Mare of Easttown Spoilers and Speculation

[paigow]

41 minutes ago, Jextella said:

I think one of the young kids killed Erin - likely accidentally because the shot wasn't a clear hit. I think it is telling that Erin was naked without signs of rape and her body was positioned in a place that she'd be relatively easy to find.  Shoddy shooting, shoddy coverup, and remorse.

Briana may have been the culprit and Dylan and gang threatened Jess into keeping it a secret. I think it's Briana's dad who Mare is beating in the previews.

Why shoot her 13 miles away and drive the body back? Panicking kids would have left the body in the park.

[Libby]

I think the cousin priest killed Erin. Deacon Mark is too obvious. That leaves the other priest. I don't remember his name. We know that Decon Mark had Erin's bike. He could have found the bike somewhere around the church and disposed of it because he was scared it would make him look guilty. The bike could have been at the church because the other priest killed her. Also, we know that Erin hung around the church previous to her murder because she was in the youth group.

The cousin priest is the friendly, forgot about type of person who is usually guilty in these types of shows.

I agree that somebody else kidnapped the other two girls. I have no idea who.

Edited May 13, 2021 by Libby

[Jextella]

Ok...based on stuff in the last episode (I think that was it), I'm going with the idea that Erin was killed accidentally or the shooter plain old missed her as the target.

• We know that at Brandywine Park a bullet ‎ricocheted from the building to the tree where the dogs picked up a scent
• Erin dies by a bullet that grazed her - not by one that hit her directly.
• This seems to suggest that either there were two people there that night
  • 2qty - Erin and the killer and the gun went off accidentally or the killer couldn't go through with it and shot away from Erin out of frustration
  • 3qty - Erin plus at least two other; of those others, there may have been shooting plans of some sort

Dylan, Sean, Brianna, Jess, and Erin seem like obvious choices right now, but I'm wondering if Erin had called DJ's dad threatening exposure in return for money. He showed up either alone or with someone else and accidentally shot her.

For now, we know the following about guns:

• Bill has one which he keeps in his tishing tackle box
• Dawn Bailey has one which she carried in her purse when meeting Freddie
• Mare has one when she is attached in the old house; the gun looks a lot like the one Kenny used to shoot Dylan
• Zabel and other cops - have cop guns

Aside: Father Dan Hastings is the only one who doesn't come off as suspicious yet. His character seems like a throw-away character with no really purposein the story which seems odd. Maybe his only role was to be the anonymous caller about the Deacon. That would be just enough to justify having him involved in the show.

Edited May 13, 2021 by Jextella

[Snazzy Daisy]

Who does Mare hit in E05 trailer?

Deacon Mark? Tony Delrasso? Steve Hinchey?

 

[peachmangosteen]

It kinda looks like Deacon Mark to me in the 2nd cap. But also it doesn't look like anyone lol.

[paigow]

4 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

But also it doesn't look like anyone lol.

What is this????

[Snazzy Daisy]

Here’s an interesting theory from one Reddit user re Deacon Mark’s phone passcode (4852).

Based on Book of Hosea, Chapter 4/Verse 8 to Chapter 5/Verse 2 (New International Version), here are the passages that could be relevant to this show: 

4:8 "They feed on the sins of my people and relish their wickedness.”

4:9 "And it will be: Like people, like priests. I will punish both of them for their ways and repay them for their deeds.”

4:10 “They will eat but not have enough; they will engage in prostitution but not flourish, because they have deserted the Lord to give themselves.”

4:11 "...to prostitution...”

4:13 "...Therefore your daughters turn to prostitution and your daughters-in-law to adultery.“

4:14 “I will not punish your daughters when they turn to prostitution, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery, because the men themselves consort with harlots and sacrifice with shrine prostitutes—a people without understanding will come to ruin!”

5:2 "...I will discipline all of them."

 

Credit to:  Devi1_May_Cry in Reddit

 

[Lili-Marie]

Something is up with the kids I agree. Siobhan was nowhere to be seen in the night of Erin’s murder.

