbreak from DJ not being theirs, although I think DJ belongs with Dylan’s parents and not Lori. Dylan redeemed himself when he handed that money over to Lori.
@@stephaniestone4737 I agree 1000%. I’m so impressed by the actor who plays Dylan and the writers for constantly making me go back forth on my feelings for him haha
respect You don't sound crazy saying it that - you sound logical and correct! I thought exactly the same (about Dylan saying that meaning that he did not do it) and that he was made look more violent as he turned out, and it wasn't really necessary
@@kfrederking1 You don't sound crazy saying that at all - you sound logical and correct! I thought exactly the same (about Dylan saying that to Jess as another confirmation if his innocence). I also think that they overdid it with making him seem violent. Not very good writing on that part
@@stephaniestone4737 I was really surprised when DJ stayed with Lori. Not only it makes everything worse for Lori after what she's been through - but for DJ as well. How would they tell him that his brother killed his Mom? How would they tell him he's a result of incestuous inappropriate ''relationships''? I think he was muc better off with Dylan's parents, couldn't they just adopt him? Really doesn't make much sense to me either from legal or drama POV....
What an intense series , thank you for the breakdown , I did not think it was Ryan , just thought he was keeping a secret about John. I started sobbing when Mare went to confront them , never stopped 😭 I keep thinking of all the reasons why they should have a season 2 but wishful thinking 😕
This was one of the best mystery shows ever. I was very impressed by it
God I cried so much!😭😭😭😭😭 Wasn't expecting it. It was so tragic but sooooo good. 🥺🥺😍😍😍 Gosh, the acting performances were outstanding. Breathtaking!😱
Best series I've seen in a long time. Loved it.
It really is. I was excited about the finale. I am so happy Mare made it through the healing process.
Definitely an enjoyable/fun show to watch. If all the performances hadn’t been so quality it could have easily been forgettable. Great explanation video! I was unsure about a few things and your video cleared it right up. Good stuff!!
Glad you liked it
It was obvious Mare would have to go into the attic again. I was glad that’s how it ended.
Perhaps I misheard, but the old guy telling Mare that he noticed his gun missing and then it was back has me confused. Looked like the Ryan took the gun, used it, and brought it back the same night. Am I wrong to assume that? How did the old man know it was missing and then returned?
he heard the noise of ryan taking the gun, went to check and saw it was gone, then later checked again and it was back.
@@gingernoodle7849 Thanks for reply BUT, knowing of a murder in town, why did he wait weeks to tell Mare this? That part of the writing makes little sense to me. LOL, I guess the show would have been over after two episodes.
@@netti5415 the whole season they have been showing that he has been losing it mentally for a while. It seemed like he really called Mare because his Eagles cup from the championship game and his really nice pizza cutter was missing. The gun he kinda just mentioned as an after thought.
He also went to get the gun the night after Erin's murder because of the prowler situation but it wasn't there. He alluded that it was returned, just later. Meanwhile, showing Ryan's perspective, he seemed to do it all (steal, murder, replace) in one night. They could've made that more clear. Then again, a lot more could've been cleared up. Still a good series!
@@netti5415 it took him months, they fast forwarded to August, that’s when the wedding was. The murder was January 10th
I love that you didn’t even wait till the next day to post this. Great show, however I disagree about her abusing her power and facing no consequences. While she received Littleton terms of punitive discipline from the department, her actions lead directly to the death of her colleague Det. Colin Zabel. The loss of her badge and gun as well as her continued work on the case put her and Zabel in an unnecessarily dangerous situation that in the end cost him his life. Love your videos man, been here since The Expanse and you’ve sold me on both For All Mankind and now Mare of Easttown.
Yeah, it played a part in his death, but there wasn't any reflection on that. The fact that she didn't stop working the case is what really got him killed. As soon as he was dead the chief made the Carrie stuff go away and made her the lead on Erin's case again.
@@PetePeppers1 That's cuz Mare was a hero. The chief and town needed a win. This read like real life to me. Police departments hide all types of crimes that make them look bad. It's about time movies/series reflect that reality.
@@Stress-Free-K Agree. Not every show/fims needs to be preachy or moralistic - some need to be realistic and in the grey area...
