Will Mare Of Easttown Season 2 Happen? Why There’s Still Hope

HBO's Mare of Easttown was one of the breakout hits of 2021. Starring Kate Winslet as a troubled cop in Philadelphia, the show — created as a limited series — drew viewers in with the mystery at hand and the relatability of Mare herself. When the show ended in May, viewers were clamoring for more, wondering if a Season 2 might be on the horizon. The truth was, it really wasn't. The show was meant to be just one season. With how popular it was, though, showrunners and even the cast started to question if a Season 2 might be in the cards. After all, it's not as if there isn't a precedent. Big Little Lies was billed as a one-season miniseries, but HBO greenlit a second season due to fan outcry.

And then there's this: The show's creator, Brad Ingelsy, told Esquire back when the first season was wrapping up, "We didn't ever talk about returning ... it's very much a closed story. I think you've seen that now; the story ends. I think all the loose ends get tied up. I hope so, at least. But I think if we could ever crack a story that was as emotional and surprising, then I think maybe there's a conversation. I don't have that in my head right now, but I mean, listen, I love Mare. If we could ever give her a great season, I would certainly consider it. I would only do it if I was convinced we could make it great, though. I wouldn't do it just because you have a chance to do it. I would want to make sure that it was as rich and compelling as I hope this season has been."

But that's only one piece to the puzzle of bringing this hit show back for a second season. Here's what we know right now.

What happens in Mare of Easttown Season 1?

Spoiler alert: Major plot points about the show ahead.

Winslet plays a cop named Mare, a bit of a washed-up detective trying to take control of her crumbling life. She has a tumultuous relationship with just about everyone in her family — they've all got issues — and she's still reeling from a murder case she hasn't been able to crack. Mare then becomes fixated on figuring out who killed a young mother named Erin (played by Cailee Spaeny) with the help of Detective Colin Zabel (played by Evan Peters).

In the end, Mare gets her answers, but she also starts the healing process at home by dealing with her son's suicide and taking her therapy to heart. So, while the mysteries at hand in Season 1 were solved, who's not to say there couldn't be a new mystery to solve in Season 2? C’mon, she’s a detective — there will surely be other cases.

When does Season 2 premiere?

Listen, viewers may be clamoring for a second season of Mare of Easttown, but, as of right now, it's not in the cards. There's no premiere date because it has not yet been greenlit. At this point, even if it does happen, it wouldn't air until at least 2023. While we can hope that it comes to fruition, it's a ways off if it does.

What has the cast and crew said about a second season?

Winslet is totally game to come back as Mare for more. She told TVLine in May 2021, "I would absolutely love to play Mare again. I miss her. I really do. It's the strangest thing. I feel like I'm in mourning. It was an absolutely wonderful role… there's something very addictive about Mare, because she's so outrageous and lovable and brilliant and real, you know? I loved playing her."

She told Deadline just a few months later that the story needs to be there for the show to continue. "However, just because the story has touched people, that doesn't necessarily mean creatively we can do it again. But it doesn't mean closing doors; we're opening doors, exploring what's behind the doors."

Winslet believes part of the reason Mare of Easttown has been so popular is because audiences have been able to really relate to the show.

“At the end of the day, when the chips are down, it’s community and family and the sense of belonging, no matter where you come from, that means everything — especially at a time when we’ve experienced this seismic event in the pandemic. I think [the miniseries] has that sense of looking out for one another against all odds; it’s something that everyone can relate to. Brad Ingelsby wrote this middle-aged heroine; not many writers have written this before, and I felt so honored and excited when he asked me.”

HBO president Casey Bloys also offered hope that a second season could still happen, telling Deadline, “[Mare of Easttown] was such a good group of talent in front of and behind the camera. Kate [Winslet], Brad [Ingelsy], and Craig [Zobel, director] are really busy, with movies in Kate’s case and other projects in Brad’s and Craig’s. I don’t know, honestly, if it’s going to be the kind of thing that they go off and do another project, and then when schedules align, maybe they come back. It’s really kind of up in the air and really up to them. Obviously, we love working with them, and I think the show was great. That’s one we’re just going to have to see how time goes.”

What could happen in Mare of Easttown Season 2?

Winslet has some ideas for where Season 2 could go. In December, she told The Guardian that the hot topic of police brutality could be a keen idea for next season, considering Mare of Easttown centers on cops.

"If we were to do a second season, then for sure these atrocities which have existed in the police force here and in America will find their way into the stories we tell," she said. "One hundred percent. You can't pretend these things haven't happened. It's horrible, isn't it? This moment in time. It's horrific. You can hear me; I can't quite find the words because we all feel so betrayed and powerless. We have to turn this moment into something meaningful. We have to use our voices on behalf of people who don't have one. That matters to me now in ways that hadn't even crossed my mind in my 20s."