S01.E05: Illusions

[Ms Blue Jay]

23 hours ago, roughing it said:

I agree.  While Colin crushed on Mare, I felt that Mare regarded him more as a younger brother.  When Colin asked to talk about something other than the case....crickets.... because Mare didn't know what else to talk about with him.

I think that's her social awkwardness.  Nobody goes on a date with their younger brother.  

Edited May 20, 2021 by Ms Blue Jay

[Cotypubby]

Ho-lee SHIT. There have not been many times in TV shows where I've legitimately been surprised at a character dying, this was one of them! I did not see Zabel getting killed at all! That is just not how these mystery cop shows go so kudos to them for not following the rules. Wow!

I've thought since pretty early on that the murder and the kidnappings were not actually related. My suspicions have been on Siobhan's ex, the one that puked in the radio station. There is something off about her behavior and she's not been shown as a suspect yet so... I'm thinking that the murder being made to look sexual, but there being no physical evidence points towards a female trying to stage an attempted rape.

Edited May 20, 2021 by Cotypubby

[raven]

On 5/19/2021 at 5:30 PM, roughing it said:

When Colin asked to talk about something other than the case....crickets.... because Mare didn't know what else to talk about with him.

The impression I was getting (up until the kiss) was that he would be someone else she'd need to mentor/guide/mother/insert "taking care of" descriptor here.  That's something she definitely doesn't need.  She didn't even want the turtle because she knew it was another responsibility, however small.

I don't think Mare is too grouchy and needs a sweet young thing to cheer her up.  She's had a lot of shit going on in her life yet is still hopeful enough to engage with men she finds interesting and go on dates.  She adores her grandson.  Though I didn't think a lot of her mom at first, now I can see they have a good relationship and support each other even if they are antagonistic at times.  Mare has friends she can confide in.  She's engaging in therapy.  Her life isn't perfect but whose is?  I just gotta defend her a bit here, lol.  Planting the drugs was beyond the pale and she should lose her job over that but probably won't. 

I think she's interesting and realistic the way she is and the supporting cast of characters are pretty much as well - I didn't mind the side trip with Dawn, for example. 

I think Erin's murder has nothing to do with the kidnappings (solved) and the peeping Tom (inadvertently solved).  I think we're done with those cases except for maybe some wrap-up comments.

Erin's murder seems personal - she wasn't sexually assaulted but was left outside in only her underwear.  Either that or it was accidental (the wounds seem to indicate that) and she was either with a client or left mostly naked as some kind of ruse. 

The big issues left are Erin's murder, DJ's paternity and Drew's custody. 

 

 

 

[Dminches]

19 minutes ago, raven said:

I think Erin's murder has nothing to do with the kidnappings (solved) and the peeping Tom (inadvertently solved).  I think we're done with those cases except for maybe some wrap-up comments.

Erin's murder seems personal - she wasn't sexually assaulted but was left outside in only her underwear.  Either that or it was accidental (the wounds seem to indicate that) and she was either with a client or left mostly naked as some kind of ruse. 

The big issues left are Erin's murder, DJ's paternity and Drew's custody. 

 

 

I agree for the most part but wasn’t the tip of her finger shot off?  Wasn’t that the bullet that Mare found in the tree?

The murder could still be personal in nature but I am not sure it could be accidental.

 

[paigow]

1 hour ago, Dminches said:

The murder could still be personal in nature

 

[ECM1231]

On 5/16/2021 at 11:29 PM, Dminches said:

Erin got pregnant almost 2 years ago. I could easily have been Billy Ross. Plus, Mare grabbed that bottle for DNA.

 

You guys are good. I totally missed that but I do remember her eyeing that beer bottle.

I still don't know who half these people are and what their relationships are to each other. The one guy who's married to her best friend played by Julianne Nicholson, well what is his relationship to the other 2 guys there? And are any of those men related to Erin's father?

Why did Erin's friend lead Mare on a wild goose chase about the journals? They weren't where she told Mare they were. Why even mention the journals?

Lori's husband is having an affair? Between the loud background music and every scene being so dark and gloomy, I miss a lot.

I have SO many questions. Lol  

I wish Zabel wasn't killed. This episode was so intense but thank goodness for the levity provided by Jean Smart. Mare cracking up in the car over her mom's indiscretion was too funny.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Emily Thrace]

On 5/17/2021 at 7:22 PM, raven said:

I noticed that too so went back to look.  The cup just says "Detective.  County of Delaware, Pennsylvania". 

I think in this case it's the simplest explanation - he shaved.  The kidnapper had a lot of scruff, as if he shaves often and badly.  I think the kidnappings are solved and that Erin's murder is unconnected, except for the prostitution angle.

On re-watch, Billy definitely says that Erin stayed him "at least 3 years ago, maybe more",  Of course that doesn't mean that they couldn't have had sex after she moved out.  I hate that idea, she would have been around 15? 

I have sympathy for Jess.  I think she really was a friend to Erin.  She seems somewhat intimidated by the two guys, or Dylan at least.  She copied/photo something from the journal.  It looks to me that right now she is the only teen trying to do something for Erin.

I think I'm on the Dylan is the killer train until proven otherwise.  His occasional kindness to DJ is the red herring; the real Dylan is the one who stood coldly by while his girlfriend and other people beat up Erin.   Erin was hysterical after receiving a text - maybe Dylan threatened to expose her on SideDoor and take the baby away.  She adored that baby; threatening to take him away would def make her hysterical and insistent that she be dropped off to meet someone.