I love this series with you! I don’t have a ton of time to watch & your reviews are fantastic! Gratitude 😊
I never thought the writers would put a gun in young Ryan's hand, so that was unexpected for me. All the cast was great and they and the show I expect will honored w many awards at the Emmy's. My one story question is why did Billy and John strip the clothes off Erin when they left her in the creek? The reunion between Mare and Lori was so sweet and showed the deep love these two friends have for each other that it could survive the terrible events that tested it. It really got to me hard while watching it. Your reviews have been a pleasure to watch and the guessing game we all played in was a lot of fun. Thanks for the hard work on your weekly output.
maybe they stripped her to get rid of any plausible evidence that they or ryan might have left on her clothes
@@marsbars6869 that's what I was thinking, but there was nothing about it all answered in the show. Did they burn the clothes? Bury them?
Mare was able to finally deal with her perceived part in Kevin’s suicide - she felt that she didn’t do or say enough to hold her own son accountable for his bad choices. Heartbroken yet determined she then held young Ryan accountable for the death of Erin in the hopes of helping to save both him and herself. Then she goes to her attic..... I love this series and wish it weren’t over; can we have a S2 Please???? And kudos to Pete for the well-crafted synopses!!
I like your way of thinking. Great point! Some people say that Mare should have made it go away, letting Ryan off the hook... However, they seem to miss that it would have eaten Ryan up eventually and he might have become a really bad person from all this pent-up anger; not mentioning that he needed to answer for his crime... And no, at this moment they are not really set for season 2, and I think it's for the best :-)
This series was absolutely brilliant. I didnt know what to watch Sunday night, so I watched this finale again. Great show. Great cast. And great vid btw.
Been a long time subscriber - it was nice to have you back! There was lots of clarity & things that could've been better explained throughout the series but it was enjoyable nonetheless! My only eyeroll moment of the finale was someone (a professional especially) keeping a decommissioned, commemorative firearm *fully loaded* in its display box. Nope, nope, nope. Not happening. That and the Lance Armstrong cycling & being gone for hours by a 13 year old kid with a hands on mom like Lori. My biggest mystery? Where are you??? : > I know you have US roots but you mentioned being gone for some time. That's the biggest plot twist yet! Thanks for great reviews & analysis as always.
This was amazing series. Great reviews. Tough emotions all over
Loved the show overall but damn, not ONE reaction from Kenny behind bars finding out about John/Ryan? Anyways, give all the awards to Kate and Julianne Nicholson.
You did a great job reviewing the show. You made it more enjoyable for me. I'll subscribe and see what youre into next.
Thanks. Have been looking for something new, but haven't settled yet.
Outstanding finale and series overall! Loved the reviews...
It was a fun ride. Thanks for watching!
Really going to miss this show every Monday but all great things must come to an end
Loved this series! I was surprised at the ending and that is not an easy thing to do . Great acting all around and time well spent watching.
Thanks for all the wonderful recaps! Coming here Monday morning made the series all the more enjoyable! I loved this show and felt the outcome was satisfying. I would have been disappointed if we had left things with John, and was relieved to see the show give us a twist. If I had one complaint, I felt like the storyline with Dylan and Jess was a little overblown. It didn’t really make sense for there to be so much drama over the diaries if the only motivation was to let Dylan’s parents keep DJ. Chasing Jess in the middle of the night and pointing a gun at her-really? I also felt that Jess’ reasoning for burning the diaries didn’t make sense when she was potentially obstructing justice for Erin. Also, it would have been nice to have gotten more of a perspective on Erin/John from Jess and Dylan too. Did they suspect anything? Were they shocked? I feel like a little more attention to Erin’s friends would have rounded the story out for me and made it all the more believable. I think more attention here would have also drawn out just how devastating sexual abuse can be to a community, which is important too. I’m a little disappointed my Erin/John/Jess love triangle theory fell through, lol. It would have been a great twist too! But overall, I’m satisfied! Wish there could be a season 2!
Thank you for your recaps. I enjoyed the show! Thought it was well done , and I enjoyed the ending
She didn’t vape at all in the last episode
And no beer, lol
You're right, she didn't. I did not notice that
And no beer !! Right
She got offered one, but didn't take it. I think it was a low-key move to show how she was putting he old lifestyle behind her. A refresh and new approach to things.
Astonishingly selfless of Billy to be willing to take the fall for what was essentially John's f-up!
Yeah, it makes more sense when it's for Ryan. That and how she ended up shot were the two things that were bugging me when I thought it was John.
That's a great brother right there!
