Mare of Easttown: 14 unanswered questions we need answers to

19 May 2021, 13:49 | Updated: 25 May 2021, 11:53

Mare of Easttown is our latest TV obsession - but it's left us asking SO many questions. Picture: HBO

Episode five of the detective drama ended on a *huge* cliffhanger.

WARNING: Episode 5 spoilers ahead

Starring Kate Winslet and Evan Peters as Mare Sheehan and Colin Zabel, Mare of Easttown has become our latest TV obsession.

As well sterling performances from the unlikely duo, the show serves plot twist after plot twist, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats.

Sadly, the first season is almost coming to an end, with just two more episodes scheduled.

Whilst episode five left us on a dramatic cliffhanger, there are so many unanswered questions we have about Mare of Easttown - here are just 14.

Dylan holding baby DJ in hospital. Picture: HBO

1. Who the heck is Erin McMenamin's baby daddy?

The question on everyone's lips is: Who is the real father of Erin's baby?

Quite early on, Erin's friend Jess Riley revealed to Mare and Zabel that Dylan wasn't the biological father. Mare then broke the news to Dylan Hinchey and his parents at the hospital, after Erin's father Kenny shot at him out in the woods.

At first, Jess said she thought Frank Sheehan, Mare's ex-husband, was the dad, but a paternity test disproved this notion. He did, however, confess to helping Erin out after losing his son Kevin.

Fans have also speculated that her son's name - DJ - is a clue. Could it allude to the name of the real father?

The most likely candidates include...

Deacon Mark

There's no denying that the guy is hella dodgy. Not only have we discovered that Mark moved from his last parish because of allegations he sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl, we also learnt in episode 5 that he was with Erin the night she was murdered.

After some local teens beat him up, he divulged to Father Dan (aka, Mare's cousin) that not only did Erin call him from the woods after Dylan's new girlfriend Brianna Delrasso attacked her, he then picked her up and drove her to the park where Mare and Zabel believe Erin was murdered.

While he insists he had nothing to do with her death (it would be too easy if he was the culprit, to be fair), he could certainly be the father of her child.

Billy Ross

During the latest episode, both Billy and John looked nervous when Erin came up in the conversation. It came out that the teenager had actually lived in Billy's basement for a few months - despite earlier claiming it was just "a few days". Hmm...

John Ross

Equally, John could potentially be DJ's real father. Whilst for a while we've suspected his son Ryan had been keeping a secret for his dad, Lori, John's wife, quizzed her child after he was sent home for school.

She didn't specify who, but Lori asked Ryan if his father was cheating again with the same woman as before. She then packs John's bags and sends him on his way. Could it be that he had sexual relations with Erin before she died? Or, perhaps it's someone else entirely? Hopefully we'll find out soon.

2. What happened to Mare's son Kevin?

Since the beginning of the show, it's been alluded to by Mare and her daughter Siobhan that some of Kevin's troubles stemmed from his mother's parenting skills.

She's clearly focused on her work, but there doesn't seem to be much information yet about why she was so "terrible" and what led him to take his own life.

Even in the flashbacks we've seen of Kevin and Drew's mum Carrie, we only see Mare refuse to give her son money for drugs.

Clearly the family has a lot of stuff they're trying to work through, we're just not quite sure what has led them to this point.

Mare of Easttown Episode 6 Trailer

3. Why did Dylan burn Erin's diaries?

So we've established that Dylan isn't DJ's real father and he's not exactly the greatest guy, but it seems too obvious that he's her killer.

Of course, Erin's father Kenny believed Dylan was responsible and hospitalised the teenager, but, seeing as that all happened in episode two, it would be a bit of a cop out if it was Dylan all along.

That said, the fact he picked up Jess and raided Erin's secret hiding place to destroy her diaries more than raises a few eyebrows.

Erin's best friend Jess helped Dylan burn the murdered teen's diaries in episode 5. Picture: HBO

4. What did Erin's friend Jess put in her pocket?

Whilst we're on the topic of those diaries, what was it that Jess put in her pocket? It appeared to be a photo, but the camera angle obscured it from view.

Could it be that Jess will come through for her best friend and tell Mare what was hidden in the pages of Erin's diary? We hope so.

Many fans fear Detective Colin Zabel is dead after episode 5. Picture: HBO

5. Is Zabel dead?

As anyone who has seen the latest episode will know, Mare and Zabel traced a blue vehicle to a property in town.

