As Episode 1 of "Mare of Easttown" (2021 release; 7 episodes of about 60 min. Each), we are introduced to Mare, a detective on the local police force. As it happens, Mare was part of the high school basketball team that won the state title exactly 25 years ago. One of her team mates is now a mother whose daughter has been missing for a year without any sign whatsoever. Meanwhile in a parallel story, we meet Erin, a HS dropout who is now a single mom living with her miserable dad... At this point we are less than 15 min. Into the opening episode.

Couple of comments: this TV mini-series is the brainchild of Brad Ingelsby ("Out Of the Furnace", "The Way Back"), and in fact "Mare of Easttownh feels very much in line with both those films: we are introduced to a gritty, blue collar small town in Eastern Pennsylvania, and watch and observe what happens. Episode 1 covers a LOT of plot development territory, and is best discovered as you watch, so let me make a couple of general comments: first and foremost, the writing is crisp and comes with rich character developments. Second, the cast is terrific, led by Kate Winslet in the title role (which of course is pronounced the same as "mayor", so does she really own or run Easttown?). Winslet proves once again that she is one of the more versatile actresses of her generation. Now 45 yrs. Old in real life, she plays 43 yrs. Old Mare as if she WAS Mare. Guy Pearce plays Mare's potential love interest Richard. Other than those two, this is a mostly no-names cast, but delivering a wonderful ensemble performance. Everything starts to gel nicely towards the end of Episode 1, setting us up for a big cliff hanger...

Episode 1 of "Mare of Easttown" premiered this weekend on HBO, and is now available on HBO On Demand, Amazon Instant Video, and other streaming services. New episodes air Sunday evenings at 10 pm. If you are in the mood for a gritty soap/crime drama featuring another outstanding performance by Kate Winslet or simply are a fan of Kate Winslet, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.