Meet MARE OF EASTTOWN

 Article first published as MARE OF EASTTOWN Review on Seat42F.

HBO premiered the new seven-part miniseries MARE OF EASTTOWN this week. Set in a fictional small Pennsylvanian town, the show follows a young grandmother who is the local detective. Unfortunately, she’s made no progress on a missing girl’s case for a year, and the residents are losing faith in her abilities to keep them safe. When a body is found, the protagonist faces angry neighbors, an unappreciative family, and a thankless job with her usual cynicism and rugged determination.

Kate Winslet (Mildred Pierce, Revolutionary Road) stars in MARE OF EASTTOWN as Mare Sheehan, the aforementioned detective. Mare is no-nonsense and no-fluff, barely taking time to eat something, forget healthy, and with questionable hygiene. She has a difficult life, housing four generations under her roof, including her mother, Helen (Jean Smart, Watchmen, Legion), who seems to prefer Mare’s ex-husband, Frank (David Denman, The Office), to her daughter. Mare’s teen offspring, Siobhan (Angourie Rice, Spider-Man: Far From Home), is typically moody, and Mare also has her dead son’s baby. So even without the failed investigation hanging over her head, Mare has plenty on her plate.

Winslet is excellent in MARE OF EASTTOWN, of course, and one would expect no less. She also makes strong acting choices, so it isn’t a surprise that the series is very well-made and specific. It’s extremely grounded, one of the more realistic cop shows I’ve seen, and the cast is all-around great. Even Winslet’s strange “Delco” accent works in context, only coming out here and there.

One wonders why Mare has such a challenging life. In high school, she was “Miss Lady Hawk Herself,” the title of episode one, a popular athlete. But she seems to have peaked then, and having stayed local, she wears the old title around her as heavily as any of her other burdens. Being reminded of the event in episode one doesn’t help her mood, which appears to be sour at the best of times, even though her chosen profession and full house indicates she cares more than she lets on.

Besides the amazing Smart, there are some other supporting players to note. It’s bittersweet to see Phyllis Somerville (The Big C, Stoker) pop up among the neighbors after her passing last year. She plays a bit different of a role than most I’m familiar with from her, and her presence is certainly a draw. Guy Pearce, Winslet’s love interest in Mildred Pierce, is also present as Mare’s sexual hookup in MARE OF EASTTOWN. Theirs is an odd chemistry, but it works. Evan Peters (WandaVision) doesn’t make an appearance in the premiere, but is set to star in the series, as well, playing a detective brought in from the outside to help Mare, which I’m sure she won’t appreciate at all.

The girl whose body is found is a focus of a lot of the first hour. We see her situation before she ends up dead, painting a picture of who she is and shining light on a few suspects. This is a good way to round out the crime, making Mare’s investigation mean something to the viewers, who already care about the deceased.

MARE OF EASTTOWN is super grounded, gritty, and slow. It is the definition of prestige drama with none of the prestige in the setting or characters’ lives, as the town and people are pretty run-down. It’s definitely awards bait, so if you want to be ready for the Emmys and Golden Globes, you’ll want to make sure you tune in. But it’s also pretty entertaining, too, if for no other reason than to watch some actors at the height of their game doing what they do best.

MARE OF EASTTOWN airs Sundays on HBO.

THE INNOCENTS Sort Of Is

Article first published as TV Review: THE INNOCENTS on Seat42F.com

The following contains spoilers from the first episode and less spoiler-y comments on hours two and three.

It seems like Netflix is constantly putting out new shows these days. One of the latest, which arrived last week, is THE INNOCENTS. Two teenagers, one feeling put upon by her single father, the other saddled with being a caretaker to his, run away together. However, the girl has a secret that even she doesn’t know, an inheritance from the mother that abandoned her. As this hidden skill comes to light, it won’t just be their families trying to track them down.

Sorcha Groundsell (Clique) stars in THE INNOCENTS as June, the girl who can shapeshift into other people. June doesn’t know how to control the power, it just happens suddenly one day, throwing her life into disarray. Sorcha does an excellent job playing the scared teen believably, as earnest in her desperation and need for reassurance as she is able to let loose when the situation presents itself.

