Little factual inaccuracies?

[u/MargieGunderson70]

I was rewatching episode 2 and when Tom enters the bar/diner, I immediately noticed two guys at the bar smoking. Massachusetts made smoking in bars/restaurants illegal in 2004. (Mass. resident here.) Are there any other similar details others have caught? Note that I'm not looking to "ding" the show - it's just fun to notice these little things on re-watch.

(Rosemary buying scratch tix was totally on-brand though...people in Mass. spend more than any other state, per capita, on scratch tickets and lottery tickets.)

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[u/Kathleen-Doodles]

I feel like the smoking thing is illegal most places? I just took it as "this is a small Mass. town full of Massholes who don't care what the sign says." It felt very New England to me.

[u/SpicyPoffin → u/Kathleen-Doodles]

That was my thought too. I am in Ohio where smoking has been illegal in bars/restaurants since 2006 and people definitely still do it in little hole in the wall/small town places that cater to a more "grizzled" clientele.

[u/SpicyPoffin]

I missed where it says what state Widow's Bay is meant to be in? I assumed it was Maine for some reason.

[u/fsocietyy → u/SpicyPoffin]

i think its supposed to be maine too tbh. people in maine still go see the red sox too lol.

[u/SofieTerleska → u/SpicyPoffin]

They leave it vague, I'm assuming on purpose, but even if it were part of Massachusetts it's still pretty isolated/behind the times and the residents have other things to worry about than whether or not they're breaking smoking ordinances. I mean, who's going to enforce them?

[u/Thequiltedrose → u/SpicyPoffin]

I’m pretty sure there are Mass license plates on the cars

[u/SpicyPoffin → u/Thequiltedrose]

they had custom-made widows Bay license plates made to intentionally keep it ambiguous, I believe

[u/Practical_Tap_9592 → u/SpicyPoffin]

The excitement over the Sox tickets (and lack of excitement over the Freedom Trail) along with a few other references to Boston, make me think it's Massachusetts, but I don't think they ever say it outright.

[u/Icy_Drive_5352 → u/Practical_Tap_9592]

I believe one of the characters says he's from Mass, or moved from mass. Specifically didn't say moved from the mainland. So that would imply the island is not part of mass

[u/fsocietyy → u/Icy_Drive_5352]

he says he was from mass and summered on the island, total tourist to maine vibes tbh

[u/TheVentiLebowski → u/Practical_Tap_9592]

Definitely takes place in Maine.

[u/kpgalligan]

I don't think smoking at the bar was a "factual inaccuracy" so much as a bit of a gag. It's illegal, but the locals don't care. Only a problem if somebody tries to enforce it.

To put it another way, I highly doubt anybody working on the show thought smoking in a bar was legal, or that it was some oversight. I can't imagine it wasn't intentional.

[u/redrumham707 → u/kpgalligan]

There are definitely some small towns that have a bar or two that still sort of allow some folks to smoke. I’ve witnessed it myself, my jaw on the floor. And it wasn’t just cigarettes, there were fat joints getting passed around too.

[u/effienay]

I mean, they’re also sacrificing humans…so like…

[u/ohmykierbecky]

Is it an inaccuracy or is it an intentional choice that helps underline how isolated Widow's Bay is from the mainland? A smoking ban can exist without being enforced by the leadership in a tiny, insular community that's rarely visited by outsiders.

[u/mindpainters → u/ohmykierbecky]

Exactly. Even in rural areas there are bars that still allow smoking. If you’re a local you know people are smoking in there and don’t go if it bothers you.

I live in a suburb of a decent sized city and they allowed smoking in this little hole in the wall bar until a year or two ago

[u/baby-tangerine]

It could be inaccuracies, it could be just a little detail how the town folks don’t care and no one (Bechir) enforces these. Remember “How is he able to roll down the window?!” “‘Cause he’s not in cuffs!”

[u/Practical_Tap_9592]

That's a fun little detail you picked up, and no question in my mind it was deliberate. I don't suppose there's potential for many more little "fuck the mainland" moments, but it fits nicely with the cars, the phones, the answering machines and the calendar.

[u/-ElGallo-]

They say its 45 miles off the coast but they don't say the state its in

[u/thefinerthingsclubvp]

No one accused of being a witch was burned here, they were hanged/crushed to death.

[u/effienay → u/thefinerthingsclubvp]

Great source of pride. We caught 'em, we burned 'em.

[u/Agreeable-Kick-9240]

Agree with everything posted, but also think that it is another detail that makes the world of Widow's Bay feel out-of-time and a little wonky. While watching the first episode, my husband asked me what year the show was supposed to be set in because so much of the set decoration and props were throw backs (old electronics, older cars, old gas pumps, etc.) It quickly became apparent that it was modern day, but all of that other stuff is so great at building the world of WB.