After she is seen to help Erin in the woods, we have no idea what she gets up to 🤷‍♀️

[paigow]

Katie was an addict before... seems sober now

Missy is an addict... 

Unless this guy has been buying drugs for a year and has to double the budget now...

Kidnapper running old school rehab 

[Fuzzy Logic]

At this rate, I will be more shocked if Zabel survives this episode than doesn't.  

[Cheyanne11]

Quote

Joanna Robinson at Vanity Fair has made a really strong case for why the dad/killer is John Ross, the only hole I can find in this is I can't see how his son KNOWS he killed Erin, I'm sure he caught his dad coming in late after Frank had already passed out, and it makes sense the kid assumed it was cheating, and not murder durdering.

I think this is right.  Billy has been acting so emotional/guilty because he knows John was screwing Katie while she was living with John.  

[Tippi]

On 4/29/2021 at 11:07 PM, paigow said:

What was the plot of his book? Was it murder / corruption in small town USA? Is this a copycat run by a fan / former student?

I had a terrible thought--what if this story is actually Guy Pearce's character's new book?  Completely fictional?  Wouldn't that ruin the whole show!

[BingeyKohan]

Here is my current fear for a S2: Zabel’s mother will bring a lawsuit against the department because she already doesn’t like Mare and will realize Mare was not sufficient backup for her son. I would not enjoy a civil trial dominated second season a la Big Little Lies. 

[BellyLaughter]

1 hour ago, BingeyKohan said:

Here is my current fear for a S2: Zabel’s mother will bring a lawsuit against the department because she already doesn’t like Mare and will realize Mare was not sufficient backup for her son. I would not enjoy a civil trial dominated second season a la Big Little Lies. 

Thankfully this is being called a limited series.....I doubt there will be a season 2!

[paigow]

8 minutes ago, BellyLaughter said:

Thankfully this is being called a limited series.....I doubt there will be a season 2!

Maybe DiCaprio is available by then... Long lost cousin Zach Zabel

[Irlandesa]

9 hours ago, Cheyanne11 said:

Billy has been acting so emotional/guilty because he knows John was screwing Katie while she was living with John.  

That was my thought last night too.

[peachmangosteen]

That sentence confuses me lol but are you saying maybe Billy is acting the way he is because he knows John had an affair with Erin? Billy's demeanor is actually pretty similar to John's son's so maybe they both know that John was sleeping with Erin. 

The only thing for me though is it seems like Lori knows who the woman that John had an affair with is so I'd think she'd have reacted differently to Erin being murdered. I also think she'd act differently to knowing John had an affair with his second cousin! (I think that's the relation but I'm not entirely sure lol.) But everyone is this town seems fucked up so who knows.

[paigow]

Who are the Friday night poker buddies? One of them is probably Billy...

[huggybear]

There's a quick shot in the Episode 6 trailer, of Mare picking up a T-shirt and looking at it with an expression of surprise. If that is something found among Erin's belongings, I'm going with Kevin being the baby's father and Siobhan being the killer, even though she seems like a good kid. I will probably change my mind in the next 20 minutes or so. 

[One Imaginary Girl]

Kevin can't be DJ's father, because Frank underwent a DNA test, and it would have shown a familial relationship.

Edited May 22, 2021 by One Imaginary Girl

[Irlandesa]

On 5/17/2021 at 8:39 PM, BellyLaughter said:

Thankfully this is being called a limited series.....I doubt there will be a season 2!

Ha.  That's what they said about Big Little Lies.  Although they did set up a S2 with Big Little Lies.  We'll see if they do the same here.

[Dancingjaneway]

I think John & Lori are the killers & Billy was simply the father of Erin's baby. It's usually the characters I like in these shows that end up being the baddies. Lori is my favorite of Mare's friends & that just tells me she is no good. The way Lori talked about loving him even when he cheated on her it wasn't just the "I love him still somewhere in my heart/he's the dad of my kids" it was a "I love this man & would do ANYTHING for him he is mine". I'm thinking John & or Lori killed Erin because she was going to start asking Billy & the brothers for money. She knew Dylan wasn't going to pay for shit so she got desperate. John couldn't have that so he had to get rid of her. 