@@PetePeppers1 I totally understand protecting his nephew but it still really bothers me. You see the 2 brothers alone at one point with Billy breaking down and tearfully 'confessing' "I did it, I killed her" and you realise that John's talked him into it. And why? Because Billy is single and childless as though his life is worth less for those 2 simple reasons. John is an absolute monster for not cleaning up his own mess and manipulating Billy like that; destroying his family with his constant philandering; having an incestuous relationship with his cousin (ok 2nd cousin but still, yuck) and worst of all screwing up his young son's mental health! Poor kid has to live with the massive trauma of killing someone now - and all because John couldn't keep his pants zipped.
Well he moved the body too. He obstructed a police evidence, and that's criminal
@@michele8083 I'm not sure I understand what your point is. If you are referring to Billy, I'm not suggesting he shouldn't do time or be punished *for his part* in the cover up (although Ryan's mum withheld information and she's still walking around freely). But just because he helped his brother and nephew after the murder doesn't mean he should be the fall guy for the whole thing. That he was willing to do so was pretty amazing.
I knew a surprise was coming, but didnt know what it was. I would rather they had not involved Ryan. But that's Show Biz, I guess. I agree with you that I hated to see Mare betray her oath when she stole the drugs and set up Carrie. And it was cruel. I'm happy Mare had a romantic connection with someone at the end, but would much rather have seen her with Collin. I understood him better. I have to say I thought the female characters where the most interesting and absolutely loved the series. I watched because of Kate Winslet, and she did not disappoint, but the rest of the gals were fantastic too. You did a great job, Pete. See you next time.
Didn't see that coming. Very enjoyable mini series!
Nice analysis. I enjoyed your videos on the series. One point not wrapped up was the reason that Mare erased the video of the neighbor's backyard in one of the early episodes. Could be that she saw it was Ryan who was doing the mischief. A weird tidbit was the family wishing Siobhan a nice trip before she set out to drive to Berkeley. From Philadelphia. A mere 3,000 miles. Seems strange that an 18-year-old would make that drive unaccompanied. I was tired when I watched the episode last night so maybe I've got that scene wrong.
The video she deleted was the neighbor kid Betty thought was a weirdo.
Totally caught me by surprise!! What an amazing short term series...I didn’t want it to end!!
THIS SHOW MAKES YOU REALIZE THAT SO MANY PEOPLE OUT THERE ARE DEALING WITH THEIR OWN PERSONAL TRAGEDY.
Watched all 7 episodes in one day.. Loved it !
It bothered me they never revisited Erin's father and shared the news with him about John and Ryan. Since Dylan is alive and walking, we never know if his sentence was reduced or anything about what happened after he entered jail.
Attempted murder? Ain’t no reduced sentence.
Man what an emotional roller coaster this last episode was! I really loved this show-keep recommending it to anyone that will listen. God KATE WINSLET-just such a power performance. Bring on the Lee Miller movie from her next 🥰
So if John and Kenny were 1st cousins then John had a kid with his 1st cousin once removed and Ryan killed his 2nd cousin. Sound right?
@Chris P No, she wasn't, don't seek additional mysteries, the case is closed)
Yes! You stated the relationships correctly!
I thought in an early episode they said Erin could not have ridden her bike 13 miles to Brandywine park? How did Ryan do it? Picked up the gun, rode 13 miles...tousled and shot Erin, rode 13 miles back, put the gun back and went home...In the middle of the night. No lights on the bike? I'm calling BS on the olympic ride. Also the financial burden alone of raising another child would have prevented Lori from taking DJ...She already has a special needs child...Yet somehow unlimited funds are available to her...and she lied and covered up a murder....not the best candidate....
Yes I thought this too about him riding his bike so far! 🤔
Erin was in the forest, not at Frank’s house. Maybe Frank’s house is closer to the park, and that is why Erin wanted to meet there. Edit: Ryan was at Frank’s house.
@@Yourhighnessnona Same distance...remember Erin the place where the fight took place was an easy bike ride from town...also Ryan had to ride to pick up the gun first which again places him in town...then took the gun back...which placed him in town again. Also if he was at the party which wasn't at Frank's house how was it that he even had his bike?
Partially agree about Lori - but maybe she has govermental financial aid... considering the circumstances? Also,yes she lied but it happened during an INFORMAL conversation so techincally she's clear. I think it was not the right choice to give him to Lori for different reasons. First, Lori is not obliged to do that, second there were people who were ready to do that, third - it's not best for the child himself considering the circumstances. He will have to need with his half-brother who killed his real Mom and then find out his Dad is incestuous prick, ugh...
