Mare Of Easttown: 10 Clues Reddit Fans Caught The Second Time

One of HBO’s gritty crime dramas, Mare of Easttown had a shocking conclusion. After Mare struggled with the trauma of her son’s suicide and the death of a local teen mother, Erin, everything came to light. Mare’s best friend Lori had a family secret. Her son Ryan was actually the one who killed Erin. But there were many red herrings along the way.

Early on, Mare of Easttown posed many possible killers. Mare’s ex-husband Frank seemed suspicious and was even a possible father for Erin’s child. Multiple girls had also gone missing along the way, making the case even more confusing. But looking back, some Redditors found that additional clues popped out at them during their second viewing of the series.

Billy Was Involved Immediately

One of the great mysteries of Mare of Easttown was motive. Erin was the victim of a heinous murder but there were too many people who would benefit if she disappeared. From the beginning, it was clear that Billy was hiding something. This was the first step into figuring out who had the motive.

“Telling us billy was involved in some way early on was a huge clue! It narrowed down the list of potential murderers greatly,” says Redditor amelia_health. Billy was indeed hiding something, but it wasn’t Erin’s murder. However, it did imply that there were additional secrets that the family was hiding.

Traumatized Children Were A Theme

Children are always thematically relevant, a detail some viewers of Mare of Easttown may have missed. Mare suffers grief and guilt over her son’s suicide. She raises her grandchild alongside her daughter Siobhan, which represents wounds that never heal. According to one Reddit poster, this theme pointed to a child being Erin’s killer. “The connection between Lori and Mare, and how both of them care more about their kids than anything else. The concept of children in Easttown bottling up pain and bearing the mistakes and outright wrongdoings of their parents. Etc,” says amelia_health.

Mare’s son committed suicide due to her parenting. She tries to make it right by caring for her grandson, but the wounds are still there. Lori’s son ends up being the killer because of the trauma he has witnessed.

Erin’s Fatal Wound

There were many theories about the motive behind Erin’s death. When Mare, one of the most intelligent characters in Mare of Easttown, and the rest of the detectives are investigating, there is a major clue that may have been initially missed. “That and the weird shape of gunshot on Erin’s forehead. I was like why was is it not round? It’s like it grazed her forehead. It’s a long wound,” says Redditor Deduction_power.

The wound itself indicates that shooting Erin was an accident. Ryan did not intentionally kill Erin, but the gun went off anyway. The Redditor noticing the graze is a clue, pointing to the fact it wasn’t premeditated murder.

Ryan’s Violence

The big reveal in Mare of Easttown is that Erin’s killer was a child. Not just a child, but someone related to her. Ryan shot Erin, but this wasn’t the first time he demonstrated violence. “His violent reaction protecting his sister (even if the bully deserves it) shows he is very protective of his family and is likely struggling with something else,” says Redditor LegitimateSail4730.

Ryan brutalized a kid at school for bullying his sister. As the poster commented, the bully was in the wrong. However, the extreme reaction to the situation proved that there was something under the surface that Ryan was hiding.

Ryan Is Tired The Morning After

Erin was found in the early hours of the morning. The murder had occurred late after she was catfished at a party the previous night. The following day, Ryan shows evidence of what he was doing the night before. “He was shown to be tired the morning after the murder,” notes Redditor LegitimateSail4730.

As a 13-year-old kid, that was a lot of effort to be expending. Not to mention the emotional toll it took to kill someone. Ryan showed evidence of the aftermath in his exhaustion the next day.

The News Coverage Of The Missing Girls

HBO has some of the best shows on television, and Mare of Easttown is no exception. Erin’s death was brutal, and only one of many crimes against young girls. As a small community, most people knew who Erin was and grieved over the loss. But Ryan showed more than he probably intended when the story was covered. “The first thing I noticed and what made suspect Ryan knew something or overheard something was when he walked into his parents bedroom and the news clip was on TV about the girls. Just re-watch that scene alone and you’ll definitely get some vibes,” says Redditor bRRRSyCK47N.

Ryan’s face betrayed distinct understanding. He knew what happened to Erin but was keeping it from everyone else. Not only who murdered the teenage girl, but why.

It’s Our Secret

Ryan knew much more about what was going on than anyone else. Even sometimes his own mother. He was aware of his father John’s transgressions, though the audience wasn’t privy to this at the time. One of the most telling clues was John and Ryan’s understanding. “One of the biggest was when we overheard John Ross tell Ryan that ‘it’s our secret,’” says Redditor amelia_health.

Both were keeping secrets from the family and the rest of the town. It was only evident in the end how much Ryan knew about his father.

Lori And John’s Understanding

Lori is one of Mare of Easttown‘s best characters, and she often struggles with her husband’s infidelity. But she didn’t know how far it extended until the end of the show. When John finally comes clean to her, it’s clear that the two become united in hiding secrets. But it isn’t evident what that is immediately. “When we saw the second half of the Lori John convo that they were hiding something big for their family,” says Redditor amelia_health.

It’s obvious that Lori would do anything for her son. When she and her husband unite even after his crimes, it’s an overt indication that their family is complicit in some way.

John Says He’ll Fix It

John and Ryan have many secretive conversations. But one clue goes above and beyond the rest. One Reddit user spotted that in every conversation the father and son had, there was something else going on. “Especially when John kept saying – I’ll fix it, I’ll fix it. Every time he is with Ryan,” says Redditor Deduction_power.

Ryan is aware of what his father has done. Although the show frames it that Ryan only knows about John’s infidelities, it is actually about his incestuous relationship with Erin as well. John wants to keep his family intact, even if it means letting his son in on the secret.

The Ross Family Adopts DJ

The Ross family adopting Erin’s child is already an interesting turn of events. But there is a major clue in the storyline, as one Redditor points out, because Ryan’s reaction to the adoption is telling. “His face when he hears his parents talk about adopting DJ,” points out LegitimateSail4730.

Ryan knows the meaning behind this. His father is adopting his illegitimate child that Ryan killed Erin over. His expression speaks a thousand words.

About The Author

Carolyn Jenkins
(109 Articles Published)

Carolyn Jenkins is a voracious consumer of film and television. She graduated from Long Island University with an MFA in Screenwriting and Producing where she learned the art of character, plot, and structure. The best teacher is absorbing media and she spends her time reading about different worlds from teen angst to the universe of Stephen King.

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