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Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys) has big ambitions for Widow’s Bay as a summer tourist destination.
Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys) has big ambitions for Widow’s Bay as a summer tourist destination.
Tom’s rebellious son Evan (Kingston Rumi Southwick) has never left the island.
Tom’s rebellious son Evan (Kingston Rumi Southwick) has never left the island.
Tom and Wyck (Stephen Root) eventually become friends as supernatural events reveal a curse on the island.
Tom and Wyck (Stephen Root) eventually become friends as supernatural events reveal a curse on the island.
Tom’s rebellious son Evan (Kingston Rumi Southwick) has never left the island.
Tom and Wyck (Stephen Root) eventually become friends as supernatural events reveal a curse on the island.
Tom’s assistant, Patricia (Kate O’Flynn) tries to throw a “sunny cocktails” shindig to boost his morale.
Dale (Jeff Hiller) acts as a DJ
Local sheriff Bechir Clemmons (Kevin Carroll) is horrified by what has happened.
Rosemary (Dale Dickey) may have important information on the island.
Todd the Shaman (Chris Fleming), the town’s drug dealer, has a common hallucinogenic mushroom to deliver.
The return of Widow’s Bay founder Richard Warren’s (Hamish Linklater) may be the source of all the strange events.
Apparently millions of viewers share Dippold’s strangeness. By the time the fourth Patricia-centric episode (“Beach Reads”) aired, viewership numbers it had tripled Since its inception, and the numbers have been increasing as the good word spreads rapidly.
What’s most impressive about this series is its mastery of tone: a perfect balance between quirky humor and spine-tingling horror that’s hard to sustain. “I used to do all kinds of magic when I was young, my friends and I would go see the abandoned house and then run away,” said Dippold about the tone he wanted for the show. “It was like a terrible joy.” And I just love hearing that because you’re so scared, but you’re laughing so much, and I just want to hear that on television.”
It also helps that Dippold has populated his fictional town with well-drawn, unique characters; even one-sided characters, like Todd the Shaman (Chris Fleming) feel fleshed out and aware. That’s because of the show’s terrible premise, of course, but the actors are given a lot to work with in a smart, simple script. And the format of the series is well-organized: it’s part monster of the week, part long-form narrative. The show is romantic and funny at the edges, and it gets scary as the magic rises. There is not a single error in all ten sections.
All episodes of the first season of Widow’s Bay now streaming on Apple TV. The second season is already in service so we will be getting more dangerous situations. Dippold wants the show to come back soon – and so do we. He joked to Deadline that S2 will be “about how everything is fine on the island and there’s nothing to worry about.” Don’t believe it.