As they pulled up, we caught a glimpse of the bar sign, which was shown to us in a previous episode. We knew, then, that Mare and Zabel were at the right address and were rooting for them to find the abducted girls.

When they entered the property and asked the man to turn off his music, the girls started banging on the pipes to alert the detectives of their presence. However, the man was armed, taking a shot at Zabel and skimming Mare's arm before chasing her around the property.

Obviously Zabel was slow to draw his gun and Mare's had been revoked whilst she was placed on suspension, so sadly, it looks as though Colin is really dead.

Actor Evan Peters told The New York Times that he knew his character's stint on the show was limited: “I was excited by the idea that that would happen, to craft this whole character and formulate this whole plot so it’s almost like we did it for that moment.

“It’s this interesting way to develop a character, knowing that he’s going to die in such a way.”

Mare managed to shoot the suspect, just as police arrived on scene. Picture: HBO

6. Is Mare also dead?

Episode 5 ended on the biggest cliffhanger ever, with Mare panting and losing a lot of blood.

Yes, the police arrived on the scene just before the end credits rolled out, but it looked as though Mare was in a bit of a state.

That said, considering she is the titular character, it would be kinda ridiculous for the show to kill her off before the series has ended - especially if they intend on creating another season.

Colin and Mare managed to track a blue vehicle back to the suspect. Picture: HBO

7. Was the guy from the bar also Erin's killer?

Although initially the cases of Katie Bailey and Missy Sayers seemed to be connected to Erin's murder, it seems rather unlikely now we know them to be alive.

Perhaps the man at the bar was connected in some way or had an accomplice, but it seems like he's not responsible for Erin's death.

Mare's drawing of the prowler came up last episode. Picture: HBO

8. How is the prowler connected to everything?

In the latest episode, we caught a glimpse of Mare's rudimentary drawing of a racoon in her notepad, reminding us of the prowler who was peeping into the old couple's kitchen at the very start of the series.

Though we've not really heard about the prowler since, it seems weird that it would be a prominent part of the show's opening if it wasn't a significant piece of information.

Who is John's secret lover in Mare of Easttown? Picture: HBO

9. Who is John's secret lover?

As mentioned above, we learnt in episode 5 that Lori's husband told his son Ryan to keep a secret from his mum.

Lori then pressed Ryan about it and asked if his dad was seeing the same woman as before - though she didn't specify who.

The camera (and Mare's gaze) pointed towards the bottle of beer on the table. Picture: HBO

10. Did Mare take Billy's DNA sample?

Straight after Mare learnt that Erin had stayed at her cousin Billy's house for "a few months", the camera (and Mare's gaze) pointed towards the bottle of Rolling Rock beer on the table - which Billy just drank out of.

Did Mare pick up the bottle once Billy left the room to find out if he's DJ's real father? Seems likely.

11. What happened to Hillary?

Upon the distressing discovery that Katie has been locked inside the bar and repeatedly raped for over a year, we also learnt that there was a third girl.

Katie told Missy that she had been locked up with a girl called Hillary, but after she fell pregnant, the man got rid of her. So, who is she and what actually happened to her?

Father Dan could very well be a suspect, hiding in plain sight. Picture: HBO

12. Could Father Dan be involved in Erin's death?

Possibly hiding in plain sight is Father Dan, Mare's cousin. Not only is he close to the detective on the case, he's privy to the line of questioning Deacon Mark is receiving.

He's not exactly a main character, but it could be that he has some secrets hiding beneath the surface.

Mare and writer Richard Ryan seemed to hit it off on their date. Picture: HBO

13. What happened to Mare's dishy writer friend?

Before Colin and Mare went on the most awkward date in history, she was seeing a handsome writer named Richard.

We get that Mare is invested in her work, but she also deserves to be happy, so here's hoping the two make it.

The identity of Erin's killer remains to be the biggest unsolved question in Mare of Easttown. Picture: HBO

14. Who murdered Erin?

Obviously this is the big one.

There are so many possibilities and theories about who killed Erin. We're not convinced that it's Dylan or Deacon Mark, as that's too obvious a choice. But we do think it's someone already in the picture, hiding in plain sight.

One thing's for sure - we need to find out by the end of the show!

Mare of Easttown airs on Sky every Sunday, and is also available to stream on NOW TV.