[Dancingjaneway]

Also looking at next weeks preview I think they are going to lose custody of Dylan. That's why Mare & Shibon are hugging & crying. I think that's also why her mother is crying at one point in the preview. Looks like the author/semi boyfriend is heading back to where he came from. I don't think he was the killer I think he was just someone to bring a distraction for Mare & the show. If he WAS the killer I would be PISSED. 

[Dessert]

I’m beginning to think that the casting of Guy Pearce was the ultimate red herring. I couldn’t believe he would just be a minor character - a love interest for Mare, but it’s looking that way. Oh well. We see him packing his car. I envision Mare screaming “Help! Take me with you” and driving off into the sunset with Richard.

[paigow]

The school year is not over - unless there is a time jump - so there is no normal reason for Richard to leave town permanently. Unless he is packing for a weekend sexcation with Mare.

[BingeyKohan]

So, there is only one trailer left to analyze - the one for the finale. I'd already seen an image of Mare wrestling a dark haired suspect in or near a river (and assumed that was truly at the end/big reveal) but it seems like that will happen in the start of the episode (and will probably be Billy) but -- the preview has Mare calling for backup, then heading toward some neighborhood looking destination with other officers with her, which must be the actual, ultimate perp arrest. (John?) I'm wondering what that service revolver has to do with anything - it's clearly not the gun that was in the tacklebox (or even similar). It seems like it would be the way Mare would preserve her father's gun, potentially, so I wonder if Erin's killer somehow had access to it. (I am definitely not indicating it was Siobhan, though!)

[peachmangosteen]

3 hours ago, BingeyKohan said:

I'm wondering what that service revolver has to do with anything - it's clearly not the gun that was in the tacklebox (or even similar). It seems like it would be the way Mare would preserve her father's gun, potentially, so I wonder if Erin's killer somehow had access to it. (I am definitely not indicating it was Siobhan, though!

The gun being some old, police gun has me really wondering, too. At this point, I'd say John seems like he's almost certainly the killer but why would he have that kind of gun? Or Dylan, if he did it, why would he have that? 

[Tippi]

The gun is on my mind too.  If it is Mare's father's gun that was used to kill Erin, who could have been in Mare's house to get it?  Siobhan I will rule out, because I think she will be the one to get a "happy" ending by going to college in Cali.  That leaves Lori, Frank, Faye, Carrie.  If John is a psycho, and he's sure looking like one, he could have slipped away during family/friend gatherings at Mare's.  Or, maybe he manipulated Ryan into taking it.

Edited May 24, 2021 by Tippi

[FemmyV]

6 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

The gun being some old, police gun has me really wondering, too. At this point, I'd say John seems like he's almost certainly the killer but why would he have that kind of gun? Or Dylan, if he did it, why would he have that? 

Could John and Billy's dad gone into the Carroll's house, mistakenly, and taken it? 

[Snazzy Daisy]

5 hours ago, FemmyV said:

Could John and Billy's dad gone into the Carroll's house, mistakenly, and taken it? 

Is Glenn Carroll an ex cop?

What about Pat Ross, John & Billy’s dad?

[Morrigan2575]

14 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

The gun being some old, police gun has me really wondering, too. At this point, I'd say John seems like he's almost certainly the killer but why would he have that kind of gun? Or Dylan, if he did it, why would he have that? 

Is it at all possible that Ryan is the killer? There is something so off about that boy. I remember thinking it when he was staring at the TV News about the missing girls in his parents bedroom. 

I wonder if John is DJ's dad, he left to confront Erin about money and she started threatening to reveal that he's the baby daddy. Ryan followed his dad thinking he was having another affair, over hears and shoots Erin in anger? 

I wonder if Billy always offering Erin a place to live, wasn't so much love/sexual obsession/perversion but, protection from his Brother?

