Welcome to Widow’s Bay! (Please Don’t Die)

Widow’s Bay has everything: weird fog, murder clowns, a haunted inn…

I’m being told I should avoid spoilers. Regardless, if you haven’t checked out the Apple TV series, which premiered in April and aired its Season 1 finale this past week, I’d encourage you to do so. Some people are calling it the best show of the year!

I’ve always loved things that fall into the genre of horror comedy, whichever side of the coin is emphasized, but a lot of the examples that come to mind are films (Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, Cabin in the Woods, or even going back to The ‘Burbs). It’s true that The ‘Burbs got a TV remake reecently, and, of course, we’ll always have shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which is arguably in the genre, but boy howdy is Widow’s Bay a breath of fresh (cursed) air in the current TV landscape. It manages to hit the pinnacle of horror comedy, with moments that are scary and hilarious at the same time. And we get a new episode each week!

Then, there’s the cast. We’ve got Matthew Rhys, Stephen Root, Katie O’Flynn, Jeff Hiller, Dale Dickey… Guest appearances from the likes of Tim Baltz, Hamish Linklater, and Betty Gilpin… I’d be tempted to insert that Vince McMahon meme, but he’s a bad person and I kind of think we should stop using that meme.

I’ve seen some people saying that Widow’s Bay didn’t hook them until Episode 3, which confused me at first, but I think this must be for plot reasons. It’s true that the overarching plot doesn’t get going until a few episodes in, but I’d honestly watch a version of this show where there was no overarching plot and it was just a horror premise of the week kind of thing, because it’s hilarious.

That said, the plot has pulled me in over the course of Season 1, and I’m really curious to see where things go in Season 2. Which is happening! And hopefully it won’t take multiple years like that other Apple TV series I really like…

Anyway, do check out Widow’s Bay. I suppose there’s a chance it’s “not for you” if horror comedy isn’t your thing, but it does feel like everyone’s talking about it if you want to be a part of The Conversation (honestly, you shouldn’t worry about that).

If you enjoy the series, be sure to check out our coverage on The TV Obsessive Podcast and/or watch our Widow’s Bay videos on YouTube.