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Widow's Bay is a wild, genre-mashing ride

Matthew Rhys, Kate O'Flynn, and Stephen Root delight in Apple TV's sharply written series.

By Saloni Gajjar  |  April 24, 2026 | 9:00am
Photo: Apple TV
TV Reviews Widow's Bay
Widow's Bay is a wild, genre-mashing ride

Welcome to Widow’s Bay, a picturesque but struggling New England island that has no wifi and a spotty cellular network but boasts the second-largest lighthouse in America and endlessly rolling fog. The mayor, who ran unopposed despite his constituents believing him to be cowardly, is determined to turn it into the next Martha’s Vineyard. He’s arranged for a travel reporter from The New York Times to visit and everything. If only his rebellious teen son, the town’s quirky residents, and its evil past (old fishermen’s lore involving various creatures and even cannibalism) would allow the perpetually weary Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys) to do his darn job. His woes worsen once “charming superstitions” of a sea hag, a killer clown, and the boogeyman threaten to become very real and put everyone in jeopardy. 

Apple TV’s delightfully droll series refuses to be confined to a particular box or genre. Despite its mythological premise and frequent jump scares, it’s not straight fantasy or horror. Created by Parks And Recreation writer Katie Dippold (who also penned The Heat and 2016’s Ghostbusters), Widow’s Bay‘s humor is less sitcom-like or slapstick and more absurd. The show meshes comedy and supernatural aspects with a confident ensemble and directors such as Friendship‘s Andrew DeYoung, Atlanta‘s Hiro Murai, Pearl‘s Ti West, and Severance‘s Samuel Donovan. Think Jaws or Midnight Mass but with ridiculous and well-earned moments of levity. The overarching story of how Tom and his pals deal with dangers lurking below the surface is as compelling as the procedural-lite structure. Several of the 10 episodes aren’t self-contained, but they expand on a specific tale to shed light on the town’s checkered history, tracing it all the way back to its founding father. 

Widow’s Bay has an immediately striking sense of place. Filmed primarily in Massachusetts, the cinematography and Jennifer Engel’s set decoration heighten the spooky coastal vibes (from the rocky shores and woodlands to weird museums and bare-bones diners), which is half the battle for an atmospheric TV show. The series feels all the more immersive because of the oddballs who populate it, like eccentric employees of the mayor’s office (played by Jeff Hiller, Dale Dickey, and Kate O’Flynn) and Stephen Root’s Wyck, a seasoned local who is convinced that the past is coming back to haunt them. 

Tom and Wyck’s clashes kick off Widow’s Bay’s wild ride. If the former wants their tiny town to become the next big tourist destination, then Wyck locks up the inn and tells anyone who will listen that a plague is descending upon them. As the season progresses, the two rivals join forces because Tom has no choice but to accept his (and the town’s) demons. Watching Rhys and Root banter is just as amusing as you’d imagine. Rhys’ comedic range is particularly effective in making Tom believably fearful and fearless at the same time, considering he has to step up as a leader and make impossible choices. But the actor’s true strength lies in conveying Tom’s bewildered expressions whenever he hears a local utter or do something unhinged, which happens often. It’s a nice change of pace after his chilling work in The Beast In Me last year. 

But the unequivocal MVP here is My Lady Jane‘s O’Flynn as Tom’s hardworking colleague, Patricia. She turns in an unflinchingly wry, vulnerable performance that’s hard to look away from. The two Patricia-centric installments are highlights, with the fourth hour finally revealing the full breadth of Widow’s Bay’s exciting storytelling tricks. Patricia, a lone wolf after being shunned by her former classmates, finds an unexpected community in Tom and Wyck when she becomes involved in their mission. The show digs into how this trio isn’t being haunted only by a potentially centuries-old enigma but also by their own traumas. Tom and Wyck each lost a loved one, while Patricia survived a serial killer’s spree. The series acts as a thoughtful rumination on the difficulty of letting go of the past, even if it insists on chasing you down in weird, scary ways.

However, don’t be fooled because Widow’s Bay doesn’t succumb to the trend of making grief its monster. In Dippold’s creative hands, the fear stems from creepy crawlspaces, eerie books, sacrificial rituals, and Hiller’s Dale wholeheartedly screaming “This place is a house of horrors!” Meanwhile, the laughs come from sharply-written characters and wacky circumstances. (Tom spends an entire episode high on mushrooms, with DeYoung framing his experiences quite uniquely.) With its diverse elements coming together like lightning in a bottle, Widow’s Bay is a destination well worth visiting. 

Saloni Gajjar is The A.V. Club‘s TV critic. Widow’s Bay premieres April 29 on Apple TV.  

 
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