I don't know, it just seems too easy for a crime show to reveal the killer in the penultimate episode and not have a finale twist. 😁

Edited May 25, 2021 by Morrigan2575

[Libby]

Frank could get in Mare's house to get the gun. He and John were together that night. Maybe Frank gave John access to the gun. Frank was so drunk that he wouldn't even remember. 

[paigow]

Ryan would need an accomplice. He does not look old enough to drive.

[One Imaginary Girl]

I don't think Lori had anything to do with the murder, and the reason is that a throughline in the series is the closeness of the members of the Easttown High School girls' basketball team all these years later.  Mare tried to help out Beth with Freddy; Beth babysits for Dawn.  The relationship between Dawn and Mare was frayed a bit when Dawn didn't think the police were doing enough to find Katie, but it was eventually mended.  Even before Katie was found, there was a touching moment when Dawn wondered aloud whether she had caused Mare's problems.  So I think that whether John was the murderer or helped cover up who was, Mare, Beth, and Dawn will help Lori through it.

[peachmangosteen]

1 hour ago, Morrigan2575 said:

Is it at all possible that Ryan is the killer? There is something so off about that boy. I remember thinking it when he was staring at the TV News about the missing girls in his parents bedroom. 

Oh wow, that is good spec. I hope they don't go this way, but it would make a lot of sense.

[Morrigan2575]

4 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

Oh wow, that is good spec. I hope they don't go this way, but it would make a lot of sense.

I hope they don't either but, there's just something off about that boy. Maybe they just played it up to make the dramatic affair reveal a shocking twist?

I remember early on thinking there was something off with him. He was so quiet, always staring, then we had the news scene and the cafeteria fight scene.

After the John/Ryan talk scene I thought OMG John has been molesting his son! Then they did this whole oh he was just angry because his dad made him lie and cover up the affair. It just didn't make sense to me. However, maybe it was all misdirection? 

Edited May 25, 2021 by Morrigan2575

[IndianPaintbrush]

2 hours ago, Morrigan2575 said:

I wonder if John is DJ's dad, he left to confront Erin about money and she started threatening to reveal that he's the baby daddy. Ryan followed his dad thinking he was having another affair, over hears and shoots Erin in anger? 

I wonder if Billy always offering Erin a place to live, wasn't so much love/sexual obsession/perversion but, protection from his Brother?

My theory too. Didn't the cops say the shooter didn't have the best aim? Maybe Billy is taking the fall because he was blackout drunk and doesn't remember...but I do think Billy moved the body. Frank isn't off the hook, because there's more going on between him and Faye besides the paternity test. That still leaves Dylan, but I'm leaning against him having anything to do with the actual murder.

[paigow]

14 hours ago, FemmyV said:

Could John and Billy's dad gone into the Carroll's house, mistakenly, and taken it? 

He does not have dementia. They are not even neighbours.

[sandwoman]

I think Ryan HAS to be involved because that's the kind of painful twist this show would do. ALSO it ties it thematically to the rest of the show: parents and children and guilt.

There's Mare and her issues with Kevin and Siobhan, Dawn and Katie, Erin and DJ, Mrs. Zabel and Colin, even Brianna's dad and Brianna - he goes crazy because his daughter's future is threatened.

I think Ryan shot her. John and Billy moved the body to cover it up. John has told Lori what really happened and that the plan is for Billy to take the fall (but didn't tell her he is planning to kill Billy). (But maybe John didn't tell her that he is the father of DJ and not Billy)

[BingeyKohan]

10 minutes ago, sandwoman said:

I think Ryan shot her. John and Billy moved the body to cover it up. John has told Lori what really happened and that the plan is for Billy to take the fall (but didn't tell her he is planning to kill Billy). (But maybe John didn't tell her that he is the father of DJ and not Billy)

Ohhhhh I bet you're right, I bet that's why Lori didn't have the 'feeling' that John was cheating again, because he wasn't. She caught her husband and son talking about covering up Ryan killing Erin and John (and Ryan) played it off like it was about him cheating because that was easier to handle than letting their son be revealed as a killer. And John is evidently ok with scapegoating Billy. (but if that's the case then Mare sure is rolling up to their house in the preview with a whole squadron just to get a pre-teen boy so at that point she must be after John.)

