Ranking Every HBO Miniseries From Worst To Best

A TV highlight of 2021, this Kate Winslet-let murder mystery puts most cop shows to shame. On the surface this is the kind of plot we’ve seen before - a tough detective with a ramshackle personal life investigates the disappearance and/or murder of some local young women.

At every opportunity, though, Mare Of Easttown stands out from the crowd in its execution. Every character makes sensible or at least logical decisions. No one sits on a secret for the sake of plot convenience; our cops aren’t imbued with myriad kooky quirks and tics, they’re just people with jobs to do and lives we understand.

Winslet is perhaps career best as Mare Sheehan. She underplays the part at all times, keeping the character reserved to the point of brusqueness, but with an attentive intelligence bubbling under the surface. Just when she seems like she’s not listening, she’ll pick up on the most important point in a conversation.

All the pieces of the puzzle converge as the show reaches a crescendo; there are setpieces that require an iron constitution to tackle head on, and the odd, fleeting, but necessary moment of hope.