A still from ‘Widow’s Bay’
| Photo Credit: Apple TV
If a series about a cursed island causes you to roll your eyes, Katie Dippold’s Widow’s Bay will make you do an extreme rethink. It gives a fresh spark to familiar horror conventions and so, even as one recognises the slasher, the undead, or the deal with the devil, they arrive with an irresistible zing.Widow’s Bay, an island 40 miles off the New England coast, has its share of eccentrics. The mayor, Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys), a mainlander, who married an islander, wants to revitalise Widow’s Bay (that name should have told him something) and position it as an alternative to Martha’s Vineyard. To that end, he invites a journalist from The New York Times, Arthur Lloyd (Bashir Salahuddin), to write about Widow’s Bay.In the first episode, we see Tom trying to ensure Arthur sees Widow’s Bay at its best, despite Wyck (Stephen Root), a local who believes in the town’s history, saying the coming fog signals all sorts of horrors. Tom is a widower, struggling to care for his rebellious teenage son, Evan (Kingston Rumi Southwick).Widow’s Bay (English)Creator: Katie DippoldCast: Matthew Rhys, Kate O’Flynn, Kevin Carroll, Dale Dickey, Kingston Rumi Southwick, Stephen RootEpisodes: 10Runtime: 34 – 42 minutesStoryline: The mayor of a quaint island off the coast of New England wants to make it the next Martha’s Vineyard; unfortunately, an ancient, evil presence has other ideasWidow’s Bay has its share of quirky folk, starting with Mayor’s office staff, where Patricia (Kate O’Flynn), Tom’s assistant, Ruth (K Callan), Tom’s secretary, Rosemary (Dale Dickey); Dale (Jeff Hiller) and Gerrie (Nancy Lenehan), try to help but possibly do more harm than good.Against all odds, including the creeping fog, and Wyck’s dire warnings, the article comes out, and Widow’s Bay is flooded with tourists. At about the same time, Tom begins to believe in the curse of Widow’s Bay and now races against time to protect the people while solving the dark mystery at its heart.