Her leading man is Percelle Ascott (Wizards vs. Aliens) who plays Harry. It might be hard to believe that Harry stands by his girlfriend when she changes into a man and doesn’t know it’s only a temporary shift. But we’ve already seen Harry put his own welfare second to others, falling very easily into the role of caretaker, so it makes sense. His deep love for her is well demonstrated before this moment.

In the rest of the ensemble of THE INNOCENTS, there are several other actors of note. Viewers are likely to recognize Guy Pearce (When We Rise) as Halvorson, the scientist who is caring for (keeping captive?) June’s mother in scenes that very nearly smack of the Strange Things laboratory, except in the country. Sam Hazeldine (Resurrection) has a tough job playing a character we’re conditioned not to like who really doesn’t seem all that bad. Johannes Haukur Johannesson (Game of Thrones) steals the show, not so much as Steinar, Halvorson’s operative, but as June during her extended shift into him.

The tone is, at times, creepy, but it’s also very grounded and authentic. The kids act like kids, and the parents act like parents, a testament to both the writing and performances. The settings are gone through quickly, but not unnecessarily so. This is in contrast to the pacing, which is relatively slow, letting the characters breathe, rather than just run. At times, one could reasonably argue, it does this too much. However, it definitely feels like a carefully-plotted season because of it, and endings are often cliffhanger-y, persuading viewers to let the next installment play immediately.

The weakness is that it’s not all that exciting of a story, at least not initially. The stakes aren’t clear, the ‘bad guys’ offering therapy, not enslavement. The danger is minimized, and when violence is interjected, it almost feels out of place. Which is not to say the series is tame, but just not all that intense. Though, June and Harry’s relationship is a little more chaste than you might expect two teenagers running away together to be.

And, as mentioned, the slow way things unfold means that it doesn’t stay gripping. For instance, June and Harry take time to go to a club in episode three. Sure, it’s part of their journey, they’ve just met new friends and all that. But it still feels a bit weird, when so much attention is devoted to the search for them, that they’re just kind of hanging out, having fun.

Overall, however, it seems like an interesting story that is being told in an intriguing way, a new twist on shapeshifting. THE INNOCENTS doesn’t share a lot of DNA with other series, which works in its favor. Filmed partially in Norway and produced by the UK, there’s an exotic quality to it that will only enhance American viewing. The acting and direction is quite solid.

The entire first season of THE INNOCENTS is streaming now on Netflix.

JWTV Quickie: Mildred Pierce - "Part Three" through "Part Five"

    Sunday night brought the last two segments of the new HBO five hour miniseries, Mildred Pierce. Rather than writing out paragraphs of detailed review, here's a list of ten things, both good and bad, of note within the last three hours, in no particular order. There's a similar list for the first two parts, which you can see by clicking here. Please feel free to add to the list if you think something important was missed, or debate why something is included.

1. Same as the previous list. Kate Winslet, who plays the title character, will win the Emmy. She just will, sorry, no contest. She is doing a fantastic job in a miniseries that is attracting attention and praise. There will be other actresses as good this year, but you would be hard pressed to find one better, and she will win.

2. The whole miniseries is a palindrome. Mildred begins married to Bert (Brian F. O'Byrne), divorces, loses a daughter (Ray, who dies), takes a lover, starts a business, find success, loses the business, loses the lover, loses a daughter (Veda runs out on her), divorces, marries Bert again. Ah, symmetry!

3. I thought I would like Evan Rachel Wood better as Veda than Morgan Turner, the younger version. I was wrong. While Wood did fine, she had less to work with than Turner, who played Veda for a longer period of time. Wood got the juicy finale, but Turner deserves to get a supporting actress Emmy nomination.

4. Veda screws everything up. Veda ruins Mildred's relationships and her chain of restaurants. Veda distracts Mildred from what she should be focusing on. If Mildred had had an abortion, or given Veda up for adoption, none of the bad things in her life would have ever happened. The story would have a happy ending.

5. Almost none of the characters are likeable. In fact, they are downright creeps. Bert is the best part of the family, almost worth rooting for, and even he cheated on his wife and ran off with the girl. No wonder Veda grew up to be such a psycho!

6. Mildred is a terrible mother. You spoil a kid, she takes advantage and feels entitled. Again, no wonder Veda grew up to be a psycho!

