Maryland season 1 episode 1 recap: Did Mary find her birthmother? Explained 

In Maryland season 1 episode 1, which aired on May 5, 2024, in the US, viewers met the sisters Becca and Rosaline. The duo's lives are turned upside down by the sudden and shocking passing of their mother, Mary.

Maryland first premiered in the UK, back in May 2023. Now, a year later, it has also been made available to audiences in the US.

In season 1 episode 1, Becca and Rosaline decided to head to the Isle of Man after their mom was discovered dead on the beach there. The police sent Becca some photos of Mary's belongings, so she told Rosaline the sad news. Then, the police wanted Becca to come and confirm Mary's identity.

As the sisters head to the Isle of Man to identify Mary's body, they stumble upon some pretty surprising discoveries that make them rethink their family history. The biggest shocker is that it turns out Mary actually found and reunited with her birth mom, Joan, a while back.

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Maryland season 1 episode 1: Becca and Rosaline's journey to the Isle of Man

Becca and Rosaline are completely shocked when they find out their mom Mary passed away suddenly. Becca, who lives near their dad, Richard, is the one to tell Rosaline, who lives in London. Even though the siblings weren't getting along, Rosaline still agreed to go with Becca to the Isle of Man to identify Mary's body.

Their trip was filled with a sense of urgency and disbelief, as seen in Maryland season 1 episode 1. Becca quickly sorted out the flights and packed, leaving her husband Jim to look after their two daughters, including Molly, who was also really upset about Mary's passing.

At the mortuary, the sisters show their grief in different ways - Becca cries uncontrollably over Mary's body, while Rosaline tries to comfort her, but is pushed away.

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Maryland season 1 episode 1: Family secrets and discoveries

Becca and Rosaline stumbled upon Mary's temporary home on the Isle of Man, which turned out to be more of a cozy house than an inn. They were surprised to see family photos hanging on the walls, showing that Mary had been spending a lot of time on the island, despite what she had told them.

In an effort to figure out more about their mom's life, the two sisters reach out to Pete, the friend who found Mary's body. However, in Maryland season 1 episode 1, Pete isn't really up for talking about it, and quickly shuts down the conversation when the sisters bring it up.

Not giving up, the sisters head back to the house and Rosaline finds something surprising - a bunch of men's clothes neatly folded in a dresser. While Becca and Rosaline keep looking for clues, they come across something big - Mary's will, showing that she actually owned the house they're in.

Becca and Rosaline were really shocked to learn all of these new things about their mom's past, prompting Becca to ask:

"Who the hell was she?"

What's even more surprising on Maryland season 1 episode 1 is that Mary leaves the property to her daughters in a trust that stops them from selling it.

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Maryland season 1 episode 1 ending: Inheritance and family history

The sisters found out about Mary's inheritance and things got even more interesting when Cathy, their mom's friend, told them that the house they now own used to belong to Mary's birth mom, Joan. Joan left the house to Mary when she passed away.

So, it turns out Mary had a hidden secret she never told her daughters - she was adopted and had been on a mission to find her birth mother, Joan. Cathy spilled the beans that Mary had come to the Isle of Man eight years ago to start her search, and eventually found her long-lost mom.

The sisters were even more surprised to find out that Joan's past was just as complicated. She got pregnant with Mary while she was in a German-Jewish internment camp after World War II. Sadly, she wasn't able to keep her baby, so Mary was adopted and they were separated for many years.

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Watch Maryland season 1 episode 1 on the PBS Masterpiece Amazon channel.