Fleishman Is In Trouble Official Trailer | Disney+

Directors for Episodes 5 - 8: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini, Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris

Writer: Taffy Brodesser-Akner

Looking at the directing duos in the second half of this mini series, it makes complete sense that there would be a male and female director on board for each episode because as the season progresses, we begin to see the differences in the male and female experience. Toby’s perspective dominates episodes 1-4, but as Libby becomes more invested in his life again, she makes some discoveries about the reality of the situation for Rachel, and the extent to which her version differs to his. In the latter half of this mini series, it becomes more complex, more philosophical, and devastatingly real. It manages to convey the complexities and interrelated elements of ageing, self-actualisation and the human psyche.

The predictions and hopes of the drama mentioned in the first of this two-part blog (linked above) are somewhat met in the episodes that follow. What I expected was some sort of twist, but instead of the conventional ‘big reveal’ moment, the show is written in a way which means that the truth is gradually uncovered as the narrative is retread from Rachel’s perspective, all the while being narrated by Libby. The voiceover begins as a pretty standard storytelling device and is non-invasive, if a little biased at times, but as Libby becomes personally more involved in Toby’s life, her investment crosses over into her personal life as she takes it upon herself to examine both sides of the story, as any journalist worth their salt would naturally do. What she finds is a string of heartbreaking revelations, told with an unrivalled analytical depth and performed incredibly - by both Claire Danes and Lizzy Caplan.

Though very melodramatic, one small possibility of how things might have played out for me was that Toby was a master of deception, he had been pretending to be a wholesome, somewhat bumbling family man, and actually murdered Rachel. That was always worst case scenario, and unlikely since Rachel’s friends reported having seen Rachel asleep in the park (a strange comment that was almost glossed over), but since she had been gone for such a long time, it was hard not to jump to conclusions about where she was, just like her children did! I’m so glad the series didn’t go in that direction as the nuanced approach to relationships and life is what makes it so brilliant.

Episode 7, titled ‘Me-Time’ is one of the best episodes of television I have seen this year. Everything changes in this hour. It's transformative. Everything we thought we understood about the Fleishman divorce is reshaped by a more balanced recollection of events, a reframing of context, and rephrased conversations. Things that seemed a done deal were not indeed how things took place, and we were missing one half of a complex and multi-faceted story. It all matters because it concerns privilege, silent battles and feelings that were cast aside the first time around out of bitterness, pride and resentment. This is not to say now that the tables have entirely turned and Rachel is actually a saint, but the viewpoint was previously skewed in Toby’s favour and neither one of them is all good or all bad. They are both flawed humans and they have both struggled. Divorce doesn’t seem to have changed that.

In ‘Me-Time’, we see how things went from Rachel’s point of view (as re-told with the help of Libby after she finds her in the park). We see how she wasn’t always ‘cold’, as I described her in part one of this series. We see how much she suffered during childbirth (she was absolutely terrified) and how the experience haunted her afterwards and then how she had no support network to help her in her darkest moments of early motherhood. We see how she had to grapple with the concept of consent (then stand in a lift with the very doctor who abused her). We see how she tried therapy. We see how she fought for her career out of a desire to provide a better life for her kids than she had herself. The motivators were hidden before, but with more context we see Rachel as a woman we can truly sympathise with and admire. For all the trauma she experienced and for all the mental hardship she endured, she is what many would describe as ‘successful’.

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In the episode, we even gain an understanding as to why she decides to shut herself off from ‘her world’ in NYC while she is at a yoga retreat (which was a location for an affair with Sam Rothwell, but she decided to stay even after he broke things off, saying she wasn’t as ‘fun’ as he expected'). Rachel is a woman operating a precarious balancing act - running her agency, being a mother to two children, socialising in the ‘right’ circles - so it’s no wonder there is nothing left in the tank for her after some time. I don’t know how much to believe Toby when he flippantly comments that she has ‘done this before’, because it really seems like she needs this break to recover from the constant onslaught of life. We all run out of steam at some point, but for her, this retreat has been years (perhaps decades) in the making. She attends a meditation session where she is encouraged to shout by way of an emotional release, and Rachel’s (Claire Dane’s) scream is one of the most guttural sounds I think I’ve ever witnessed on a TV show or film. It reminded me of childbirth. Anyway, post-retreat and back home, Rachel became seriously unwell resulting in her hallucinating, battling insomnia and losing sense of reality and time. The knock-on effect of this for her was enough to shatter her sense of self even further, and Libby finds Rachel sitting in a park when she is at the end of this episode feeling like she has lost control of everything she worked for in the space of a couple of weeks.

The episode, and therefore everything leading up to this point in the show, made me think carefully about the expectations placed on women, especially today. But even more so, the expectations that women place on themselves. The majority of the characters are extremely privileged. All but Rachel, whose parents died young, grew up around wealth and have always lived comfortably with the knowledge that if anything went wrong in life, there would be someone nearby to pick them up. When married, the Fleishmans had a huge Manhattan apartment, big enough to comfortably house a family of four, and a house in the Hamptons, and even after the divorce, Toby was able to afford a nice sized apartment on a single wage (which you would hope would be true as a doctor). Libby is a stay at home mother/writer and her husband is a lawyer - they’re all people in high paying professions. This all led me to think about the ability that these people have to work through problems - if you need childcare, just pay for camp or a nanny; if you are unwell, start therapy; if you want to get out of the city, go to your second home. What about the average American? What would they be able to do? Rachel’s situation is awful and this is not to denigrate any of her character’s experience, but how would it be different if it were happening to a person without her means? Sadly, I suspect the fight would be even harder, and the judgement from society even harsher.

