Mare of Easttown came to a shattering, supposedly limited-series conclusion in 2021, but the viewership numbers broke records to the point where questions inevitably surfaced about a return to Delco. Obviously, a second season hasn’t surfaced, but movement appears to be afoot. Maybe?
A confirmation has not surfaced yet (we will talk this out momentarily), but if that green light happens, devotees of grumpy detectives would be thrilled, since they haven’t given up wondering whether more could be in the cards. There has also never been a definitive “no” on the subject, although Winslet has clearly been occupied with two other HBO limited series, The Palace (which aired earlier this year) and Trust (based upon Hernan Diaz’ Roshomon-structured novel, and news of a writer/director only recently arrived).
Yet three years after Mare Sheehan solved her gut-wrenching core mystery, recent signs have suggested that it’s definitely possible to see the character on HBO again, so let’s talk about what could happen.
Plot
Presumably, a second season would present new harrowing case because that’s what the people will tune in for. Nobody would expect to see a light, fluffy season of Mare of Easttown. Have there been hints on a plot, if a new season materializes? Well, kind of.
In June 2024, Variety spoke with HBO drama chief Francesca Orsi, who had previously called it “too soon” to revisit Mare but has since admitted that “we are having early discussions about whether it might be time to start thinking of building something.” This would not be a story that immediately followed where the first season ended, but “We might be willing to figure out with Mare, years later, picking her up — not on the heels of where she ended, but there have been years for the character that have passed.”
Winslet, for her part, has gone back and forth on the subject and once told Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast that the first-season story (in which Mare investigated the murder of a character portrayed by Cailee Spaeny) took its toll, and that the dark veil of the show made her “realize, ‘Oh my god, if I go to work now, it really hurts,’ and I have to look after myself. I have a family. I can’t just do that.”
However, Winslet did recently concede to Variety that she would “probably” sign onto a second season if it materialized, although she bluntly added, “Move on.” Yet Winslet did precede these remarks by detailing how refreshing she found it to portray such a “disgusting” character:
“You just wanted to cozy up on the couch with her and watch some sh*t TV and eat cheese balls,” Winslet says. “It was probably quite nice for audiences to see an actress typically known for being a leading lady in films become completely undone. Playing her was like that: I felt refreshed and rejuvenated by how disgusting she was every single day. And she was warm and funny, and her ability to see everyone was f*cking gorgeous.”
Again, no second season has been confirmed by HBO yet, but on behalf of audience members who are, like Mare, too odd to care about their hair and will celebrate that kind of heroine, more news would be welcome.
Cast
No matter what, only Winslet could portray this lead character, so everything would revolve around her participation if it happens.
Who else could reprise their appearances? Ideally, Julianne Nicholson’s character has taken that extended beach vacation and wouldn’t have to suffer through a second season, but Nicholson (who did win an Emmy for her role) declared that she was “100%” in favor of returning if she received the call. For sure, Jean Smart’s grumpy Mare mom feels essential, and Guy Pearce would be a nice bonus if he moseyed through town on a book tour.
Release Date
Zero concrete information points towards a prospective release date, but assuming that this comes together, a convenient 2026 window appears to exist after The White Lotus and The Last Of Us seasons while fans are still (inevitably) waiting for more House of the Dragon.
Trailer
Nope! So, this is where we can imagine that this Entertainment Weekly interview, in which Winslet raved about the SNL “Murdur Durdur” sketch, could potentially be the inspiration for an episode where Mare’s mom cackles at such a parody series while eating cheese puffs, and Mare grumbles and leaves the room.
