Widow’s Bay Season 1 Review: A Strange, Funny and Addictive Mystery
When Apple first launched its streaming service, then known as Apple TV+, I struggled to understand why we needed yet another platform. I’m already an Apple fanboy, but that loyalty didn’t immediately carry over to its streaming service.
Eventually, Apple won me over by dropping banger after banger, including Silo, Severance, Ted Lasso, and Presumed Innocent. The strange part is that Apple rarely seems interested in letting anyone know these shows exist. Netflix and HBO promote their series like their lives depend on it, while Apple quietly releases some of the best television around and hopes you stumble across it. At this point, I have to ask: are they laundering money through prestige television?
Widow’s Bay is another great addition to that strangely underpromoted catalogue. Created by Katie Dippold and starring Matthew Rhys, Kate O’Flynn, and Stephen Root, the series follows the residents of a fictional New England town caught up in increasingly strange happenings.
With 10 short episodes, it is an easy weekend binge that keeps the story moving without feeling like a major commitment. However, its real strength lies in how it blends mystery, humour, and atmosphere with a cast of characters you quickly become invested in. Let’s dive into the review.
The show follows our main man, Tom Loftis, who is determined to bring more tourism to their quiet little island. The problem is that Tom grew up on the mainland, so he does not put much stock in the superstitions the true locals have lived by for years. That includes the warnings of Wyck, who takes the arrival of a thick fog as a clear sign that the island is beginning to “wake up.”
As someone who finds it hard to believe in ghosts and supernatural entities, I could relate to Tom’s scepticism and the way he brushed off everything he was being told. Unfortunately for him, he probably should have listened, because things only become stranger and more dangerous as the 10 episodes unfold.
I think that balance is what made the series so enjoyable for me. Widow’s Bay blends horror, humour, and the mundanity of everyday island life surprisingly well, finding comedy in situations that could have easily been played completely straight. It is much funnier than I expected, but the humour never takes away from the mystery or the more unsettling moments.
A lot of that comes down to Matthew Rhys, who gives a fantastic performance as Tom. He is genuinely hilarious throughout the season, and some of his funniest moments come from nothing more than a facial expression or the way he reacts to the increasingly ridiculous situations around him. The rest of the cast also does a great job of moving between comedy and horror without either side feeling forced, with Kate O’Flynn standing out as another major highlight.
That balance also carries over to the show’s technical execution, particularly its cinematography, production design, and use of atmosphere. Like most Apple TV series, Widow’s Bay is beautifully shot, with director Hiro Murai giving the island a distinct visual identity that feels both inviting and quietly unsettling. The fog, isolated locations, and carefully framed shots help build tension without the series needing to constantly rely on jump scares, while the polished production never takes away from the town’s strange, lived-in charm.
Ultimately, Widow’s Bay is a confident first season that makes excellent use of its setting, cast, and central mystery. More importantly, it leaves the island feeling like a place with far more secrets than the season had time to uncover.
Without giving anything away, the finale significantly expands the scope of the story and leaves behind some massive implications for both the island and its residents. It provides enough closure to make the season feel satisfying while making it clear that the larger story is only beginning.
After that ending, Season 2 cannot come soon enough. Hopefully, Apple remembers to tell people about it this time.