The mini-series finale crams an awful lot into just over one hour. We continue following Libby across the city as she continues her investigation into Toby and Rachel’s life, with her declaring Rachel is in the middle of having a nervous breakdown and him very detached about what should be an important revelation. He immediately takes up the mantle as the ‘cold’ character. In the latter half of the series, especially in the last episode, we also learn more about Libby and her own internal confusion. The irony of this being that she is carrying out an investigation of a couple that nobody asked for, all while doing the very same thing that Rachel did to anger Toby - she leaves her family and becomes temporarily removed from their lives. It’s clear that both Libby and Rachel have similar insecurities around belonging and parallels start to be drawn between the Fleishmans and her own marriage with husband Adam (Josh Radnor). When Libby and Toby are in conversation at a party (which turns out to be Seth’s engagement party - there is just too much to fit into this blog!), she tells Toby about a book she is writing, recalling the key elements of the relationship but leaving enough out that the book could be about either couple. Toby is desperate to know how it ends, and it shows a glimmer of hope that there is actually some love remaining in him for Rachel after all.

What questions do I have at the end of the show? Will Seth be okay and have a happy marriage? I hope him and his fiancée have a long and loving life together! Does Rachel pick herself up, get some help, reach out to Toby, rekindle any of the broken relationships (personal or professional)? There are a lot of shattered elements in her life at the end of the show, but there is also an overtone of hope and new beginnings so I would like to try to be optimistic about her. I hope she thrives from this point forward, and Toby is far more understanding about what she has experienced so that they can (at the very least) co-parent in a civil way.

Other thoughts: I really should have done a post per episode because there is far too much to comment on across four episodes, but here are some of my other thoughts in bullet points:

• I haven’t discussed the Vantablack exhibit (and episode generally) but that is something that is open to many interpretations. The black void is such an interesting concept (I would love to go that museum!), as is the block universe that is referred to several times throughout the series. There are many examples of external concepts like this which are symbolic and applicable to the characters’ relationships.

• The Fleishman family is jewish and this is an important part of their identity. It also forms part of a sub-plot about Hannah and her bah mitzvah and commitment to judaism. Hannah’s behaviour and progress in the show could have its own blog, but I thought the scene in the church with her and her dad was really touching, and important in solidifying their bond and mutual understanding after so much upheaval.

• The show is shot on location in New York and I haven’t spent any time exploring the locations and their importance. However, it certainly adds to the authenticity of the show and makes it all the more easier to get caught up in.

• Hair and costume: I noticed when I looked on IMDb that the show is nominated for an Emmy for ‘Outstanding Contemporary Costumes for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie’ (specifically for episode 7), and I would just like to reiterate that the costume design in this episode elevate the story to new heights. The slogan tees, the ‘fall from grace’ from designer pieces to tracksuit bottoms, the period dress from previous decades - it is all instrumental. Rachel’s hair evolution is also important in sharing with the audience where she started and where she ended up - from soft, wavy shoulder length hair to a blunt bob which is quite severe in its cut, it hardens her look immensely.

Final word: Fleishman is in Trouble is a terrific mini-series well worth your time and it sure does make the aftermath of divorce look ugly for all involved. The performances from Lizzy Caplan and Claire Danes blew me away and I am pleased to see a show dealing with the intense feelings of doubt that creep in about where life has lead us, especially as an adult woman, as well as the extremely important depiction of birth trauma and postpartum depression. I wish all the Primetime Emmy nominees (especially Lizzy Caplan, Claire Danes, Taffy Brodesser-Akner and Valerie Faris) the best of luck for the upcoming awards season!

You can stream Fleishman is in Trouble on Disney Plus now.

Fleishman Is In Trouble Official Trailer | Disney+

Directors for Episodes 1 - 4: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris, Alice Wu, Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini

Writers: Taffy Brodesser-Akner, Michael Goldbach

Fleishman Is In Trouble was recently recommended to me by a friend and it was also ranked at number 11 in The Guardian’s 50 best TV shows of 2023 so after finishing Succession and Season 2 of The Bear (both top-tier telly), I needed something to fill that gap - and Fleishman was the show that I took a chance on to do that. And it has, at least for the first four episodes.

Here are some of my thoughts, questions and predictions after getting through half of this mini-series based on Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s best-selling novel…

What first impressed me was the core cast. Jesse Eisenberg plays the eponymous Toby Fleishman, a doctor, father and recent divorcee. He carries that typical frenetic, on-the-edge, awkward Eisenberg energy in this role, which is fitting for a man trying to balance the many demands of his medical career, two children, difficult ex-wife and social life while living in New York.

One thing that’s emphasised about Toby is how other people respond to him. He is a dedicated and specialist doctor in his field as a hepatologist, and yet when people outside of the healthcare sector hear what he does, the response is usually a patronising, “Good for you!” I’m not sure if this is an attitude of the wealthy in America, or perhaps people more generally, but I found the disrespect levelled at him for doing an admirable job really jarring.

Beyond his work, Toby spends any time he has to himself on dating apps to see what the world has to offer post-marriage. It turns out, there are a lot of interested women and he goes through some sort of mid-life sexual awakening when he has this realisation. Good for him!

Claire Danes plays Rachel Fleishman, a complex woman who has been painted in a somewhat negative light so far. She appears to be wholly focused on her career as the director of an agency, she is absent as a mother and the demise of her marriage to Toby has been almost completely pinned on her (though it’s worth mentioning that we are being told the story by Toby’s friend Libby.- more on her next). The first two episodes in particular made Rachel out to be an over-ambitious monster with a cold heart, but by episode 3 we are shown glimpses of her life with Toby through a series of flashbacks - the meetcute, dating in NYC, long walks in the park - before it all turned upside down.

