Katie Dippold’s new series (Parks and Recreation, Ghostbusters: Answer the Call) It takes place on an island that has a creepy mystery in its past and lots of fascinating characters in its present. Foremost among them is Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys), who is balancing his civic duties – and his determination to turn Widows Bay, located 40 miles off the New England coast, into a Martha’s Vineyard-style tourist destination – with the single parenting of his restless teenage son, Evan (Kingston Rumi Southwick).
We also meet Tom’s quirky support staff at the Widows Bay Town Hall – Patricia (Kate O’Flynn), Rosemary (Dale Dickey), Dale (Jeff Hiller), and Ruth (Kay Callan) – as well as the ruthless chief of police, Bechir (Kevin Carroll), and an irascible fisherman named Vic (Stephen Root).
More faces enter the narrative Widow’s Bay going on, but the main character, other than Tom, is the island itself. The series begins with a series of unusual events (including an earthquake and dense fog that would make John Carpenter cringe), and it soon becomes clear that this stretch of land and the waters around it are being watched by some malevolent forces.
However, don’t let Tom hear you say this; He is happily in complete denial, knowing full well that darkness looms large in Widows Bay. When the show begins, he is overjoyed when a New York Times writer visits from the mainland – and things only get better when the article, a glowing portrait of the seaside town, begins to attract new visitors to the island.
Well… until things go wrong, that is. As Widow’s Bay Moving through its 10-episode season, we get a look at the community’s origin story as well as all the ways a decision made 300 years ago still stubbornly holds up.
The local history museum makes it clear that this is a place where natural disasters include masked maniacs, witchcraft and cannibalism – and that’s only scratching the surface, with dangerous creatures, haunted houses and other terrifying elements all part of the landscape. And it’s not just an aimless parade of horror; As we soon discover, there is a ticking clock that is causing the latest outbreak of paranormal unrest, and soon Tom too must confront a surreal state of reality.
Producer and showrunner Dippold find just the right tone for Widow’s BayWhich could easily have been too silly but instead remains balanced between tension and suspense. The humor is very dry and corny, but the scares aim to be genuine. This was helped by Hiro Murai, who directed five of the 10 episodes and helped craft a visual language that makes the island feel rustic and charming – but also the most terrifying salt spray imaginable.
If the story hasn’t hooked you yet, the performances are absolutely excellent. are aspects of jaws‘Chief Brody, a well-intentioned outsider who doesn’t fit in with the natives in Tom, but Rhys also brings a depth that makes us feel for this man’s misplaced ambitions, especially when we see what’s motivating him and why it’s affected his bumpy relationship with Ivan. Roots Wick is also surprisingly layered; As we realize, there is much more to him than the drunk he initially appears to be.
O’Flynn is particularly exceptional as Patricia, a social misfit who deals with her own demons throughout the season and is a frequent source of Widow’s BayOff-kilter comedy. The show also has a lot of fun with the characters living within its scope. Cult-favorite actor Hiller continues his trend of improving everything he comes across; Their reaction shots here are especially golden.
We also get an amusing moment with a grossly inept waitress; Former high school means girls who are still there for Patricia; The profit-motivated innkeeper is willing to ignore his establishment’s obvious ghost problem; and the residents of the crusty dive bar who think Tom is a scaredy cat and aren’t afraid to call him out.
As Widow’s Bay Exploring the eldritch horrors at its core, we discover more about why this island is the way it is unusual. It finds a way to reach a conclusion that leaves the door open for more — but if we get just one season on its strange, rocky shores, we’ll still be pretty glad we made the trip.
Widow’s Bay Its first two episodes will premiere on Apple TV on April 29. It will have a mostly weekly rollout after this, although episodes six and seven will also be released twice on May 27.
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