'Widow's Bay' Review
- Tiffany McLaughlin
- Jul 8
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 10
Season One.
Aired On: Apple TV.
Release Date: 04/29/26.
Genre: Comedy. Drama. Horror.
The Verdict: A Must-See
Spoilers ahead.
In my previous review of the first couple of episodes, I noted how much Widow’s Bay reminded me of CW's Nancy Drew series. It captured those eerie coastal town vibes. But as I watched on, I found myself at times reminded of Lost, Robert Eggers' The Witch, Twin Peaks, Castle Rock, John Carpenter's Halloween and The Fog, and even IT: Welcome to Derry, all while still being original in its own right.
The brilliance of each episode is that it's not quite the same structure as the last. It’s so much more engaging than your typical island murder mystery. I say this with pure adoration, but the show is just goofy. Some things don't totally add up at face value, but it moves you along so quickly into a different corner of possibility, like some sort of magic trick, that it never feels disjointed. Somehow, this show became funnier and also creepier in ways I didn't expect. If you think you've figured it out, the show doesn't really care because there are bigger things at play, which I find really refreshing.
As someone who often finds herself inside tourist museums and gift shops, I constantly wonder what historical figures would think about the capitalization of their likeness. Would Lincoln detest the soft plush dolls resembling him, or would he be tickled to see people sporting a big top hat around Springfield, IL? Would the victims accused of witchcraft in Salem, MA, be appalled at the sight of the tourist trap it has become? Or would they approve of the locals who work really hard to maintain the education of the truth of what happened to them? There's a poignant scene in Widow’s Bay where the museum's centuries-old founder stands in the museum, his children's toys in a glass case, and his zombified body before a T-shirt on the wall with his reimagined face on it. There's something so equally hilarious as it is sad, captured in that frame that has stuck with me since.
The nuance of how Tom’s character in the pilot transitions to Tom in the finale is some of my favorite character writing in recent memory. It's not a traditional arc, but more of a revealing of who he is as everything unfolds. His final scenes with Ruth are truly special and culminate in the conclusion that, behind this cursed island, Widow’s Bay is a story about people and how they handle life's curveballs.
Where to Watch:
