There are very few things more exciting to me than finding a new TV obsession – and in Apple TV’s Widow’s Bay, I’ve discovered just that. The new horror-comedy is set in the titular New England town, an island-based community that is struggling due to a distinct lack of tourists – oh, and a curse that has left it prone to all manner of terrifying supernatural phenomena.
The Americans’ Matthew Rhys stars as Tom Loftis, the ambitious, slightly venal, mostly likable local mayor. He’s heard all the rumours and legends and folktales, and he doesn’t believe any of them. When he learns that a writer from the New York Times is due to visit, he spies a chance to put Widow’s Bay back on the map. But doing so risks reigniting the evil that has long haunted the town.
Right from the off, you can see hints of older shows in Widow’s Bay’s make-up. It’s set in a small town beset by supernatural phenomena, so of course it’s in debt to the OG of this sort of thing (and the canonical greatest TV show of all time), Twin Peaks. The municipal planning aspects feel very Parks & Recreation – a series that showrunner Katie Dippold worked on. But there are also elements of Northern Exposure, Eerie, Indiana, even cult Australian kids show Round the Twist thrown into the mix.
Terrifyingly funny
The various supernatural threats are consciously familiar too. The first two episodes allude to a Michael Myers-like serial killer, “the Boogeyman”, who preyed on teenagers. There’s a sinister fog at sea, a creepy clown, plus rumours of cannibalism in the town’s history. Despite the familiarity of these elements, however, Widow’s Bay feels surprisingly fresh and original. It works because the show’s mixture of horror and comedy is rooted in character.
Last week’s terrific third episode, for instance, saw Tom haunted by a Sea Hag, which eventually invades his home, leading to a genuinely creepy – and undeniably real for Tom – encounter in his house. A lesser show may have spun out Tom’s scepticism for the full first season, but three episodes in, and he is starkly confronted with the truth of the weird events around him.
Aside from the horror elements, the episode worked as a sweet, awkward romantic comedy, with the mayor being charmed by an island visitor named Marissa (Elizabeth Alderfer), and as a character piece about how quietly broken he still is following the death of his wife, many years previously.
The show is also blessed with a terrific supporting cast. Patricia (Kate O’Flynn) plays Tom’s wonderfully deadpan assistant, herself the survivor of an encounter with the aforementioned Boogeyman. Wyck (the great Stephen Root from Barry) is the local folklorist and a combustible combination of Giles from Buffy and Quint from Jaws (not the only character to echo that film, with Tom often reminiscent of a more likeable Mayor Larry Vaughn).
Evan (Kingston Rumi Southwick), Tom’s troubled son, doesn’t feel quite fully developed yet, but it’s a solid performance, and an important reveal in episode three adds some tragic layers to his relationship with his father.
The town where I’m livin’ now
Widow’s Bay’s first season is 10 episodes long, and all bets are off when it comes to where the show will go from here. Will Tom bury his head in the sand for the sake of making the town “the new Martha’s Vineyard”? Will the other members of his team also encounter supernatural terrors? And what monsters should we expect to see next?
So far, despite its ongoing elements, it’s an enjoyably episodic series (a side note, but it’s so nice to have a TV show that looks fantastic, but is also unashamed of being, well, television and not “a 10-hour movie”) but, three episodes in, there’s already a sense of events building to a head on the island.
There’s a thing that Twin Peaks does really well. Despite that town being famously plagued by supernatural evil and more overt criminality than most capital cities, it’s an appealing imaginary place. Fans visit the real-world locations and imagine what it would be like to live inside the show.
Widow’s Bay has this atmosphere too. It’s creepy but comforting, sinister but also endlessly charming. I absolutely love it and can’t wait to find out what happens next.
Widow’s Bay is streaming now on Apple TV. When you’ve caught up with that, check out our guide to the 25 best shows on Apple TV for more great streaming.
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