There is some really important and incredibly intimate coverage of traumatic childbirth and postpartum depression through this character, which goes some way in helping us to see where Rachel is coming from in the latter years of their marriage. It is deeply saddening to see a medical professional carry out a procedure without a woman’s consent - on this occasion, a doctor ruptured Rachel’s membrane to force her waters to break, and chose to do so without telling her, and notably did so once Toby had left the room meaning that she had nobody there to advocate for her. This was one part of a distressing labour, and we see the profound effects that it has on Rachel long after leaving the hospital, in her relationship with herself, Toby and child. Once you know about this experience, it might start to change your opinion of her or to help begin seeing why she seems so detached.

Although angering and upsetting to watch, it is a taboo topic that affects hundreds of thousands of women (in fact, at least 1 in 3 women1 find some aspect of their birth traumatic), so seeing it on a show like this feels strangely refreshing. There are a couple of links at the end of this article about birth trauma and rights for those who might need them or want to learn more.

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Lizzy Caplan plays Libby Epstein, a close friend of Toby’s. They lost contact for years (which Libby blames on Rachel, who she believes doesn’t like her) after meeting at college. As mentioned earlier, Libby is omnipresent in the show because she narrates each episode, but she also seems to be a person that Toby can go to for emotional support at any given moment. She’s a good friend to him, temporarily dropping out of her aerobics class to take his call, or inviting him along to a family day at the pool, for example.

Her situation is stable. She lives in the suburbs with her children and husband, who doesn’t say a lot but looks permanently miffed. She seems content to a degree, although there have been moments where it looks like she is longing for something other than the comfortable life that she’s built with her family. Maybe she just needs a bit of fun.

Adam Brody plays Seth Morris, who is the other college friend of Toby and Libby. Their little trio has an unlikely dynamic but it works when the three of them are together - they seem like the sort of friends who have taken different paths in life (despite remaining geographically close) but when they’re together, it’s like they just pick up where they last started.

Seth is a party partner and provides ‘practical’ support to Toby when he needs to take his mind off his missing ex-wife - by taking him to a secret Laundromat-come-club, for example. He has very few responsibilities and fewer inhibitions. We like him; he brightens up the place.

Finally, there are plenty of secondary characters who all play a part in allowing us to see how the Fleishmans interact, how they respond to stress and how they adapt to different situations. At work, Toby is in a position of authority, training student doctors who look up to him and taking direct responsibility for patients, but at home we see that he struggles to have a single positive conversation with his 12 year old daughter, Hannah. In their social circle of Manhattan parents, there is a clear rift between the rest of the parents (most of whom made their wealth from big-pharma, or other such unethical means) and Toby. Meanwhile, Rachel craves to fit in with them, their lifestyle and their values, in complete opposition to her husband. She is seeking betterment and belonging, but he resists. The people aren’t particularly portrayed in a positive light, and you definitely wouldn’t want to be friends with them, but it’s still hard to see the very public disagreements take place and to watch as two people drift further away from what they once used to be.

What questions do I have at the half way point of the show? The obvious questions to ask would be about Rachel - is she missing, dead or intentionally hiding? What’s her side of the story? I’m perhaps too conscious of the unreliable narrator so just how skewed is the storytelling? Or is Libby just telling us how she sees it? The big question is: why is Toby Fleishman in trouble (and is the Fleishman in the title even about him - could it be referring to Rachel?)? Did he do something to land himself in trouble, or is the title just a reference to the trouble he finds himself in circumstantially?

What hopes do I have at the half way point of the show? I would like to see Rachel return and my hope is that there will be some form of redemption arc for her character. As a general comment, I hope they maintain the pace of the show going forward - it has a real feeling of momentum behind it and I’m enjoying how things are unravelling.

Other thoughts: The title sequence is very short and is just the title of the show layered over an upside down shot of the city. I would love to know whether it is like this because Toby Fleishman’s world has been turned upside down due to the tumultuous events in his personal life, or whether the narrative is going to ‘flip’ at some point to reveal something new.

You can stream Fleishman is in Trouble on Disney Plus now.

Resources:

Birthrights - human rights during pregnancy and maternity

Make Birth Better - birth trauma support for parents

Episode 7 - 'Sacrament'
Director: Craig Zobel
Writer: Brad Ingelsby

One of the things that I often struggle to deal with in American crime dramas is how a moment of tension often centres around guns, or a struggle for a gun, or someone almost shooting a gun, etc. etc.... I understand that gun culture is very different in the USA to in the UK because of the Constitution, and that this might be a realistic depiction of people in a fight in the US, but the opening scene of this episode with the scrabble for a gun just felt a little pitiable. Perhaps that was part of the subtext: that the men are pathetic and too reliant on weapons, but either way, the clear obsession with guns had me eye rolling.

Thankfully, the episode picks up from this point with a sequence of satisfying clarifications and consequences for the characters. The Ross family are far more dysfunctional than we already thought... and John is right in the middle of it. The disgust on Mare's face and in her voice as she interrogates him about Erin is palpable. He tries to justify his affair - with a teenager, who is also his niece - so we share this revulsion. Poor little DJ.

Mare of Easttown represents a range of different family units, and in most cases there is an element of forgiveness involved - often at the expense of one of the women . It's unusual that Mare can join her ex-husband and his new fiancée for dinner, while talking about his wedding tux, for example. With the Ross family, Lori accepts DJ as her own son, at the request of John. Carrie gives up Drew because she can't balance being his mum and battling addiction, and Helen pleas with Mare (or Marianne, as she calls her) to forgive herself for Kevin. Whether the actions of these characters are always morally right is questionable, but the strength on display in all cases is admirable.

