With shows like Pluribus<\/em>, Severance<\/em>, For All Mankind<\/em>, Murderbot<\/em>, and more, Apple TV has become a destination for sci-fi fans. And while the streamer also has a track record in comedy (Ted Lasso, Shrinking)<\/em>, it hasn\u2019t dipped too deeply into horror. That\u2019s about to change with horror comedy Widow\u2019s Bay<\/em>.<\/p>\n The new series from Katie Dippold (Parks and Recreation, Ghostbusters: Answer the Call)<\/em> takes place on an island with a creepy secret in its past and plenty of endearingly offbeat characters in its present. Foremost among them is Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys), who\u2019s balancing his civic duties\u2014and his determination to turn Widow\u2019s Bay, located 40 miles off the New England coast, into a Martha\u2019s Vineyard-style tourist destination\u2014with single-parenting his restless teenage son, Evan (Kingston Rumi Southwick).<\/p>\n We also meet Tom\u2019s quirky support staff at the Widow\u2019s Bay town hall\u2014Patricia (Kate O\u2019Flynn), Rosemary (Dale Dickey), Dale (Jeff Hiller), and Ruth (K Callan)\u2014as well as the gruff chief of police, Bechir (Kevin Carroll), and a cranky fisherman named Wyck (Stephen Root).<\/p>\n More faces enter the narrative as Widow\u2019s Bay<\/em> gets going, but the main character, other than Tom, is the island itself. The series kicks off with a string of unusual occurrences (including an earthquake and a thick fog that would make John Carpenter nervous), and it\u2019s soon clear that this chunk of land and the water that surrounds it are being monitored by certain malevolent forces.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t let Tom hear you say that, though; he\u2019s cheerfully, desperately in denial, despite being well aware that Widow\u2019s Bay has a darkness clinging to it. When the show begins, he\u2019s beside himself with delight when a New York Times writer arrives from the mainland\u2014and things only get better when the article, a glowing portrait of the seaside town, starts luring new visitors to the island.<\/p>\n Well\u2026 until things get worse, that is. As Widow\u2019s Bay<\/em> progresses through its 10-episode season, we get a peek into the community\u2019s origin story as well as all the ways a decision made over 300 years ago is still stubbornly reverberating.<\/p>\n The local history museum makes it clear that this is a place where natural disasters happen to include masked maniacs, witchcraft, and cannibalism\u2014and that\u2019s only scratching the surface, what with the menacing creatures, haunted houses, and other macabre elements that are part of the landscape. And it\u2019s not just an aimless parade of spooky stuff; as we soon learn, there\u2019s a ticking clock propelling the latest outbreak of paranormal unrest, and soon even Tom must face the surreal state of reality.<\/p>\n Creator and showrunner Dippold finds just the right tone for Widow\u2019s Bay<\/em>, which could easily skew too goofy but instead stays balanced between tense and deadpan. The humor is very wry and dry, but the scares aim to be genuine. That\u2019s helped along by Hiro Murai, who directed five of the 10 episodes and helps craft a visual language that makes the island feel rustic and charming\u2014but also cloaked in the most sinister salt spray imaginable.<\/p>\n If the story hasn\u2019t already lured you in, the performances are across-the-board excellent. There are aspects of Jaws<\/em>\u2019 Chief Brody, a well-meaning outsider who doesn\u2019t fit in with the natives, in Tom, but Rhys also brings a depth that makes us feel for this guy\u2019s misplaced ambitions, especially when we see what\u2019s driving them and why that\u2019s affected his bumpy relationship with Evan. Root\u2019s Wyck is also surprisingly layered; as we come to realize, there\u2019s way more to him than the boozy crackpot he seems at first.<\/p>\n O\u2019Flynn is a particular standout as Patricia, a social misfit who deals with her own demons throughout the season and is a frequent source of Widow\u2019s Bay<\/em>\u2019s off-kilter comedy. The show also has a lot of fun with the characters who populate its periphery. Cult-beloved actor Hiller continues his streak of elevating everything he appears in; his reaction shots are particularly golden here.<\/p>\n We also get amusing moments with a staunchly inept waitress; the former high school mean girls who still have it in for Patricia; the profit-driven innkeeper willing to overlook his establishment\u2019s obvious ghost problem; and the crusty dive bar denizens who think Tom is a fraidy-cat and aren\u2019t afraid to call him on it.<\/p>\n As Widow\u2019s Bay<\/em> pries into the eldritch horrors at its core, we discover more about why this island is so unusual<\/em>. It finds its way to a conclusion that leaves the door open for more\u2014but if we just get one season on its freaky, rocky shores, we\u2019ll still be very glad we made the trip.<\/p>\n Widow\u2019s Bay<\/em> premieres its first two episodes April 29 on Apple TV. It will have a mostly weekly rollout after, though episodes six and seven will also double-drop on May 27.<\/p>\n Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what\u2019s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote><\/div>\n![\"Widows](\"https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Widows_Bay_Kate.jpg\")
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