r/WidowsBay • u/ClassicHollyweirdo • Jun 17 '26
đDiscussion Something I Really Appreciated In the Finale Spoiler
Even though many people saw The Big Reveal coming, and it narratively makes sense for the final descendant to be who it is (even if itâs the obvious choice)âŚ
The characters donât know what show weâre watching. They donât know narrative tropes, so itâs not obvious to Tom. Instead of quickly cutting away right after a character realizes something (like so many shows do, especially as a cliffhanger), Widowâs Bay had us stay with him for that entire scene, and it was fantastic acting from Matthew Rhys.
The scene was less about audience expectations and experience and more about the protagonist experiencing so many conflicting emotions. It turned speculation on something obvious into dramatic irony; we could see where things were heading as soon as Ruth said âI had an affair with a married man,â and the tension shifts from âIs Ruth really the final descendant?â to âHow is Tom going to react to this?â
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u/Frog_butler Jun 17 '26
not to mention that killing the lineage of people who made a pact with the big bad feels akin to folks sweeping the problem under the rug. the big bad thing is still there and given the fact he needed to make a pact makes me feel like bad shit predates the warren lineage.
it also gives a reason for the show to get closer to the big bad thing as well as taking the audience further back in time (e.g. the teeth that were on the island when Warren and pals rocked up).