The second half of this finale episode is jaw-droppingly well written and developed from a set of clues, incidental moments and the intelligence of Mare. It amounts to quite the show-down, with Lori gripping her son tightly as a squad of police approach the front of their house, led by Mare, who now more than ever is positioned as the protector of Easttown. "Nobody gets in front of me, alright?" she tells the men and women following her into the household of the suspect in the murder investigation. They walk towards the Ross house in slow motion, with a stripped back, pensive piano track playing, perfectly capturing the melancholic yet unexpectedly dramatic crescendo to this case. As Ryan cries into his mother's arms saying he's sorry, you also know that Mare is sorry that this is the house that her investigation has led her to - for a second time! The lengths that parents will go to to protect their children has been a constant thread for the entire series, but this really takes it to the most drastic of places.

Writer Brad Ingelsby and director Craig Zobel strike a balance between us feeling sympathy for Ryan and disgust at his dad. He is 13 years old and in his interrogation he admits to shooting Erin. It was 'an accident', even though he specifically went into Mr Carroll's shed to take the gun - supposedly to scare her. He says he was doing it because he wanted her to stay away from his family - this motivation is understandable, but the extremity and violence of the actions are not. Even the thought that he would steal a gun to threaten his dad's mistress is violent enough to warrant intervention. The sensitive approach to him as a child is an interesting one - it easily could have been far more sinister but this is dialled down - perhaps even subdued slightly so that the focus was more on the response of his conflicted mother instead of him as a troubled child.

Additionally, Erin is depicted in several flashback scenes as she attempts to fight off Ryan, but since she is dead she doesn't have much of a voice at all. It's important not to forget that Erin was not only a victim of murder, but of abuse. As a vulnerable teen mother, she had very little power at her disposal to enable her to have the best possible life for her and her son - it's another real tragedy of this show which is overshadowed by seedy affairs and children exposed to adultery.

The first post in this blog series identified the huge amount of broken relationships evident in the show. By the end of the season this hasn't necessarily changed. In fact, some have now completely shattered. But it does provide a more hopeful point to start again from. The final zoom out as Mare climbs the stairs to her attic confirms this. As endings to mini-series go, this was one of the most poignant I've seen, especially considering the enormous amount of grief and trauma experienced over the seven episodes. The religious symbolism, tying in nicely with the priest's sermon to the people of the town, could have been overbearing, but was actually all the more comforting as Mare finally finds peace in Easttown, and with herself.

What questions do I have at the end of episode seven? Is Jess in trouble with the police? She hid things from them that would have helped solved this case a lot quicker. How was Lore expecting Mare to act? Was she hoping she would turn a blind eye to her murderous son? I also wonder if that ever occurred to Mare.

What predictions do I have at the end of episode seven? No predictions but I would love to see Kate Winslet reprise this role. And for Richard to come back.

Final thoughts: An excellent crime drama which is superbly written and cast. With Mare of Easttown, you get emotional depth, thrilling action, and a satisfying feeling of resolution several times over. Kate Winslet is the star of the show (obviously!) but Jean Smart, Julianne Nicholson and Evan Peters put in incredible performances too.

You can stream Mare of Easttown on Now TV or HBO Max now.

In case you missed it, read Part 6 of the blog series here. Thank you for reading! If you've also finished watching season one of Mare of Easttown, let me know your thoughts on the show on Substack or Instagram!

Episode 6 - 'Sore Must Be the Storm'
Director: Craig Zobel
Writer: Brad Ingelsby

The aftermath of the previous episode's action plays out over a news report at the start of this episode, clarifying a few things: Katie Bailey was reunited with her mother, Mare was hospitalised but is doing okay, and Zabel lost his life. Any other show may have flirted with the idea of keeping him alive and having serious injuries which would keep him in hospital until the next season, but Mare of Easttown seems to love to remind us of the fragility of life so that wouldn't be in keeping with its tone and messaging.

I said it in the last blog post, but I'm going to say it again: Zabel's death is such a tragedy. There is something very cruel about the fact that he and Mare solved the case together, but he will never get to celebrate this with his partner, or even know that he really was a talented detective and valued team member. It's also someone else close to Mare who has died far too young under dreadful circumstances - and in front of her. Even if she didn't outwardly reciprocate his enthusiasm for mornings, he definitely had a a lot of love and admiration for her and she'll undoubtedly miss their special bond.

Mare's therapist (who she is going to see voluntarily now - good for her) hits the nail on the head when she offers an insight into the panic Mare is feeling. She tells her: "You've sought out a external solution to your internal pain," which sounds remarkably relatable. Don't we all do that when things get tough? Mare has just been doing it on a much larger scale, and for a really long time. Recounting the day that she found her son dead is painful to watch. The direction of the flashback coupled with Kate Winslet's delicate performance brought me to tears. Though very different to the thrilling sequences in the previous episode which had our hearts racing, this scene is up there with the best that this show has to offer too - from the editing to the actual content of the dialogue, it's of very high quality - now our hearts are wrenching for Mare and everything she's been through.

Later on, Lori tells Mare about John's affair while he moves out to stay with his dad for a while, who's been keeping his own secrets - this is visibly a burden for him, unlike some of the characters who manage to carry the weight of deceit effortlessly. Additionally, we find out that the necklace found in Erin's bedroom has an engraved date on it which matches the Ross Family Reunion. This leads Mare down an investigative track which seems to point to the Ross family - namely Billy, and a later conversation between the brothers shows she is on the right path. But can Lori protect her family and still remain a friend to Mare? It's a moral conundrum that nobody would ever want to be in.

The last 10 minutes of the episode are, again, very intense and revealing. Lore's retelling to Mare clarifies some of the deductions she was on the cusp of reaching on her own, but with one more episode to go it feels like Lori gave it all away far too easily, especially knowing the repercussions it would lead to for her family. Despite this, the chase is on and Mare, once again, walks directly into the 'lion's den' so to speak, but this time it's closer territory than ever - this isn't some strange incel nobody else knows (as was the case with Katie Bailey), but her best friend's family.

The build up to the finale episode is well and truly on. I can't wait to see how all the entangled threads of Easttown are ultimately unravelled.

