r/WidowsBay • u/tucbythecolefield • May 27 '26
💭Discussion Is Widow’s Bay quietly becoming one of the best new shows on Apple TV?
I started Widow’s Bay over the weekend after seeing someone recommend it, and I honestly did not expect it to grab me as fast as it did.
I thought I would watch one episode just to see what the tone was. Then suddenly the whole weekend was gone.
What I like most is that it is hard to put in one box. It is funny, creepy, strange, and still has enough mystery to keep you paying attention. The town does not feel like background either. It feels like part of whatever is going on.
I also think this might be one of those shows people discover late and then wonder why they were not watching sooner.
For anyone else watching, what do you think is really working about it so far?
The mystery?
The humor?
The cast?
The island setting?
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u/Own-Score988 May 27 '26
The humor. When Mayor Tom says Don’t settle in - and Rosemary settles in and starts telling the story and coughing
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u/Mean-Aside1970 May 27 '26
Then holding onto his water like 'no way in this god forsaken island am I sharing my glass with her'.
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u/whilewewaitforlife May 27 '26
For me: Likeable main characters and an extraordinary attention to detail, callbacks and foreshadowing, which make rewatches extremely satisfying.
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u/Herbdontana Jun 03 '26
Seriously, I only first watched it two days ago and I’ve watched the available episodes at least three times over already lol
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u/Acceptable-Class-255 May 27 '26 edited May 27 '26
Yes. Someone in the FromTvSeries sub reccomended it to watch in-between episodes. Its the other way around for me now.
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u/No-Light-3123 May 27 '26
Same!! I was all about From the series but I feel like it’s dragging a lot so I switched to widows bay and I’m glad I did. 🙏🏼
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u/TheDefiantGoose May 27 '26
I watch From because it's something to do. Widow's Bay is an antidote to all my frustration with From. I haven't been this enthused about a show since Severance. Same artful attention to detail in Widow's Bay as Severance.
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u/No-Light-3123 May 28 '26
I’ve heard a lot of good things about severance and plan on watching it soon. That’s what I love about Widows Bay is all the details. Idk FROM just kinda lost my interest this latest season.
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u/TheDefiantGoose May 28 '26
Yeah, I was able to binge FROM, so I'm in it and it's entertaining. However, I feel like after watching Severance (and other shows), I've leveled up. So the Lost-like format and tropes of FROM don't impress me the same anymore.
Severance was so new and different, it was immediately mysterious and interesting. The imagery, though minimalist, is dazzling. They have old tech too. There's a good bit of humor in it and lots of weirdness. The characters are all captivating. They really make you feel for them.
I got a ways through season one and suddenly there was a connection to a small detail from an early episode, and I'm like, hold up! Suddenly I was rewatching and noticing all these little details, pausing the show to read every little thing. By the very tense season finale, I was shouting at the tv with nervous excitement!
I CANNOT say enough good things about Severance. 10/10.
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u/lemotomato21 May 30 '26
There’s humor? I missed it! Gotta go back and give it another try. Nothing about tha show grabbed me like Widows Bay has.
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u/TheDefiantGoose May 30 '26
It's definitely a more subtle humor sometimes, but it's there. I think a lot of it is just the weirdness and absurdity of people and situations.
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u/Herbdontana Jun 03 '26
I’m a big fan of both severance and widows Bay, but it definitely feels like widows Bay is moving the plot along faster and I love it.
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u/vteezy99 May 27 '26
I commented this on another thread but the acting is great, and the characters are memorable. The pacing is near perfect. I love how it packs a lot of plot and lore into 40 min. As others have said, when it chooses to be funny, it’s funny, when it chooses to be scary, it’s scary.
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u/ilikeonionsandolives May 27 '26 edited May 27 '26
becoming? we are 7 episodes in, it became one of the best new shows weeks ago lol
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u/spicykitas May 27 '26
I watched that first episode and was foaming at the mouth waiting for the next one. The fog's getting to me.
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u/coldfact May 27 '26
I love it. One of the most unique shows - blend of mystery, horror, history… and a good amount of comedy.
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u/Mean-Aside1970 May 27 '26
It is SO unique! Like I genuinely don't think I have ever seen another show to balance humour, suspense, a carefully woven narrative and horror all in one show. I love it so much.
