Widow’s Bay review: Apple TV’s genre mash-up is essential viewing

The picturesque island of Widow’s Bay appears to be a paradise, a place to which people can escape when the pressures of modern-day life become too much to bear. Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys) is determined to capitalise on that and breathe new life into his hometown by transforming this timeless, off-the-grid retreat into a thriving tourist hotspot. 

Sure, the Wi-Fi isn’t great, and yeah, there was a pesky bout of cannibalism back in the 1800s. But Widow’s Bay really is charming. Just don’t go into the fog, or stay at the local inn. Oh, and if you happen to stumble upon an old woman walking down a road at night, you probably shouldn’t stop to help. 

Aside from all that, Widow’s Bay is pretty much perfect. I promise that when you come visit, you won’t want to leave. You know, just like the locals. Or is it that they can’t leave…?

If that all sounds a little odd, then you already have a pretty good idea of what Widow’s Bay has in store, and that’s true whether you’re visiting the island as a fictional character or watching in real life. 

And Apple TV’s latest hit is supposed to be a little odd. Well, more than just a little. From the quirky residents to the island’s strangest, darkest corners, everything about Widow’s Bay defies easy description, shifting between various genre elements with all the fluidity of those salty sea waves that crash against its shore.

Creator Katie Dippold grounds her story with a weirdo cast who work at the Mayor’s office, tapping into some of the same awkwardness that characterised her writing on Parks and Recreation. But Widow’s Bay is not a workplace comedy, not when genuine scares rooted in local folklore start to creep in at the edges. 

Widow’s Bay can be genuinely unsettling thanks, in no small part, to the work of acclaimed filmmakers such as Ti West and (executive producer) Hiro Murai. Typical horror tropes are flipped on their head, from a Jaws-esque beach escape to the appearance of a freaky clown and a Halloween-style serial killer, all remixed like a Stephen King short story anthology. 

From the writing to their direction, it’s clear that the team behind this show have an unabashed love of horror. I won’t spoil it, but there’s a moment in episode four – lasting only a second or two – that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about. The way scenes like this take you by surprise speak to a deeper understanding of the rhythms and timing that are essential for horror and comedy alike.

Widow’s Bay masters this early on, even if it might take viewers a bit more time to settle in. Much has been said about how scares and laughs are really just two sides of the same coin, but rarely have I seen them combined as well as they are here. 

Widow’s Bay evokes shows of the past such The X-Files, bringing a new case or monster of the week

“I can’t keep track of the amount of bullshit this island spews,” says Loftis when yet another local regales him with the latest folk tale coming to life. It’s not like they’re hard to remember though, especially given how different they are from each other. Widow’s Bay evokes shows of the past such The X-Files, bringing a new case or monster of the week for us and Loftis to deal with. Yet even that doesn’t play out as simply as you might expect. 

Again, like the X-Files, layers of lore are added to the overarching narrative each episode. But, just when you think you’ve got the structure nailed down, a surprise flashback episode suddenly tilts Widow’s Bay even further into the realms of horror. The history of the island is just as much a character in this show as the island itself, and it’s thrilling to see the past and present collide through and beyond this chapter. 

Personally, I felt that the flashback episode slowed the momentum a bit too much, but plenty of other reviewers have praised it as a highlight. Either way, I admire big swings like this at a time when so many shows play it safe. Thankfully, Widows’s Bay could never be accused of such a thing, and more often than not, these swings really do pay off in a big way.

An early standout comes four episodes in when the focus switches from Loftis to Patricia (Kate O’Flynn), the Mayor’s aide, who aches with loneliness in the wake of a tragedy she can’t escape. 

In any other show, Patricia would be just another side character who chimes in with bizarre asides when the story calls for it. But here, O’Flynn navigates the horrors of rejection, cringe comedy, and full-blown witchcraft all at once without a single misstep. Patricia is the heart of Widow’s Bay, apparently unassuming, with a steely fire that breaks out when the situation calls for it. She’s giving Carrie White, if Carrie had lived long enough to get an office job. 

In short, I would die for Patricia – and the same is true for many other eccentric inhabitants in Widow’s Bay. The town feels fully fleshed out, be it through Patricia’s side stories or other character actors who also shine. 

Dale Dickey’s assistant Rosemary is a chain-smoking gossip queen while K Callan is unforgettable as a secretary who struggles to remember anything useful. Stephen Root, meanwhile, finds depth and nuance in Wyck – who could have been the flattest character of all, hellbent as he is on exposing the island’s secrets (and always with a drink in hand). 

Rhys, predictably brilliant in everything he does, continues his streak of perfect performances

Wyck’s relationship with Loftis develops in unexpected ways as the pair reluctantly join forces to protect their home and figure out what the hell is happening. With so much going on, the Mayor doesn’t have enough time to spend with his son as he’d like, but you’ll be happy at just how much the show clearly enjoys spending time with Loftis. Rhys, predictably brilliant in everything he does, continues his streak of perfect performances as a man who’s trying to suppress so much while still doing his best for those in his care. Each look of bewilderment at the latest crazy thing he sees and hears is a wonder unto itself. 

It would have been easy for Widow’s Bay to punch down at all these weirdos and, while there’s humour to be had in their eccentricity, it’s clear just how important community is to the foundation of this story. That’s why each tonal shift works as well as it does, because of the people at its centre. 

Legend has it that anyone born in Widow’s Bay can never leave. But for those of us coming to the island as adults, it’s hard to imagine ever wanting to leave, not when the residents are this charming and the scares this freaky.

Should you watch Widow’s Bay season 1?

There’s nothing else on TV quite like Widow’s Bay, which should already make this a destination worth visiting. Assuming that an old-timey curse doesn’t come along and spoil everything, we might just have the next big hit from Apple TV on our hands. It’s a classic in the making.

Widow’s Bay is now available on Apple TV.