What questions do I have at the end of episode six? Earlier on in the episode I was wondering whether Siobhan was coping well or does it just seem like she is? She seems remarkably balanced for a teenager who has gone through so much... up until the point she comes home drunk and lashes out at her mother - so question answered there.

What predictions do I have at the end of episode six? I don't know what, but there is still more to this case. I wonder if we (the audience) have been tricked somehow into believing that what we've seen and been told by the characters is 100% true.

Other thoughts (i.e. Helen Watch): Richard has the most soothing voice. And he brought a gift basket... and cold beers. I really hope that him and Mare can find a time in both their lives to let each other in because the honesty and empathy they show each other is a sign of a very positive relationship. Also, reason number 378 to love Mare: when she calls in the case to her chief, he listens and tells her to 'wait for back up'. What does she do? Immediately puts her foot down to get to the scene faster. I love her defiance. As far as Helen Watch goes, I laughed at her flipping off the paps as Mare came home (it must be where Mare gets her rebellious streak from) and it looks like she gives really good hugs.

You can stream Mare of Easttown on Now TV or HBO Max.

In case you missed it, read Part 1 of the blog series here: Clare on Mare: Unravelling Season 1 of Mare of Easttown - Episode 1.

Episode 5 - 'Illusions'
Director: Craig Zobel
Writer: Brad Ingelsby

If you were ever in doubt about the bleakness of this show, in the first 10 minutes of this episode, we overhear some sort of secret being promised to be kept in the Ross household between father and son, the town experiences a power cut, there's a car crash (with a fatality) and Mare speaks in her therapy session about depression and her dead son's mood disorder. It's heavy going!

Soon after, Billy Ross is under faux interrogation by Mare in a social capacity when it emerges that Erin stayed with him for a while during a conversation over pizza. An untouched bottle of beer as he bolts suggests that he wasn't ready to be questioned, and something about his nervous disposition and dark bags under his eyes indicates he isn't keeping well at the moment. Younger member of the Ross family, Ryan, also loses it at a bully in the school canteen proving that the secret his dad is asking him to keep is getting to him and rearing itself in ugly ways. In any case, the bully won't be throwing anything at his sister any time soon... so there's that.

The most exhilarating scenes - perhaps so far in the series - occur in this episode. The two girls - Katie Bailey and the other, newly abducted sex worker - who are being kept hostage discuss life (if it can be called that) as prisoners of a psychopath: his patterns, behaviour and treatment of other women. We know early on it's a man because of the way the shots of him are framed and his face remains hidden until the climax of the episode. Concurrently, Mare and Zabel are uncovering information based on anecdotes from other sex workers, which leads to a considerably more narrow search for suspects based on the vehicle. The narrative that they are building and the perspective that the audience have merge in this episode and makes for one of the most nail-biting discoveries yet - and is likely the reason behind the 9.4 score on IMDb.

'You've Got Another Thing Coming' by Judas Priest plays as the detectives enter one very run down and dirty house/bar. Tension rises as more questions are asked and as the locked up women realise that there are unexpected visitors they being banging the pipes as a distress signal. THIS is the moment we've been waiting for! Once it's clear that they're dealing with a very dangerous man, the last ten minutes of the episode play out with gritty action and barely any dialogue. God-tier television.

Though Mare and Zabel worked together to find the abuser and the victims, sadly it doesn't look like they will be leaving together. It's a true tragedy. The lingering close up on Mare's shellshocked face with the sound of Kevin's voice from the home video playing over it (and among all the police sirens, running, cacophony of voices entering the building) is an interesting choice of sound and conveys just how busy and complex the mind of Mare is, as well as the depth of Kate Winlet's acting repertoire.

What questions do I have at the end of episode five? The obvious question is now that two of the missing girls have been found, is Erin's death even connected to them? Dylan still seems guilty. Brianna pokes a hole in his story so where was he at the time of Erin's death? And why's he so concerned about the journals? He must have something to hide, even if it's not murder. Colin Zabel... Craig Zobel (director) - is the detective inspired by the director? Is there a semi-autobiographical element to the story?

What predictions do I have at the end of episode five? Mare is going to have the trust and support of her Chief and the local community going forward. Surely she has to after finding Katie Bailey!? I think it's become clear that Erin's case is separate now too so although there were some similarities between the victims, we now know the circumstances were different. The Ross brothers/Kenny still aren't off the hook and now the Deacon has come clean, the pressure is off him (though the rumour mill in Easttown is unlikely to let him off so lightly).

Other thoughts (i.e. Helen Watch): Helen's affair being aired at Betty's funeral reception by the widowed husband was completely on brand - an unlikely and uncomfortable moment of humour in a typically sad setting. Mare's reaction to this news (uncontrollable laughter) is priceless.

You can stream Mare of Easttown on Now TV or HBO Max.

In case you missed it, read Part 1 of the blog series here: Clare on Mare: Unravelling Season 1 of Mare of Easttown - Episode 1.

Episode 4 - ‘Poor Sisyphus'
Director: Craig Zobel
Writer: Brad Ingelsby

Before we get into the episode, why is it named after a character from Greek mythology? Sisyphys was punished by Zeus to eternally push a boulder uphill. However, as soon as he would reach the top of the hill, the boulder would roll off and Sisyphus had to push it back up again. So is the 'Poor' descriptor in the episode title suggesting that we should feel sorry for him, and those who represent him? Who is being punished in Mare of Easttown and who is the punisher?

