This original comedy mystery horror series with a unique voice, that mixes genres and styles with deadpan humor is an absolute gem.

• Entertainment factor: ★★★★★
• Comedy factor: ★★★★★
• Scare factor: ★★★★☆
• Originality factor: ★★★★★

Widow’s Bay is a very unique tv series about a cursed town on a small island where all sorts of horrors take place. It’s a unique blend of horror genres, styles and atmospheres with dry humor that is subtle but very funny and with quirky characters. It stars Matthew Rhys, Kate O’Flynn, Stephen Root. Created by Katie Dippold. 

It consists of 10 episodes (31-48 min)

Plot 

Tom Loftis is the mayor of the little town of Widow’s Bay that is situated on an island. It is called this way because it used to be an island where the men hunted whales and often didn’t come back home, leaving behind widows. But that’s not the most tragic history of the island. According to some islanders the town is cursed. Everybody who was born there can’t leave the island or else they die. 

Loftis doesn’t believe in this superstitious nonsense and wants to turn this island into a new Martha’s Vineyard. Although Tom wasn’t born on the island he spent his childhood on vacation in Widow’s Bay. He met his wife who was born on the island and they had a son Evan who is now a teenager. His wife died in childbirth and his relationship with Evan is strained. Evan has never been off the island and is bored and gets himself in all kinds of trouble with his mischievous friend. 

Wyck is an older resident of the island who does believe the stories about the curse and tries to warn Tom causing them to fight all the time. Until something strange happens to Tom. And the church bells ring, although the bells are firmly locked in place so that they can’t ring, causing the vicar to worry. 

While the tourists are coming to Widow’s Bay Tom sees his dream come true, but more strange things start happening, forcing him to admit that there is indeed something wrong in Widow’s Bay. Together with Wyck and Patricia who is his assistant he tries to find out more about this curse and how to end it. The answer will be more complicated than he could have image and confronts him with a huge dilemma. While in the meantime they have to fend off all kinds of horrors, like a sea hag, a ghost, haunted houses, a psycho killer and a sea monster. 

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Short Review

This is a very unique and authentic series. It mixes different styes, horror genres and atmospheres together creating a unique vibe which can feel a bit disorienting at the beginning. You can think that the series doesn’t know what it is, but it exactly knows what it is. 

First of all it mixes mystery with comedy and drama. The island itself is a mystery to solve for Tom and Wyck and Patricia. But there are also a lot of personal things going on. Tom hides a secret from Evan and his relationship with him is strained. Tom desperately wants to make the island a success so that he becomes successful. But the more he finds out what is happening, he has to reframe his priorities. Wyck has some issues in the past he has to reconcile with. And Patricia is the pariah of the women her age in town. When she was young some girls from her school were attacked by the boogeyman and were killed. Patricia claims the boogeyman came for her too but she hid and survived. However nobody believes her. 

In the present they all get to deal with the curse of the island. Tom spends the night at the old hotel in the room that is haunted. He doesn’t believe any of it, but as the night progresses he can’t deny it anymore. Which delivers a very nice jump scare. He also gets stalked by the sea hag who tries to kill him., which is a very fun episode turning Tom’s world upside down. Wyck has to deal with a sea monster. And Patricia finds herself in her own folk horror, which is a brilliant episode that is both fun, disturbing and tragic. Later on she plays the part in her very own slasher. Which is a rather fun one and she shows every upcoming final girl how it’s done. 

All these different ways the curse shows itself causes different kinds of horror genres. The haunted house with ghost, sea monsters, witches, folk horror, and even an unstoppable serial killer. 

While all these different episodes do have some really scary scenes and even jump scares, it is laced with comedy. The humor is sometimes absurd and always dry. The funny situations are always brought in a deadpan manner. It’s subtle and understated but hilarious nonetheless. At the beginning Tom can feel a bit like Michael Scott from The Office. But his character evolves and becomes so much more than that, without losing the humor and absurdity of many situations he gets himself in. Patricia is a fun and tragic character who might be unlikeable, but still she’s just lonely and a bit weird. 

But there a a lot more weird characters who all have their quirks and are cause for some very funny scenes, like the lighthouse keeper or the old man with his spooky tales, and of course Rosemary and Dale. It sometimes even has some slapstick humor. And reactions that are an absolute no go in a dire situation causing the situation become ridiculous while staying dire and dangerous at the same time. The way the humor is woven into the scary scenes and the mystery is very cleverly done and creates a unique style.

Every episode handles a different aspect of the curse with its own style, atmosphere and horror genre but remains very consistent within the big story arc of the mystery. They come very close to solving the mystery of the island and we even go back in time when the curse started, But it does only tell a little piece of the story. At the end of the season, which is a bit tragic and has the most intense storyline, Tom finds out a very huge thing, but although that explains a part of the mystery and solution, there might be much more underneath the surface. This is just the top of the iceberg they have discovered and there might be much more evil to find behind the mysterious creepy doors in the tunnels underneath the island. 

Widow’s Bay is an absolute gem that is a one of a kind which is rather unique in this day and age. Luckily they have renewed the series for a second season. And I cannot wait to find out more about the island and its horrors.