Healing and Grace in Easttown

We joke about the number of television series with at least one episode during which a pastor or priest chats with a key character, often a cop, about "matters of deep importance" in the sanctuary. This doesn't include the number of murders which take place in amidst the pews. And then there are the scenes where said priests and pastors offer observations and soliloquies from the pulpit which don't seem to have much to do with the flow of worship, or God for that matter. They just riff away in what are often full churches on Sundays, which doesn't seem any more realistic than them just hanging out in empty sanctuaries through the week. Don't they have work to do other than rearranging holy hardware? 

A few weeks ago we watched the series Mare of Easttown, in no small part because it stars Kate Winslett, (officer Mare) who is excellent in just about every role she plays, including this one. The seven episode series is a murder mystery of sorts although it has been suggested -rightly I think -- that it is also an accurate reflection on abiding shame and guilt and grief in a community where everyone knows everyone, yet can't really fathom what their neighbours are carrying with them through life. 

The working class town near Philadelphia has a Roman Catholic vibe, complete with a goodhearted priest and a suspect deacon, although most other characters are not religious in a practical sense. 

Just the same, in the final episode the exonerated deacon (we knew he didn't do it) stands before a large congregation and speaks about healing and grace. This homily is actually meaningful and expresses a number of threads of reconciliation and honesty and healing for people  which come together in the end. And yes, the murder is solved, and no we didn't see that suspect coming until late in the game.

It's fitting that episode seven is called Sacrament because one of the seven Roman Catholic sacraments is Penance or Reconciliation. Hey, something worthwhile seems to unfold when everyone is gathered in that church, so why not? 

Bye the bye, we really enjoyed the series, if intrigue and death can be described as enjoyable.