New ITV drama Maryland is exactly what we’d expect from a Suranne Jones drama – episode 1 was gripping, well-scripted and engaging. In fact, we’re totally hooked already.
As viewers no doubt scramble to watch the entire series – only three episodes! – on ITVX, here are the burning questions we want answered ahead of the second episode.
The brilliant ITV drama introduced us to estranged sisters Becca and Rosaline, who were forced to reunite in the wake of their mother’s unexpected death.
And if that wasn’t already deliciously tense, there was a closet full of skeletons and secrets too! What’s not to love?
***Warning: spoilers from episode 1 of Maryland ahead***
Maryland episode 1: How did Mary die?
Becca and Rosaline’s mum was found dead on a beach on the Isle of Man… Something that came as a HUGE shock to her daughters, as she was supposed to be in Wales!
Hugh Quarshie‘s character Peter had the horribly bad luck of finding her. After identifying their mum’s body, the mortician revealed that Mary had died from a suspected fall.
Which would be simple enough, if we hadn’t seen Mary’s friend Cathy acting shiftily… Clearly some sort of dealer in illegal drugs or prescriptions, Cathy seemed to panic when she realised something was missing from her stash cupboard.
She later visited Becca and Rosaline in their mum’s home, where she secretly went through Mary’s bathroom cupboard’s in the hope of finding something.
So, hang on. Did Cathy (Stockard Channing) supply Mary with some illegal drugs? In which case, could they have caused her death somehow?
Why did Mary keep her double life a secret from her daughters?
Becca and Rosaline received the mother of all bombshells – pun fully intended – when they discovered their dear mum had been living a double life.
For the past six years, Mary had a secret life on the Isle of Man – including a million-pound house, good friends, and possibly a bit on the side (more on that later).
We later learnt that Mary had travelled to the Isle of Man to meet her birth mother Joan. She was adopted but had never told her daughters. She only went looking for her real mum when her adopted mum died.
When Joan died, she left the house to her daughter Mary. Who, in turn, has left the house to her daughters Becca and Rosaline.
But why didn’t she tell her daughter’s the truth, instead of lying to them for so many years? And did Mary’s husband Richard (George Costigan) know? It seems very unlikely that he didn’t…
Were Mary and Pete lovers in Maryland?
Although Pete told Becca (Suranne Jones) and Rosaline that he and Mary were just “good friends”, we’re dubious… He found her lifeless body on the beach, and seemed pretty upset.
Not to mention the men’s clothes tucked up neatly in Mary’s chest of drawers… It’s likely she was having an affair, which would explain her secrets and lies. And it’s likely the man was Pete.
Or could there be another mystery man lurking in Mary’s closet? We certainly wouldn’t be surprised at this point!
Why did Becca and Rosaline drift apart?
You could cut the atmosphere between Becca and Rosaline (Eve Best) with a knife. There’s clearly some serious beef between these two.
Becca comes across as the dutiful daughter, who stayed close to home, and saw her parents regularly. However, high-flying Rosaline moved to London, and seems to resent the relationship between her sister and her parents.
Tensions bubble over regularly between the pair. So what really happened between the sisters? And is it repairable? Let’s be honest, they’re like chalk and cheese!
What is Rosaline’s illness?
At the beginning of Maryland episode 1, we saw Rosaline receiving treatment in hospital for an undisclosed illness. The nurse told her she could expect the results within days.
Later in the episode, sisters Becca and Rosaline discussed the latter’s previous illness, which seemed to bring the mum and Becca closer as they cared for her.
But what is wrong with Rosaline? And does Becca know that her sister is sick again?
Read more: Maryland: ITV confirms start date for brilliant new drama starring Suranne Jones
Maryland continues on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 at 9pm, with the final episode going out on Wednesday, May 24, 2023. All three episodes are available on ITVX from now.
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