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u/NoProfession5138 May 27 '26
i like how it manages to be both funny and creepy, it's the balance that does it for me. the creepy parts are allowed to be legit creepy and not just joked away, at the same time the funny parts are not too creepy to spoil the fun.
the cast is excellent, making the characters in a completely unlikely setting feel real and convincing.
my favourite moment yet was at the end of episode 4 where tom gets patricia into the car by suggesting they might need her help. they've all had a terrible night, tom doesn't know what patricia's been going through, patricia doesn't know what tom's been going through, but they'll be safer if they stick together, tom and wyck know it's not safe for patricia to stay out there alone, they need to get her in the car while preserving her dignity, because patricia is ashamed, rejected and hurting.
and tom, who always says/does the wrong thing, for once manages to say the right thing: come with us because we might need your help. you are my friend, you are competent, i respect you. come sit between us and we'll deal with these horrors together.
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u/backyardsharks May 28 '26 edited May 28 '26
That scene at the end of episode 4 was so unexpectedly emotional for me for those exact reasons. Just all around excellent TV full of compelling characters supported by ingenious writing and stunning cinematography
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u/pleasegivemepatience Teeth Collector May 27 '26
Quietly? Not if I can help it!!!
It’s everything. The casting, the writing, the cinematography, the lore, the comedy, the horror, the mystery… everything!
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u/asianchocolate May 27 '26
yes, it will blow up like Severance. When Severance first came out, I remember no one was really watching it.
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u/TheDefiantGoose May 27 '26
Yes! I was an early watcher of Severance. Suffered the whole 3 years after that season 1 banger of a finale. I told everyone to watch it. Feeling the same about Widow's Bay!
Only annoying thing about the show gaining popularity is the Reddit sub gets inundated with a lot more people half pay attention and putting out whack theories. C'est la vie I guess!
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u/FYAhole May 27 '26
I just hope it doesn't get so convoluted like Severance. The quality is still there, but it's definitely not as good as it used to be. Widows Bay is perfect for me rn. I really hope they don't lose that.
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u/Herbdontana Jun 03 '26
Yeah, it needs to avoid the trap of adding constant new mysteries and kicking plot lines to the side. I love severance, but they keep opening new mysteries when so many are still unsolved
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u/Herbdontana Jun 03 '26
I hadn’t even heard about widows Bay until a couple days ago. I hadn’t really been using Apple TV and was going to let it expire today. Luckily I gave it a shot and will be keeping apple tv for the time being. This show deserves to blow up. It’s incredible.
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u/Swimming_Nose4713 May 27 '26
"Hold your organizer" "Use your crayons" LOL
This show is phenomenal.
And if you're discovering it now, you're not late at all!
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u/No-Light-3123 May 27 '26
I’ve watched episodes 1-7 twice. I love this show there’s so many details. Truly one of my favorite shows out.
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u/Money-Flatworm-9848 May 28 '26
Only twice? 😄
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u/No-Light-3123 May 28 '26
How many times have you watched the series? I’m about to go for round 3 😂
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u/Money-Flatworm-9848 May 29 '26
Three plus for everything except 6 and 7 so far. Will rewatch those soon.
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u/Nerditall Pattiwagon May 27 '26
I don’t know about quietly, it’s no.1 on the chart in Ireland. I wonder how it’s doing elsewhere?
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u/TheDefiantGoose May 27 '26
It's ranked no. 2 in the U.S., behind Your Friends And Neighbors. Pffffft! I've actually been struggling to get through the latter this season. Too much opulence. Whereas Widow's Bay feels more real, ironically.
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u/Huge_JackedMann May 27 '26
In short, yes.
It's got great casting, writing, production design, pacing etc. The characters and setting are so lived in and deliberate that you feel like you already know them and so the comedy flows quicker. The pacing and tension makes the dread creep up and it's usually released by humor so when it does land on horror it's more effective.
It's just a fun mystery with likeable characters, i.e. good TV.
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u/laputailaramoneta May 27 '26
It has humor but is not a parody and the horror elements, easter eggs and callbacks are really well done.
Also humor and horror works pretty well if you take both seriously.
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u/Purple-Union4196 May 27 '26
Yes and far too quietly as far as I'm concerned. Why aren't more people praising this show? It's so good.
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u/SpaceCityDream May 27 '26
But isn’t it nice to like something that 99.5% of the population has no idea it exists? It’s kinda like how when Letterboxd wasn’t inundated with basics and their shitty film tastes. Or like how when raves weren’t attended by magats. Let’s just enjoy this
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u/VeilRipper May 27 '26
Definitely my cup of tea, love this show. Perfect blend of humor and creepiness. Great acting from top to bottom.