Long term, Mare would be the obvious choice. She has experienced lots of knock backs recently with her family life as well as in her line of work and solving the case feels like a constant uphill battle. However, there is a standout scene in this episode featuring Dawn Bailey as she is blackmailed by an unknown caller claiming to have knowledge about her missing daughter, Katie. She walks through a dilapidated house, in low key lighting with vertical bars and elongated shadows all around her - applause to cinematographer Ben Richardson because the suspense and horror conventions utilised make the scene genuinely terrifying. It also acted as a reminder of the lengths that she will go to if it means even the tiniest possibility of being reunited with her daughter, and of how trapped she is by her awful reality. We know that the caller is phony, and we also get the strong impression that she knows this too, but she can't let the possibility - however unlikely, and however dangerous it may be - slide. Hence the boulder rolls all the way back to the bottom of the hill, and she is back to grieving for her missing daughter in a hellish purgatory. Perhaps the title of the episode wasn't chosen to align with any character, but as a universal recognition of what life can feel like sometimes. In any case, it really got me thinking and added another layer to the Mare of Easttown story for me.

We're at the midway point in the mini-series now and Mare has to deal with the repercussions of her suspension. It's very telling who she lets in on this information first. In the image above of Mare and Lori on the bench, we can see how much she leans on her friend during the toughest of times. They are women bonded by their town and the tragedies occurring in it. I want to say that they have been hardened by their experiences, and I think the costume and make up choices for them (minimal, perhaps even emphasising shadows and drawing attention to ageing features on their faces) supports this, though we also see flashes of softness and real vulnerability in moments like this too. The action of Mare resting her head on someone else's shoulder is an unusual sign of affection and it's good to see that she has a friend that she can be this close and unguarded with.

In contrast to this, we are witness to Mare's first therapy session in this episode (it's a condition of her suspension) and see how she goes into it with a blasé and even skeptical attitude with a view of just getting it over with. The wall goes up and the pseudo-hubris takes centre stage - she has a professional reputation to keep in tact, let's not forget! But then she realises the benefits of talking, and with the inclusion of a flashback to an abusive scene with her son Kevin (which is also terrifying), we can see exactly why the therapy is a positive move for her. Thinking about other TV dramas that include therapy (Big Little Lies, Insecure and most notably, The Sopranos), it is often a useful device to understand what drives a character and how their past is influencing their present. One of the hard things for Mare is that her past appears to be both a weakness and a driver for her determination to succeed with her work. As an aside, Richard appears to provide a more informal form of therapy, with his well phrased questions, thoughtful inquiries into Mare's life and sensitive approach, he is another person that she is gradually opening up to. I like him - he seems like a positive influence!

In terms of where we're up to with suspects and victims, another girl has gone missing under suspicious circumstances and it still looks bad for Deacon Mark. He has been found guilty of lying and looks shifty when asked about Erin. The fact he has previous accusations against him only fuels this idea, but at the same time, it seems too early for us to have such certainty about who the killer is. Despite Mare officially being on leave, she chases several leads based on the internet use of Erin as well as finding a hidden keepsake necklace engraved with a date. No doubt this will return at some point!

Commonality is drawn in this episode between all the grandparents who assume parental roles: Mare of her grandson, Drew; Helen of her granddaughter Siobhan and great grandson Drew; Dylan's parents taking care of DJ while he's incapable of looking after an infant (both because he is in hospital and in the wrong place mentally); and Dawn Bailey caring for her granddaughter since her own daughter Katie is still missing. It's interesting to see how amazingly supportive and natural the grandparents are without begrudging their children for landing them with additional responsibilities. It seems like a lot of grandparents for one TV show so I wonder if this is the creator's way of commenting on the almost impossible demands on families (mothers in particular) to take on childcare duties alongside their careers, or perhaps just represents alternative family units.

What questions do I have at the end of episode four? Why is Freddy included in some episodes? He is a character with drug problems and targeted Dawn as a way to get easy drug money, but I'm still not sure what his overall purpose is.

What predictions do I have at the end of episode four? The two missing girls are part of a different case to Erin. We saw her dead body, but they are very much alive. Psychos tend to have a pattern or trademark so it doesn't make sense that he/she would kill one and treat the others differently.

Other thoughts (i.e. Helen Watch): Mare's mum, Helen, hiding an ice cream stash in a bag of frozen veg... I've never related more.

You can stream Mare of Easttown on Now TV or HBO Max.

In case you missed it, read Part 1 of the blog series here: Clare on Mare: Unravelling Season 1 of Mare of Easttown - Episode 1.

Episode 3 - 'Enter Number Two'
Director: Craig Zobel
Writer: Brad Ingelsby

The plot has started to thicken now, with more suspects revealed as red herrings are unveiled.

A visual parallel is shown in one of the first scenes as Kenny is found laying across some rocks in a similar place and position to Erin when she was discovered dead. Whether or not this was intentional or a coincidence isn't clear but it can't have been a comfortable place to sleep for the night. It's almost as if his guilt over how he treated her when she was alive is manifesting by him putting himself in her position. He even tries to do the right thing (presumably that's his logic) by turning himself in and admits that he kidnapped and killed Dylan... only to find out that Dylan is alive and recovering in hospital. He is a character that evokes great pathos, despite all his obvious flaws.

The fatherhood thread continues in this episode but the onus is now on the bond with their children rather than the men themselves. Dylan struggles to comprehend and cope with the possibility that he may not be DJ (the baby)'s father after all. Nevertheless, he and Frank both agree to take a paternity test to find out the truth.

Frank was heavily implicated at the end of the last episode but it now seems he is not as involved as we were led to believe. He had a closer relationship with Erin than he initially let on to Mare, so he's not completely off the hook because he lied, but he is no longer in the villain spotlight.

On the subject of villains, a new wrongdoer has come to the fore: Deacon Mark Burton. I'm not sure if the title of the episode refers to the Deacon, since we already have Father Dan Hastings and the 'Number Two' could be referring to him as the second man of the cloth serving the town. (As an aside, Detective Zabel seems to find it just as strange as we do that Father Hastings is also Mare's cousin - everyone is just so wrapped up together!) It's revealed that the Deacon is one of the last people that spoke to Erin on the night of her death and Mare questions why he withheld this information from the police after the news was announced about Erin's death. His behaviour is incredibly suspicious and James McArdle does a brilliant job of playing into the creepy priest stereotype with this role.

