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Mare of Easttown has everything mystery fanatics love: murder, realism, and lots of plot twists. However, the HBO series also has one problem: it’s too short. The crime drama starring Kate Winslet launched on HBO‘s streaming service on April 18, 2021, and ran as a limited series until May 30, 2021. With only seven episodes, the thrilling mystery has left fans wanting more.

It’s certainly possible that creator Brad Inglesby will nix Mare of Easttown‘s limited status to create a season 2 with HBO, but that’s currently up in the air. For now, fans can move on to some of these similar HBO Max offerings.

John Douglas Thompson and Kate Winslet sit at a desk in 'Mare of Easttown'
John Douglas Thompson and Kate Winslet sit at a desk in ‘Mare of Easttown’ | Michele K. Short/HBO

‘Mildred Pierce’

Fans of Kate Winslet and Guy Pearce will want to check out their previous limited series Mildred Pierce. The five-part drama, based on James M. Cain’s 1941 novel of the same name, aired on HBO in 2011 and is now available on HBO Max.

According to IMDb, Mildred Pierce follows a “divorced single mom” named Mildred, who opens a restaurant during the Great Depression. While managing her business, Mildred falls in love with another man, mourns the death of a family member, and struggles to improve her strained relationship with her oldest daughter, Veda. The series features plenty of twists as Mildred works through Veda’s betrayals and pretentious attitude.

Mildred Pierce received mostly positive reviews. At the time of its release, the Washington Post praised the show’s “rich attention to domestic details.”

‘True Detective’

True Detective, another HBO crime drama, ran on the network from 2014 to 2019. Each of the anthology series’ three seasons follows different groups of detectives in various parts of the United States. True Detective‘s first season stars Matthew McConaughey as Rustin “Rust” Cohle and Woody Harrelson as Martin “Marty” Hart, two detectives in Louisiana. Together, the pair pursue a serial killer that has been active for over 15 years.

The second season of True Detective stars Colin Farrell as Detective Raymond “Ray” Velcoro, Rachel McAdams as  Detective Antigone “Ani” Bezzerides, and Taylor Kitsch as Officer Paul Woodrugh. The three officers work to solve a string of crimes in California with a possible connection to a local politician’s murder. This season received more negative reviews, with a Rotten Tomatoes average rating of 6.78/10 among critics.

Finally, True Detective Season 3 stars Mahershala Ali as a detective named Wayne Hays and Stephen Dorff as his partner, Detective Roland West. The two investigate the case of missing children in the Ozarks over different time periods.

‘The Outsider’

Related

‘Mare of Easttown’ Guy Pearce Explains How His Role Was ‘Quite Integral’ to the Plot

The Outsider aired as a mini-series on HBO from January to March 2020. The mysterious crime drama was based on Stephen King’s 2018 novel of the same name. Some of the stars include Ben Mendelsohn, Cynthia Erivo, Jason Baterman, Mare Winningham, and Julianne Nicholson. As HBO stated, “The Outsider begins by following a seemingly straightforward investigation into the gruesome murder of a young boy. But when an insidious supernatural force edges its way into the case, it leads a seasoned cop and an unorthodox investigator to question everything they believe in.”

HBO did not choose to renew The Outsider for a second season. However, according to Deadline, the production company MRC continued to search for another network. Perhaps Mare of Easttown will follow the same path, should HBO cancel the series.

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