@@yevgeniyaleshchenko849 Totally agree with the DJ stuff, he deserves to be raised by people who legit love him, not take him in out of a resentful sense of duty. Erin loved Dylan's parents and how they were with DJ. I can't believe no one respected her wishes on that, but they respected John's, instead. Ugh. That kid's gonna grow up messed up, even in spite of Lori's best efforts. His half-brother killed his mother, his adopted mother lied to cover it up, his real father raped his mother, and the town that still remembers Mare's Lady Hawk moment is never gonna let this kid forget any of that.
I find this finale quite satisfying and all my major questions are answered except for 3 things. 1. Since John isn't the killer, why is he still in jail? Accessory to murder? 2. Since Dylan had no role in Erin's murder, then why was he *so* aggressive and threatening towards Jess and Brianna? just to keep DJ in his family? 3. The concerning / lingering gaze that Father Dan had when he learned that Deacon is coming back. I thought that was supposed to mean something. The car scene and kitchen scene are heart wrenching - absolutely brutal. I give kudos to the writer and director (both male) to have the sensitivities to execute that kitchen scene with so little spoken words and only the actresses' body language to act out the reconciliation of that friendship particularly from Lori's perspective - show; don't tell. Emmys for both KW and JN please!
Dylan is into drugs and could be violent at times
In the US if you're convicted of a crime it doesn't matter if someone else did it. You can go back to court to try to get it overturned but it takes years if not decades. John also moved the body with Billy, gave a false confession to the police, and I'm sure he was charged for raping Erin who was 14 or 15 when he started sleeping with her. I imagine even if they overturn the murder conviction he would be in jail for a long time before he ever got out. It seems like they were using Dylan for misdirection, but yeah basically DJ's the reason they gave for his behavior. The scene with him going to give Lori the money was only there for that purpose. I don't know what the Father Dan look was for. Maybe he's just thinking about how much trouble it will be having Mark at the church when he first gets back.
@@PetePeppers1 But Lori was an accessory to the crime also and there wasn't any repercussions. The baby should have been in foster care until things we were settled.
@@xxphactor Mare said obstruction of justice, which sounds a lot less severe than accessory to the crime, which is what I view Billy as.
I think the show just decided not to touch every after math of the incident. Kenny's dad deserved a scene, because the bigger issue here was this convenient incestual relationship. The murder may have been the center stage, but the bigger issue is John and Erin BOTH mutually doing this behind everyone! The scene of Dylan revisiting Lori tells us that Dylan was mostly a bully at most. He was probably involved with drugs, break-ins, and stuff of that nature. But we've seen scenes of him caring for DJ, and the last scene of him showed 2 envelopes, 1 from Erin, 1 from Dylan. It showed some sense of integrity and compassion.
Nice breakdown, Pete. I've never been a big Kate Winslet fan...but her performance in this show was amazing, and marks her as one of the great actors of our time.
18:28 I disagree: the story is showing that Mare will do anything to hold onto some element of her son, the whole story is about her experience of this grief, it would have been a different story if this was left out of it.
Another fantastic job. Your videos are a whole added dimension to the shows you cover. Thank you so much Pete!
Many thanks!
When truth was revealed, my anger became bigger towards the dad. He was the reason of everything shitty that happened to his family, especially to his son. So heartbreaking.
The Long Route by Yann Tiersen hit and i was gone 😢 what a show.
Great reviews all season. Mare planting the heroin mirrored Lori's effort to protect Ryan and both didn't suffer any consequences. I could have done with just one or two more clues pointing towards Ryan. A mention that Glenn was a retired policeman early on or a head nod between Ryan and Glenn at church, just something more. I hope you review something else on HBO.
Yeah agree about more clues to Ryan! There were many contextual clues aka Ryan meltdown, or his looks, his struggles - but no direct clues aka mentioning he worked at Glenn's or something like that. Not from the start but closer to the end, in more than just one scene of Mare piecing it together...
Wow, totally committed to the story, no make up, bad dye regrowth, so real and raw.
This series a masterpiece no cap
Loved the show! I hope it continues.
Great writing, amazing acting and casting. So glad I watched this from the start to avoid spoilers. I agree with you on the heroin planting and lack of consequences. It was one of the few things that didn’t hit. I remember in the finale when the chief is talking to Mare as she is drying her cast (which was another awesome and realistic scene that doesn’t usually happen in a show like this) and telling her she will get over it because she’s strong and just thinking apparently he isn’t mad at her over the drugs thing anymore and it just took me out of that scene due to the inconsistency in his character. But overall a minor miss on an otherwise incredible show. The only thing not wrapped up was the sex trafficking ring so apparently the kidnapper guy had just shaved his beard. I was actually surprised Dylan turned out not to be a douche and realize why now, because they overplayed that scene with Jess, that was seemingly out of character too to set up the misdirection or maybe he was that way and just grew, I mean he did stand there and watch Erin get the shit kicked out of her by his new girlfriend, which was a rough scene to watch. Nice vids for you, keep up the good work!