Drugs also play a central part in this episode with Siobhan's girlfriend ODing on edibles just before an important performance with their band, and Mare herself also dabbles with drugs - not taking them, but planting them. It was a futile attempt at sabotaging Carrie (Mare's dead son's partner), who is a recovering junkie and would like custody of her son, Drew. In a moment of desperation (with a touch of stupidity), Mare places the drugs she steals from the evidence room in Carrie's car. We understand why Mare does this, and that it comes from a place of protection for her grandson, but the impulsive decision really wasn't well thought out and it costs her tremendously. She may be an excellent detective (as shown in the scene where she tracks a bullet ricochet to a tree), but that isn't enough to stop her Chief from reprimanding her by placing her on suspension, prescribing counselling sessions and taking away her gun and badge - a literal and symbolic removal of power and pride.

What questions do I have at the end of episode three? Have we met all suspects now? Hopefully so as the cast is already a considerable size for the length of the series!

What predictions do I have at the end of episode three? Mare will not be able to resist still being involved with the case, despite the clear orders from her Chief to stay away.

Other thoughts: Mare's mum, Helen, continues to provide humour in the midst of the all the tragedy. Her pose and flirting on the stairway as Richard picks up Mare for a dinner date is hilarious, and the chemistry between Kate Winslet and Jean Smart in these roles is fantastic in every scene, with the highlight so far being the, "That's your cue to fuck off" line - delivered with such tenacity... and the twisted love only a live-in grandma could withstand (and give back).

You can stream Mare of Easttown on Now TV or HBO Max.

In case you missed it, read Part 1 of the blog series here: Clare on Mare: Unravelling Season 1 of Mare of Easttown - Episode 1.

Mare of Easttown - Episode 2 - ''Fathers'
Director: Craig Zobel
Writer: Brad Ingelsby

The murkiness in the colour palette of the show has continued in this episode, and some shots even look desaturated. The life has been sucked out of many of the people in Easttown, not least our protagonist Mare who wears a brown overcoat and black rollneck for the majority of her scenes. A fitting costume choice given that she's a woman engulfed in guilt and grief, and you can't help but wonder if her job is doing her more harm than good. Still, we are given a glimpse of Mare outside of work when she attends a book event for Richard, but even then she is accosted by Tony for arresting his daughter, Brianna. This blurring of professional/personal boundaries and the problem with small towns emerges in this episode. Yes, they can be tight-knit, but even when you're in a position of power - like that of a detective - people in smaller communities talk and will know your business, whether that's conducive to effective work or not.

The episode title is very fitting as fatherhood is reiterated in its various shapes and sizes, as well as coming into question for several of the male characters of the show. Fathers are one of the constant threads tying the narrative together: fathers out for revenge, absent fathers, reluctant fathers. Their roles vary but in all the examples of fatherhood here, they are problematic, or are at least beginning to appear that way.

Mare meets her new work partner, Detective Colin Zabel (Evan Peters - pictured below) in this episode. He is a light addition to the office and is keen to get stuck in with a process, which is completely at odds with Mare's way of working. As partners go, he is supportive, sensitive and gives Mare space to use her own methods after observing how she works.

Even though he might be a bit on the cheesy side, it already feels like a well-matched partnership and he is happy to allow Mare to take the lead on the cases. He's the sort of character the show needed in order to bring a bit of optimism to the fore - he's the guy that brings you coffee in the morning and says things like 'team work makes the dream work'. You would never in a million years hear Mare utter such sunshine and rainbows bullshit, but his idealism does make her smile, which counts for something.

One of my questions from the previous blog was answered almost immediately in this episode: the body in the creek did indeed belong to Erin. So now we are embarking on a whodunnit and there are a hell of a lot of suspects. As the homicide investigation begins, let's look at some of the possible killers:

• Kenny McMenamin (Erin's dad) - He's volatile, aggressive, always has a bottle of beer in his hand and in the few scenes we saw him interact with Erin, treated her with contempt. He resented paying for the baby's essentials and honestly, when he came home from work in the first episode, it felt like he was going to hurt her.

• Dylan Hinchey (Erin's ex-boyfriend and the father of her baby) - Not that Kenny is a reliable source, but according to him, Dylan never wanted the baby and 'hated her for it'. Dylan and Erin were not on good terms, and there were arguments over medical costs. He was in the forest the same night Erin was murdered so given all of this it places him as prime suspect.

• Brianna (Dylan's girlfriend) - she 'beat the shit out of Erin' on the night that she was killed - and there is video evidence. She has been placed on arrest for assault and has been only been depicted so far as a nasty piece of work. During the police interviews, one of her peers says her bark is worse than her bite, but we did see her kick a girl in the head so I'm not sure how reliable that testimony is.

• Frank (Mare's ex husband) - in the first blog post I noted how many broken relationships there were, but didn't list Frank because he was celebrating his engagement to Faye, and that didn't ring any immediate alarm bells. You wouldn't think that a newly engaged man would be a homicide suspect, but we have since learnt that he knew Erin from teaching her at school and asked about the case when Mare came over to talk about Drew (their grandson). The happy facade definitely isn't all it seems, and with each of his appearances on screen I become more and more sceptical about him. Frank has been laying low, but when Erin's best friend Jess drops a bombshell at the end of the episode, it shows him in a completely different light.

• Faye (Frank's fiancée) - we don't know much about Faye yet, but if she has the information that was offloaded at the end of episode 2, that might be enough of a reason for her to 'dispose' of a part of Frank's old life that she doesn't want to bring into their forthcoming marriage.