7. Monty (Guy Pearce) should be locked up as a sexual predator. Yes, his intercourse with Veda is consensual, and she is an adult by that point. However, sleeping with your wife's daughter is more than taboo. It is wrong under any circumstances, and it is disappointing that Monty and Veda end up together. Surely, should there have ever been a sequel, they would be split within months. He is only with her for the same reasons he was with Mildred - money and sex.

8. Ida (Mare Winningham) is the sole sane character. She is kind and generous. She takes over the business, but only reluctantly, and remains friends with Mildred. It's easy to see why Ida is included in the restaurants, and giving her her own location is both a stroke of genius, from a fianancial standpoint, and also plants the seeds of Mildred's eventual removal.

9. Lucy (Melissa Leo) actually ends up saner than Mildred. She is first introduced as a flighty weirdo, but grows into quite a sensible person. She had heart and intelligence. I guess some people really do mature nicely.

10. This miniseries is wonderful for an artistic perspective, and because of the talent behind it. The story is horrible, in that the characters are not relatable and terrible people. Perhaps it isn't unrealistic, but it is hard to look past such repulsive behavior. It will get accolades, as it should, but it will never be something people gleefully watch on a Friday night,

Click here for an alphabetical list of all of Jerome's Current Season Reviews.

For frequent mini-reviews and occasional TV news, follow Jerome on Twitter.

JWTV Quickie: Mildred Pierce - "Part One and Part Two"

     Sunday night, we got to see the first two hours of the new HBO's five hour miniseries, Mildred Pierce. Rather than writing out paragraphs of detailed review, which I will reserve for after the entire run is complete in three weeks, I want to list ten things, both good and bad, of note within the first two hours, in no particular order. Please feel free to add to the list if you think I missed something important, or debate why something is included.

1. Kate Winslet, who plays the title character, will win the Emmy. She just will, sorry, no contest. She is doing a fantastic job in a miniseries that is attracting attention and praise. There will be other actresses as good this year, but you would be hard pressed to find one better, and she will win.

2. I thought Mildred was supposed to be unlikable. Why hasn't she been unlikable yet? Am I under a false impression? She has been shown with pluck and determinating, struggling to support her family, with only a trace of enabling her bratty daughter. Speaking of...

3. Young Veda (Morgan Turner) and the older Veda that will be showing up later (Evan Rachel Wood) are a perfectly cast pair. While Wood has not yet made an appearance, just thinking back to her run on True Blood last year will point to the fact that people are about to be blown away by just how similar the two are in looks and mannerisms. PERFECT!

4. Why is Melissa Leo talking in that annoying voice as Lucy? She just won an Oscar, and she already blew away HBO audiences with her fantastic turn in Treme. All she has been on MP is annoying.

5. Other than cheating on his wife, Bert (Brian F. O'Byrne) seems to be the perfect father, and he's become a fine friend to Mildred post-split. I am having trouble reconciling those two different aspects. Which is kind of neat, because life is complicated, and this way he's presented as a full man, rather than a charicature.

6. The scenes between Mildred and Monty (Guy Pearce) are hot. They'd be even hotter with better looking performers, but the chemistry between the two is very sexy. Don't get me wrong. There's nothing wrong with Pearce other than that terrible hair piece and moustache, which is in period, but Winslet has never been all that attractive, in my opinion. I'm sure others may disagree.

7. The new restaurant Mildred is opening is gorgeous! How can it not succeed? Plus, location, location, location. Why don't more businesses open randomly in the middle of neighborhoods instead of in strips with other businesses? It may be harder to find for the general populace, but the people living within walking distance will surely become loyal patrons.

8. Why doesn't Mildred move into the restaurant? It's a house, right? Persumably, she is only using the main living areas. There will still be bedrooms free. If she will be spending most of her time there anyway, it just makes sense.

9. Why doesn't Mildred hire Ida (Mare Winningham) as her waitress? Mildred will be doing all the cooking, so she's going to need at least one server. I can see why Ida may want to wait and see how the new restaurant goes before deciding, but Mildred should at least offer Ida the first and top spot.

10. Ray's (Quinn McColgan) death - heartbreaking. Simply heartbreaking. She was such a cute little kid! Add to that the unwarranted guilt Mildred will feel by not being there the one time her daughter needed her, and you have some real pathos going on.

Click here for an alphabetical list of all of Jerome's Current Season Reviews.

For frequent mini-reviews and occasional TV news, follow Jerome on Twitter.