Yes, this is the only thing I think she did wrong in the kidnapping scenario.  Colin's inexperience was not her fault - though she may not see it that way.  It all happens rather quickly - shut the music off, spot the Winstons, oh shit Mare has no gun, Colin undo your holster, the girls start banging on the pipes, kidnapper tries to blow it off, Mare spots the security cameras which increases her suspicion, banging gets louder.  Mare has to tell Colin to draw his gun.   Even after being shot and running and hiding, Mare has the presence of mind to text for help.  Killing the guy was absolutely self defense, he would have killed her otherwise.  Other than the fact that she wasn't supposed to be working, I can't fault her in the scenario at all.

Damn, I hate waiting so long for the next episode!

I'm not sure about Dylan I think he could be involved in something shady like say dealing drugs that Erin knew about and might have written about. (Siobhan was in the woods that night to pickup pot) I don't think he killed her. I just don't see a real motive in his case. He had all the power in his relationship with Erin why kill her?

I don't think Mare will be in any trouble. The press is going to love her that alone should save her ass. Plus it was her source who had the info that caught the bastard. I can see them bullshiting that she introduced Colin to the source and they stopped at the house on way home.

I am starting to wonder about Frank Ross. The way his son was acting I almost wondered if he had been molesting him. That was going to reveal a family history of sexual abuse and lead to his sketchy brother being revealed as DJ's father. I am still thinking he killed Erin to cover it up. I wouldn't be surprised if Frank is involved somehow though. Also I have a feeling his side piece is Faye

 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

5 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

I still don't know who half these people are and what their relationships are to each other. The one guy who's married to her best friend played by Julianne Nicholson, well what is his relationship to the other 2 guys there? And are any of those men related to Erin's father?

Lori's husband is having an affair? Between the loud background music and every scene being so dark and gloomy, I miss a lot.

I have SO many questions. Lol

Mare's best friend is Lori Ross who is married to John Ross. Their son Ryan is the one who got in trouble at school for hitting that shithead bully with his cafeteria tray. The night before that happened, Lori overheard John talking to a crying Ryan and telling him, "It's going to be okay, Ryan. It's our secret, all right? Only us." She assumed that Ryan hitting a kid at school was related to the conversation he had with his dad, so she asked Ryan, "Is your dad doing it again? Ryan, can you look at me? Is it with the same woman as before?" Presumably that means he had an affair in the past and she thought the secret Ryan and his dad were keeping was about him resuming his affair. John was later seen leaving the house with a packed bag so I assumed that Lori confronted him about it and kicked him out.

John Ross and Billy Ross are the cousins of Kenny McMenamin, Erin's dad. This was established in the second episode after Erin's body was found. Mare had to tell Kenny that Erin was dead so she called Lori and said, "I'm on my way over to Kenny's now to tell him. I want John and Billy to meet me there. Probably good to have his cousins there for him, you know?"

5 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

Why did Erin's friend lead Mare on a wild goose chase about the journals? They weren't where she told Mare they were. Why even mention the journals?

Jess didn't bring them up. Mare did. Mare was watching some old videos of Erin who said, "It was DJ's first birthday yesterday and I was going through my old journals, just re-reading entries over the past year." This gave Mare the idea to look for her journals. Later when Mare and Zabel went to talk to Jess about Erin, Mare pretended she had forgotten her phone so she could go back and ask Jess if she knew where Erin kept her journals. Jess lied and told Mare that Erin kept them in between her dresser drawers so that Mare wouldn't find them. Then Jess and Dylan went to Erin's house and got them out of the real hiding place and burned them.

Edited May 22, 2021 by ElectricBoogaloo

[MamaMax]

On 5/17/2021 at 11:00 AM, Dminches said:

The 3 blue vans were actually very different colors in the video.

Billy had finished one of the Rolling Rocks and got up to get another.  He didn’t drink from the new one. I am sure there was more than enough DNA on the finished one which he left on the table to do some testing.

 

I thought the close up in the bottle was about “Just opened a brand new beer and as soon as Erins name comes up, oops gotta go!” SUSPICIOUS! 

[MaryPatShelby]

 

On 5/17/2021 at 4:24 PM, SnazzyDaisy said:

If we go along with the theory that John Ross killed Erin, what would be the best explanation for the (alleged) murder weapon to be in Billy’s possession, hidden in his toolbox? And why is he still keeping it?

 

 

On 5/18/2021 at 1:40 AM, SnazzyDaisy said:

Re Billy’s toolbox, that’s the screenshot from the trailer of the last 3 episodes, we will see it in E06 or E07.

If this wasn't in episode 5, shouldn't it be spoiler tagged?

[GinnyMars]

On 5/17/2021 at 5:34 AM, SeanC said:

Any affair between Erin and the guy she was staying with needn't have been limited to the time she was living with him.

She would have been 14 at that point. I don't think "affair" is the right word.

[Milburn Stone]

It took me until this episode to realize Delco was a portmanteau for Delaware County! All this time I thought it was the name of their town. Hey, cut me slack.

[Kel Varnsen]

This was a crazy good episode. I think my favourite part might have been Mare with the therapist. I usually can't differentiate good vs bad acting unless it is really good or really bad, and when Mare was talking about how scared she was that her grandson might have inherited her son's issues it kind of freaked me out it was so good.