5 stars for Kate Winslet and the whole British cast (and non-Brits alike) nailing the notoriously difficult Delco (Delaware County, PA) accent. The glamorous Winslet totally inhabits the decidedly unglamorous Mare. The production design and setting are supremely specific, and the show is all the better for it, bathing the show in realism. In this depressing, small rural town, rife with teenage pregnancy and drugs, Mare knows everybody and everybody knows her. In some ways, she is like the "mayor", a detective actually. People come to her with all their problems, and they expect her to solve them. Her methods are unconventional, those of someone policing her friends, rather than one who is strictly bound by the law. Her main claim to fame was a basketball championship in high school. But when it comes to a serious, big case, she's kind of in over her head. She lacks the objectivity to do serious detecting. Very strong character development and as a result deeply felt emotions. The plot is a whodunnit, with plenty of red herrings. Even the ones that don't pan out still feel like valuable additions to the plot. Every episode ends with a cliffhanger. I was kept guessing til the very end. The suspenseful pacing is palpable. HBO strikes again.