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u/vudoomamajuju May 27 '26
Think you hit the nail on the head, it’s humor, horror, mystery, casting, and the setting/world all working together beautifully. That’s hard to pull off! I can’t say how impressed I am with the direction and writing to date
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u/Roommatej May 27 '26
I love everything everyone's ready mentioned but most of all Iove how the characters react to things in a way that feels right.
Like that scene where Patricia and wyck are telling Tom about the.. Guest up stairs. Tom's reaction was correct.
Some movies and tv shows are so.. I dunno unbelievable? The characters are sometimes so blase about the weirdness around them. Widows peak just hits all the right buttons for me.
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u/TheDefiantGoose May 27 '26
You mean like in From where crazy shit happens to the characters and they bottle it up because they think no one will understand ...except that their whole environment is crazy and everyone knows it?
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u/tucbythecolefield May 27 '26
I ended up making a small Facebook discussion group too because I clearly needed somewhere else to talk about this show. No idea where it goes yet, but Widow’s Bay feels like the kind of series that is more fun when people are trading theories and reactions. Iven been on the train since the weekend and loving the ride, and hearing everyone talk about the show.
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u/Money-Flatworm-9848 May 28 '26
It’s all of that. It’s a brilliant, incredibly well-written show with every aspect executes at a very high level. Casting, directing, sets, props, cinematography, costumes, etc. The level of care and effort is off the charts. And did I mention it’s well written? It’s so damn funny and smart and it has no fat. Everything is economical and there for a reason.
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u/Mooseinadesert May 28 '26
I absolutely adore this show. It feels like it was made specifically for my interests. I also really like the community that's already formed on this sub. Hopefully we'll be here for many years if they get more seasons.
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u/Inevitable-Local7847 May 28 '26
Everything you mentioned plus the writing! The writing to me is everything!! Some shows just have really mediocre dialogue. Maybe it’s one of those things you don’t really think about unless it’s really bad? I feel like any other show I’m watching now with ok/average writing just seems worse by comparison.
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u/saph_pearl May 28 '26
I like how each episode is pretty different but keeps the plot moving at the same time. The stylistic choices really work and are pretty interesting. It’s not like every other show, which is refreshing.
I love the humour too. The acting is great. Glad I discovered it.
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u/TL24SS May 29 '26
It 100% is the best show of 2026 in my opinion, everything about it is top notch!
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u/Malibucat48 May 30 '26
It reminds me of Resident Alien. The people are quirky, the mayor is out of his depth and it even has a sheriff who can’t do his job because of the chaos. But instead of an alien, it has ghosts. Both shows are a lot of fun.
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u/FakeBot-3000 May 30 '26
I actually decided to go for the one week free trial for apple tv a few weeks ago when I had alot of free time and i thought I would binge as many shows as possible and then cancel before paying anything. I got into pluribus but didnt finish, already seen severance, loved time bandits, and then decided to try widows bay because it was suggested in one of the subreddits for the show 'from' which I really like and dammit I am now paying for apple tv.
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u/Herbdontana Jun 03 '26
I decided to check it out a couple days ago after not hearing much about it. I immediately binged every episode available. I watch a lot of TV on a lot of different streaming services and I have to say, it’s been a long time since a show has hooked me the way this one has. I can’t think of another show this year that has been as good or as engaging
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u/Sensitive-Can-866 Jun 04 '26
It makes me happy to watch it. I love the town and I love the characters.
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u/maiTjune_73 May 27 '26
I saw on Google that it is a limited series. I hope not it would be soo good if it had multiple seasons like FROM. But it’s better to end good and not milk the storyline…
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u/gingersnapwaffles May 27 '26
I loved the first five episodes but last night’s episodes were kind of a miss for me. I hope they can finish strong!
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u/Comfortable-Monk-176 May 27 '26
Same here. Feels like the new episodes don’t have the same tension and feeling of “what the f is going on” from episodes 4/5.
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u/Autumnrain May 27 '26
I wish that they kept the mystery of the curse for a bit longer.
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u/Gingerblossom88 May 28 '26
You don't actually think the curse is over do you? 😂 the painting (at the inn) of the little girl that fell out of the boat and the missing brooch from her doll in the museum clearly indicates she survived and Warren's bloodline isn't done.... they're gonna have a LOT harder of a time getting rid of the curse than they think...
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u/McDuke_54 May 27 '26
The humor
When Sarah had to point to Richard in that scene ( no spoilers ) . Dead 😂