‘Don’t ruin it’: Mare of Easttown fans divided over season 2 news

A second season of Mare of Easttown is being considered, HBO’s head of drama has revealed — but fans aren’t entirely jumping for joy.

The one-season drama — which starred Kate Winslet as the titular Mare, a small-town Pennsylvanian police officer who’s tasked with investigating a brutal murder — debuted in 2021.

While the Emmy-winning show was originally billed as a miniseries, network executives are in “early discussions” about whether it could be picked up for a belated season two, HBO’s Francesca Orsi recently revealed to Variety.

Orsi explained that following the show’s success at the 2021 Emmys, where its lead cast of Winslet, Evan Peters and Julianne Nicholson all won acting awards, “we did run to have discussions about a Season 2.”

“But it did feel too soon,” she acknowledged. Now, however, she said that “while there’s nothing in the works, we are having early discussions about whether it might be time to start thinking of building something.”

“We might be willing to figure out with Mare, years later, picking her up — not on the heels of where she ended, but there have been years for the character that have passed. Who is she now?” Orsi said, adding that she plans on talking to Winslet, series creator Brad Ingelsby and EP Mark Roybal to “see if there’s any viability to everyone saying yes again.”

Following its debut, Mare of Easttown was a hit with viewers and critics. “Kate Winslet is undimmable despite the encompassing gloom,” The Independent’s Ed Cummings praised in his four-star review.

And yet, the news of a potential second season doesn’t sit right with all fans, many of whom have argued that the show’s first season was too good and another season might taint that.

“Don’t ruin it, let it be a good mini series,” one tweeted.

“It had a perfect end. Not all miniseries need to return. Like Big Little Lies. It was fine as one,” a second agreed.

A third echoed a similar sentiment: “I loved this show, but think it should stay with the one season. It was so perfect and ended so perfectly as well.”

Still, some were more accepting of a second season, with one saying: “This is the most acceptable limited series to have a season 2.”

“While I hate the idea of miniseries becoming just series due to high views.....Mare of Easttown is so goddamn good so i’m ok with this one,” a second commented.

“Just please don’t ruin it,” another begged. “Or leave it as it is.”

Winslet, 48, has previously spoken about the idea of a second season, telling Entertainment Weekly in August 2021 that Ingelsby had come up with some “very cool ideas” for a storyline.

“At the end of shooting we were like, ‘Holy hell we can never do that again. If HBO brings up the idea of a season two, we all just have to say absolutely not. There’s just no way we could possibly do it,’” the Titanic star said at the time.

“And then there was talk, like, could there be? Especially when the show was getting such good responses… Creatively, Brad has shared some very cool ideas. We will see what happens. I also have to figure out if I can do it. Can I go through it again? It did cost me a lot emotionally to be her, and I have to figure out if I can summon it all up again and do it again.”