This Mare Of Easttown Promo Puts Mare Back On The Case

The identity of Mare of Easttown’s murderer has been the hot subject among fans since the show’s debut. But it seemed a complicated case. There was one dead body (Erin), one missing girl presumed dead (Katie), and one missing girl presumed alive (Missy). Both Kate Winslet’s Mare and Evan Peters’ Detective Zabel were stumped in trying to piece the three cases together. But Episode 5 hints that the team has been looking at this all wrong. Moreover, the Mare Of Easttown Season 1, Episode 6 promo suggests the smart choice is to treat each question separately.

Warning: Spoilers for Mare of Easttown Episode 5 follow. The shocker twist at the end of Episode 5 cleared at least one suspect of Erin’s murder. Despite fans thinking Peters’ character Colin Zabel might not be on the up-and-up, it turns out he was the real deal. The operative word here is “was,” as solving Katie and Missy’s abduction came at the cost of his life.

But solving one part of the case opens up a ton of questions. Katie and Missy’s abductor, Potts, was not a close-knit, tiny Easttown community member. Moreover, having now seen his pattern of behavior, Erin’s murder doesn’t begin to fit. In short, Mare might have accidentally stumbled on solving the Katie Bailey case, but she’s still exactly where she started with Erin.

At least the new teaser confirms she’s officially back to work on the case.

Episode 6 of Mare of Easttown is titled "Sore Must Be the Storm." The synopsis is as follows:

After a heroic rescue lands her in the hospital, Mare awakes to the unshakeable pain of losing a friend. Then, given a second chance by Chief Carter, Mare reevaluates old suspects, which leads to a shocking clue. Meanwhile, Richard visits Mare in hopes of deepening their relationship, and Lori confides in her best friend about recent family troubles.

The real mystery that Episode 6's promo doesn't hit, though, is if Katie and Missy's case being closed opens Mare's mind about Erin's suspect list. When the series starts, fans were under the impression Mare was looking for one person — the same man who impregnated Erin also killed her and was behind Katie and Missy's disappearances. But if Katie and Missy's abductions have nothing to do with Erin, why should Erin's killer and baby daddy also be the same person? For all fans know, Mare is trying to solve three cases: Abduction, a paternity suit, and murder.

Mare of Easttown only has two more episodes to go. The series airs on Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on HBO and is then available for streaming on HBO Max.