They overdid it with the Dylan and Jess scene. At that point it wasn't really realistic that he killed her when everything else was pointing to the Ross family.
loved this series. two things tripped me up. had a hard time getting a feel for how much time had passed. was this a few weeks? months? more? the time elapsed may answer my next question: why was lori not arrested for obstruction? did she find out so late in the game that she never got in the way of the investigation?
So many tears this episode! I love these characters, I've come to care so much for them. Mare is an amazing strong woman & I'm so proud of how she overcame unbearable tragedy. Tremendous series!
Great job, Pete. I loved this series and loved the ending. I’m glad they didn’t try to connect every single event i.e. Potts activities, Kevin’s suicide, opiod abuse. Bad things happen in a community and they are not typically caused by one thing or one person or one group.
Thanks. Glad you liked the videos!
I hated Kevin. I don’t really get why everyone misses him so much, because from everything we saw, he’s a major POS not worth the air he breathes
@@doge8825 Wow. Do you have issues? Kevin had serious mental issues his whole life, he was not diagnosed/treated properly for it, which led to his addiction and subsequent suicide. Yes, he was also a jerk sometimes but he was STILL their family, and that's why they missed him! Cause you love your family no matter who they become... and maybe they understood that he was not always in his right state of mind with his illness and later addiction - the thing you seem to have missed...
Kate & Julianne Nicholson will be up for Emmy Awards next season. Ryan Ross being the killer came out of left field to me, I never would have thought he killed Erin.
It was a popular theory, so when John was arrested it started to seem really likely that they were trying to protect Ryan. The reason I didn't like the theory was because they made the part seem like it was remote, and how would a kid his age have access to a gun or actually kill his cousin. The finale answered all those questions.
Well, in the context of clues it wasn't really out of left field - otherwise how could have so many people guessed it?) Besides, there were some clues that Ryan hides and is disturbed by something. However, concerning his ''motives'' I agree that it wasn't very convincing. They presented it as an ''accident'', mistake of an angry confused boy, that he regrets it; however he intentionally went to fetch a gun and to threaten Erin with it... No normal kid (however traumatised or angry) would have not even got such an idea, let alone actually do it. He's a disturbed kid and they didn't even focus much on it, instead going for ''a mistake'' angle...
@@yevgeniyaleshchenko849 It's just "my" Opinion, dear. I realized that John, & Billy were covering for someone, the I just didn't realize it would be Ryan.
I grew up visiting my dad’s hometown just like this in PA (still do). A lot of the details are accurate...everyone knows each other or they are related (I grew up being told that I was related to half of the town)...Many people never leave or if they do they end up returning often...Substance abuse issues, inner family drama, crimes that everyone knows about but go unpunished in a significant way (and no one wants to talk about ever), and a lot of dead beat men ruining it for everyone else. One of the most important parallels though is the sense of humor everyone has even in terribly awkward situations.
No shortage of deadbeat trashy women in small-town America either. But I'm guessing you know that, don't you?
It would give it a B+. Not perfect. But, they allowed us to see the consequences of the murder. It’s not just that they caught the killer, it was a layered/complicated murder, it effected those close to the murder, and we saw some of that effect with nearly all the characters. How does Lori move forward? Lots of fabulous moments, I cared for the characters, and shed some tears for them. *dylan may have shown some humanity in this episode, but he has deep emotional & anger issues. And a gun. Truly enjoyed your videos & insights. Till the next show!!!
Yeah, life goes on after tragedies like this happen. Lori still has kids to raise and she has to be there for Ryan. I think that really makes that kitchen scene work.
@@PetePeppers1 The kitchen scene was so emotionally wrenching & great work by both actresses. 👏🏼👏🏼🥲 Lori, that woman is incredible.
@@ceciliaSF-TX I hadn't thought about it when I was making the video, but saw a comparison of Mare holding her to her holding Kevin after she cut him down.
@@PetePeppers1 I did as well. Powerful scene from both actors.
Overall I thought it was a great series! There were compelling characters and storylines and I kinda liked that the ending was devastating. It wasn't all happy days and sunshine, it depicted a more realistic ending. Thank you for your series here as well, I loved the walkthrough of each episode :)
Glad you liked the videos, thanks!
Do you really need an explanation if you watched it? Seemed pretty straight forward to me. Very well executed show!
So where was Dylan the night of the murder? The scene with Brianna could have been left out since he's innocent. All they did was make him look like a very unlikeable character.
I guess he was just driving around smoking some weed like he said but why did he mouth off at Brianna then when she asked, maybe he just needed an excuse to break up with her. But he was unlikable, I knew he was a jerk when I saw the look on Erin's face when Brianna was about to beat her up.
He said he wanted a lawyer, but then stopped talked. lol. At least he gave the money to DJ.
M H Agree. Also with his unnecessary violent behaviour, it was a major red herring - and not a good one that makes you '''ahhhhh, so that's what it was''; for me it was like ''huh? not buying it''.
@@moniquemacdonald4086 Right!
9:54 it’s staggering how much that kid looks like a young Wil Wheaton when he was in “Stand by me”
Or Elliot in E.T.
This was never going to be a happy ending, but I was hoping along the lines of forgiveness, that Mare would have extended an olive branch to Carrie, Siobhan was off to college, there was a spare room, get yourself clean and move in to be part of the family. Esp as keeping families together was a message throughout. She made her peace with Faye, why not with the mother of this child.
May be they would get together when she comes back from the rehab.
Was not expecting that, great acting overall.. except for Jess's mother lol, how many times did she have to accompany her to the police station and just sit there lol, wish there was a season 2
I guess cause she’s a minor so she would have to be there.
Why did jess accusing frank as dj's father?
@@indowithbadenglish3775 Two options - either she sincerely thought so or she wanted to throw the investigation off the right path
@@caliinthevalley24681 yes I realize that, I was referring to the number of times she wanted to add something to the investigation, I think the mother was laughing in last episode lol
@Rabia Noor 😂 I know! Back and forth!!
I missed the last episode when my subscription ended (and I had decided to not keep it going). It was really good but hard to watch at times but I liked Kate Winslett's performance enough to keep watching. I put off watching the last episode (I really thought this would be a multiple-season story) and my sub ran out. Thanks.
Terrific show, there are not a whole lot of slow burners out there which can hold your attention every minute through it....
I was watching this weekly whilst I was in a binge of Boardwalk Empire, seasons 3 and 4. Julianne Nicholson is fantastic in Season 3 of B.E.
I enjoyed this series, it was well acted and cast!
Definitely one of the best series HBO has done along with the killing fields👍👍🏾
Great show, but why arent any of you talking about them saying the gun was returned the SAME night after the murder, but the old man saw it was missing days later?
He heard Ryan when he took it. That's what made him go out to grab it and realize it was missing. He didn't hear him bring it back and didn't notice it reappeared until later.
I disagree, I think she did have self awareness around planting the h on Carrie. She aka I didn’t have her gun when they went to Potts and Zebal died indirectly bc of her. I think her mentioning it the way she did to Zebal before they get the lists of cars with the partial plates, as something she was ashamed up, shows she knew it wasn’t right. I also think she treats Carrie differently bc she knew she did something fucked it. There’s not a lot of self reflecting dialogue, but there is action and decisions that shows Mare knows that was the wrong thing to do.
YES! Absolutely agree with you! I am glad that this show doesn't spoonfeed or telegraph everything and shows it through action/mimic/some phrases and interactions... It makes it more real. I'm surprised Pete does not see it (Sorry Pete)
I guessed right! I knew it was Lor or her son!! GREAT SHOW!!
Did you intend the pun about getting rid of what's been hanging over her head, since he hung himself in the attic? At first I didn't like that they had Mare plant the evidence but after the finale I thought it was to juxtapose what length someone is willing to go to in order to protect their kid. I do agree that the timing is kind of off in terms of not having enough time to spend on some things but more time spent on other things. Zabel's death was an example for me. Series could have been 9 or 10 episodes to flush all that out more.
Agree. For me it felt as if they glossed over Colin's tragic death.
I think the title of episode 7 - Sacrament - had some expecting one of the priests to be guilty but two of the 7 Sacraments of the Church are for Healing = Penance and Anointing the Sick.
Best show I have seen in awhile
Shows like these is why I signed up for HBO instead of NEtflix and Disney+. Brilliant content and amazing series by Warner Bros.
It seems like the ending was well thought out and VERY CLEAR. Who the heck couldn't follow that?
Really would have liked a final scene of Kenny finding all that out
Right agree!