Some folks may feel disappointed reading Winslet’s update. And hey, I get it! The first season was great, so there’s a natural desire to want to revisit these characters and spend more time with them while they solve another mystery. That type of consistency formed the very backbone of the television experience for decades, and even actors enjoy doing the type of in-depth character studies that television can provide. As Winslet said to THR:
“The great joy of television for an actor is that it’s a real indulgence, because you get so much more script. You get more story, you get more to play with. When you hold a film script, it’s maybe 100-125 pages thick — unless it’s written by Aaron Sorkin, in which it’s usually about 250 pages [laughs]. But one episode of ‘The Regime’ or ‘Mare’ was 60 pages long. So, it’s 360 pages of just pure delight.”
But at the same time, something very different happens when a show or film franchise we love actually comes to an end. There’s a sense of satisfaction at having witnessed a good story well told, and there’s something special about knowing that story has been completed to the best of the abilities of the talented people telling it. We’re able to assess and analyze the story as a singular object rather than a chapter in an ongoing saga, and in an entertainment landscape that feels increasingly reliant on intellectual property and milking stories for all they’re worth, there’s real cultural value in stories that have finite endings. Despite how great the first season was, “Mare of Easttown” was a terrific limited series that does not need to continue; the conclusion was satisfying, and we learned everything about Mare that the storytellers intended. I’d much rather see Winslet and Inglesby reunite to cook up an entirely new story with a brand new character for her to sink her teeth into.
Stay tuned for more updates about a potential second season, but until then, check out our full review of “Mare of Easttown” season 1 here.