Widow's Bay is a titular island town in New England, beset with all kinds of unsettling supernatural evils thanks to a centuries-old curse. That doesn't stop mayor Tom Loftis from pushing to bring more tourism to the island. But after a chain of unexplained and increasingly horrific experiences, he might just start listening to the crackpot Wyck Crawford.
This show is the brainchild of Katie Dippold, one of the writers of Parks and Recreation who has now gone onto a "solo career after the band broke up." That background should help set your expectations, because Widow's Bay is a weirdly funny show. This isn't a horror tale with one or two moments designed to release tension by provoking laughter -- a twisted sense of humor is woven throughout. But the show does also have plenty of straight-up scares and creeping dread. The tone really refuses to be pinned down.
To pull it off, you need a very nimble cast of actors. Fortunately, Widow's Bay has it. Matthew Rhys stars as the mayor. Rhys is one of the handful of true TV stars, a person who has been around for decades and has never gone long without being on a show. This is surely the closest thing to comedy he's ever done... though the show uses him to great effect like the "straight man" in a double act. Also playing somewhat against type is Stephen Root as Crawford. There's something about this "crazy ol' coot" character that comes across even more fun when an accomplished comedian like Root is playing it so earnestly.
But while those two are nominally the stars, there's a long list of secondary characters all perfectly cast with long-working actors (with memorable faces) who totally understand the mixed tone the show is going for: Dale Dickey, Jeff Hiller, K Callan, and more. And one key part of the ensemble is Kate O'Flynn as the mayor's quirky assistant Patricia, who takes the spotlight herself in a key early episode that breaks up the formula you might think the series is settling into.
It's a shame (and a bit mystifying to me) that the show premiered in spring and spooled out weekly episodes into the summer. It would been a much more fitting release to premiere now and unfold over the run-up to Halloween. Then again, it did capture buzz like I said -- which few Apple TV+ shows do. But perhaps if you haven't tried Widow's Bay yourself, this would be the perfect time to start! I give the show a B+. If you liked The X-Files, but wish that that show's most iconic horror and comedy episodes were somehow swirled together in one? It'll be right up your alley.
