Widow’s Bay – created by Katie Dippold (a writer on Parks and Recreation) and directed by Hiro Murai (who’s worked on Atlanta and The Bear) – is wildly popular, but it’s also been a slow-burn, which seems to be a recurring theme for Apple’s offerings. The show first dropped in April and, with each episode, a ripple effect has seen it hit the top of the streamer’s most-watched list – and safely secure a second season. This is, in part, thanks to the magnificent Rhys, whose “befuddled mayor of a haunted island” performance is so captivating it’s impossible to imagine anyone else in the role. But it’s also, to my mind, because it manages to horrify, while also feeling distinctly like a comfort watch. Has there ever been a series which causes you to both scream and laugh out loud?
Indeed, imagine Gilmore Girls crossed with The Shining and you’ll come close. There are small town dramas, complicated friendship dynamics and a wayward teen, all neatly woven into the most unhinged scenarios imaginable involving shamans and haunted mushroom trips. One minute you’re enjoying Tom’s nervous first date with a woman in town for a bachelorette, the next you’re in Blair Witch-style terror at the threat of a ghoul at the door. In episode two, there’s even a clown chase – arguably the most terrifying clown cameo to have appeared this century (sorry, Bill Skarsgård).
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If the unprecedented blend of gothic and comic drama lures viewers in, it’s the cast that keeps them watching. There’s a chance you’ll be googling what you’ve seen them in, because they’re alumni from shows such as The Walking Dead, True Blood and Glow. Kate O’Flynn, the British actor who plays Tom’s neurotic assistant Patricia, emerges as a showstopper. Special mention must also go to Kevin Carroll, who plays Bechir Clemmons, the long-suffering cop who has his work cut out for him (what with all the ghoul attacks and disappearances) and Jeff Hiller, who plays town hall staffer Dale. If you’ve watched Bridget Everett’s award-winning HBO comedy Somebody Somewhere, you’ll be familiar with the specific comfort of Hiller’s on-screen prowess.
In a sea of remakes, reboots and Love Island: Unseen Bits, the roaring success of Widow’s Bay is perhaps no surprise. We’ve been crying out for an original drama which can fling us, by the seat of our pants, into uncharted territory, and Widow’s Bay does just that. It feels like a much-needed cultural reset. Roll on season two.
