The second episode of HBO’s Mare of Easttown, titled “Fathers,” plunges the small town deeper into darkness following the murder of teenager Erin McMenamin. The investigation forces Detective Mare Sheehan to confront friends and neighbors, while a series of explosive events culminates in a personal revelation that threatens to shatter her world.
The Investigation Intensifies
With the discovery of Erin McMenamin’s body, Detective Mare Sheehan faces mounting pressure to find the killer. The local police chief brings in outside help, much to Mare’s displeasure, in the form of County Detective Colin Zabel. Zabel, a young detective with a strong record on missing persons cases, is tasked with assisting Mare on the murder investigation as well as the cold case of the missing Katie Bailey. Their partnership starts on icy terms, with Mare resistant to the help, but they begin their work by questioning key figures in Erin’s life.
The investigation quickly centers on the people closest to Erin. Her distraught father, Kenny, is convinced her ex-boyfriend, Dylan, is the murderer. Mare and Zabel also track down Brianna, Dylan’s new girlfriend, who was caught on video brutally assaulting Erin on the night of the murder. In a public and confrontational move, Mare arrests Brianna at her family’s restaurant, an action that escalates tensions with the locals. During a tense interrogation, Brianna cruelly taunts Mare by saying, “There’s no wonder your son killed himself.” This moment brutally underscores the personal attacks Mare endures while doing her job.
A Town Full of Secrets and Tensions
The episode highlights how difficult it is to run a murder investigation in a town where everyone knows each other. Mare’s own daughter, Siobhan, is revealed to have been at the woods party and was one of the last people to see Erin alive, a fact she failed to tell her mother. This creates a rift between them and reflects the blurry line between Mare’s professional duties and personal relationships.
The arrest of Brianna has violent consequences. Her father, Tony, begins stalking Mare around town, making threats and eventually throwing a gallon of milk through her living room window. Meanwhile, Erin’s father Kenny’s grief takes a deadly turn. Consumed by anger and the belief that Dylan killed his daughter, Kenny ambushes the young man, forces him to drive to a remote area, and shoots him in the back as he tries to run away. The episode leaves Dylan’s fate uncertain, but the act shows a community where people are taking justice into their own hands.
A Bombshell Accusation
Just as Mare believes she is dealing with the fallout of a revenge shooting, an even more shocking piece of information emerges. Jess, Erin’s best friend, confides in Mare’s best friend, Lori. She reveals a secret that Erin had told her: Dylan is not the biological father of her baby, DJ. While Erin never explicitly named the real father, Jess has a strong suspicion. She believes it is Frank Sheehan, Mare’s ex-husband and Erin’s former high school math teacher.
This revelation recontextualizes Frank’s earlier conversation with Mare, where he claimed to have only briefly taught Erin algebra and sensed she “had troubles at home.” If Jess’s suspicion is true, it means Mare’s ex-husband is potentially involved in the case in the most intimate and scandalous way possible. The episode ends on this cliffhanger, with Mare looking out her window at Frank, unaware of the life-altering accusation that has just been made.
Mare’s Personal Struggles
Amid the chaos of the investigation, the episode delves deeper into the weight Mare carries in her personal life. She is seen caring for her grandson, Drew, who has begun exhibiting behavioral tics similar to those her son, Kevin, showed as a child. In a rare moment of vulnerability during a doctor’s appointment for Drew, Mare reveals the toll of Kevin’s struggles and his eventual suicide. She admits that there came a point where she felt she could no longer figure him out and “checked out,” a confession that speaks to the deep grief and guilt she still carries.
This personal history makes Brianna’s cruel words during the interrogation even more painful. It also frames Mare’s sometimes aloof and stubborn demeanor as a form of self-protection. Her mother, Helen, suggests she take time for herself, but Mare instead loses herself in her work, attending a forgettable date with writer Richard Ryan where she humorously informs him, “You’re not getting laid tonight.”
Key Unanswered Questions
The frantic final minutes of “Fathers” leave several mysteries open for the episodes to come. The most immediate question is whether Dylan survived Kenny’s shooting. Furthermore, the accusation against Frank casts a long shadow. If he is the father of Erin’s child, he would have a powerful motive to silence her. The episode also introduces other potential suspects, including a deacon at the local church who knew Erin. Other puzzling details remain, such as the whereabouts of Erin’s bike from the night of the murder and the fact that her cellphone last pinged a significant distance from where her body was found.
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