Edited May 25, 2021 by BingeyKohan

[Tippi]

I forgot to mention another person who could be in Mare's house and take her father's gun: Cousin Father Dan, the other priest.  He was quick to report Deacon Mark.  Helpful citizen, or trying to divert attention away from himself?

Edited May 25, 2021 by Tippi
ETA: The last episode is called Sacrament.

[peachmangosteen]

I really thought I had it all figured out but now I'm back to thinking that it's possible that like at least 5 different characters did it. Dammit!

[BingeyKohan]

17 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

I really thought I had it all figured out but now I'm back to thinking that it's possible that like at least 5 different characters did it. Dammit!

Ha, same. Also I have never been right, not even once. I wonder what it would feel like to be right. I probably wouldn’t even enjoy it but I will probably never know!

[Snazzy Daisy]

Chief Carter is looking at a naked selfie of 2 women??? 

😱😱😱

 

[DiabLOL]

7 hours ago, sandwoman said:

I think Ryan HAS to be involved because that's the kind of painful twist this show would do. ALSO it ties it thematically to the rest of the show: parents and children and guilt.

There's Mare and her issues with Kevin and Siobhan, Dawn and Katie, Erin and DJ, Mrs. Zabel and Colin, even Brianna's dad and Brianna - he goes crazy because his daughter's future is threatened.

I think Ryan shot her. John and Billy moved the body to cover it up. John has told Lori what really happened and that the plan is for Billy to take the fall (but didn't tell her he is planning to kill Billy). (But maybe John didn't tell her that he is the father of DJ and not Billy)

This is the only theory that makes Lori’s rapid fire decision for the coverup make sense to me. She would only agree to it to save her kid.

[whiporee]

On rewatch, I'm pretty sure DJ is John's baby, and Ryan killed Erin.

Ryan confronted Erin, or Erin confronted John and Ryan overheard. The whole thing about Billy being covered in blood doedsn't fit Erin's murder -- she didn't have any gaping wounds, no real place for a lot of blood to come from. 

Dylan's schtick is he recruits young girls to become escorts. That's what he's so panicked about with Jess, because Jess helps him. It's what he was doing with Brianna -- getting her in so deep that she would do what he wanted rather than risk losing him. Classic pimp move. 

[Daveinsanmateo]

A couple of things on my mind.

Ingelsby has talked about having affection for the characters in the show. Flaws and all. Bad decisions and all.

I think that makes it almost certain that the shooting occurred by accident and that the cover up is intended to protect the accidental shooter (maybe Siobhan or Ryan). Did someone have a gun because he or she was gonna commit suicide? Is that what brought Erin to Brandywine Park?

Also - DJ stands for Dylan John, I think.

[BellyLaughter]

OK this may be a stretch and my memory of the scene is pretty sketchy but when Zabel and Mare found the shooting location was there not a conversation about the trajectory of the bullet being unusual??  Could that mean a child fired the gun??  

[Dessert]

I hope Ryan isn’t the killer. If he is, I get to say “We’re gonna need a bigger boat”. Evil Knievel couldn’t jump a shark that gigantic. Ryan is still really young. What on earth would a boy his age be doing running around in the middle of the night, much less meeting a prostitute in a park? If he was with his father, why on earth would John take his fairly young son with him to meet his teenage cousin/aspiring prostitute/statutory rape victim/possible baby momma/possible blackmailer in some park in the middle of the night ...with a gun? Why would his mother not even notice he’s gone? I could buy Zabel rising from the dead before I could buy that. 

 

[jrzy]

On 5/17/2021 at 11:17 AM, Cheyanne11 said:

I think this is right.  Billy has been acting so emotional/guilty because he knows John was screwing Katie while she was living with John.  

I read that too,  and I just rewatched episodes 5 and 6.  I am convinced that John is the actual killer and father of the baby.