• Siobhan (Mare's daughter) - we know she was in the woods the night that Erin was killed because she's in the video. She ignores Mare's calls during the day and when they do speak about Erin, she doesn't seem phased by the conversation at all. The reticence is a little bit strange.

• Dawn Bailey (mother of Katie Bailey - the girl murdered in the previous year) - this is a long shot but Dawn is visibly seething about the fact that her daughter's murder still hasn't been solved. Would she go to the length of killing another innocent young girl to bring the pressure to the police department to really act? I don't think so, but crazier things have happened.

What questions do I have at the end of episode two? On the note of the investigation of Katie Bailey - are the two deaths related? We don't know anything about that case except for how angry the townspeople are about the fact it hasn't been solved after a year. Where did Erin travel to before she died? If her cellphone was found 13 miles away, where did she go and who took her? It's unlikely she travelled that far on her pushbike.

What predictions do I have at the end of episode two? Dawn and Mare finally see eye to eye and join forces. After all, they have both experienced tragedy and want the same thing: justice for the young girls who have been killed.

Other thoughts: there is no title sequence. This seems in line with the stripped back and non-stylised nature of the show, but I do enjoy a good title sequence. Also, I loved seeing Mare's mum on the sofa playing some sort of Candy Crush game on an iPad. She's a rock and provides another subtle source of (much needed!) light relief.

You can stream Mare of Easttown on Now TV or HBO Max.

In case you missed it, read Part 1 of the blog series here: Clare on Mare: Unravelling Season 1 of Mare of Easttown - Episode 1.

Episode 1 - 'Miss Lady Hawk Herself'

Director: Craig Zobel

Writer: Brad Ingelsby

Mare of Easttown has been getting a lot of praise online and has 15 Primetime Emmy nominations. This, coupled with Kate Winslet in the lead role, was enough for me to start the show and continue paying my NOW TV sub after very much enjoying The Flight Attendant.

The first episode is a heady probe into life in Easttown as Mare, or Lady Hawk (a name she hates), operates as detective sergeant. Is a person a product of a place? Or are places shaped by the people within them? Either way, Easttown is framed as industrial, forgotten and sombre, and the majority of the people in the town seem resignedly fed up. Based on the opening sequence of exterior shots of dated outhouses and terraces it feels like a lonely, cold place and this is reflected in Mare's demeanour as she navigates problematic residents and complicated personal matters.

Despite the first impression of Mare as disenchanted, she shows concern when called to an elderly resident's home to hear more about a prowler in the neighbourhood. She is observant and although on the exterior it might be interpreted as apathy, the reluctant dedication to her job surely gives her a sense of purpose - especially given the apparent breakdown of some of her own relationships. You get the sense that she has experienced some setbacks but that she carries on and tackles the day to day with as much energy as she can muster. Mare is modest when dealing with public appreciation - the local paper print a tribute to her basketball performance in high school - and routinely shrugs off compliments from Richard Ryan (Guy Pearce) but shows vulnerability as soon as those closest to her lose interest. The apparent low sense of self worth despite being highly regarded by her friends and family is a really interesting dichotomy which breathes humanity into her character.

We find out when Mare is called into Chief Carter's office that a young girl from the community has been missing for one year today. The case remains unsolved, and although Mare seems hopeless that she will ever be found, the Chief tasks her with trying again.

With this in mind, it is particularly of note that besides establishing the titular character, episode one also introduces Erin, a teenage mother who is extremely loving, and whose domestic situation is less than pleasant. To paint a picture of her home life, when her father comes home, she dishes up microwave macaroni cheese on paper plates, and he refers to his grandchild as 'kid' and to Dylan, the father of the child, as 'shit for brains'. Dylan arrives to pick up his son, and they argue about who should pay for vital ear surgery (sidebar: in addition to the awful exchange between two very young parents at this point, the conversation about paying for an infant's operation only fuelled my rage about the appalling state of healthcare and medical poverty in America). All in all, based on what we know about Erin, she is a sweetheart whose naivety and good nature is taken advantage of by all those around her. The situation is painful but it's not until the final scenes of the episode that the real danger of her vulnerability is realised. A woodland isn't the most original setting for a crime to take place, but it did increase the intensity of the episode as she walked into the lion's den under the pretence of a catfish meet up (engineered by Dylan's new girlfriend).

Broken relationships permeate every storyline in the episode: Mare and Frank (her ex), Dylan and Erin, Erin and her father, the police and Dawn (the mother of the missing girl), Freddy and Beth (a minor storyline featuring a brother and sister), Mare and her body (she hurts her foot jumping a fence, has deep hair roots, and considers sex a one night stand, even when Richard repeatedly makes it clear that he wants to see her again). Because of all of this, there is a deep rooted feeling of desperation: people have exhausted all possible avenues and are at the end of their tethers. And as the saying goes, desperate people do desperate things - perfectly setting up lots of potential suspects for the legacy crime, as well as exposing the chain of events behind the awful final shot of a body draped across rocks in the forest stream.

What questions do I have at the end of episode one? How is Mare a grandma? Is Siobhan Evan’s mum or is there another daughter we haven’t been introduced to yet? What happened to Erin? Was it suicide or was she attacked after walking off into the woods alone? What happened to Erin’s mum? She was mentioned in relation to dancing but that's it. Is the lecturer and published writer Richard Ryan everything he seems? His enthusiasm and niceness makes me skeptical but it was nice to have someone untarnished by the bleakness of Easttown.

What predictions do I have at the end of episode one? Erin’s death will provide Mare with a new found sense of purpose, especially since her daughter seems to be of a similar age and in a similar friendship circle. It all happened very close to home.

Other thoughts: Thank you to the producers of this show for using for a larger font size when showing phone texts on screen! No squinting was needed, which is a welcome change.

You can stream Mare of Easttown on Now TV or HBO Max.