Matthew Rhys, Kate O’Flynn, and Stephen Root star in Katie Dippold’s new series Widow’s Bay, set on a cursed island off the New England coast.
With shows like Pluribus, Severance, For All Mankind, and Murderbot, Apple TV+ has become a go-to platform for sci-fi fans. It also has strong comedies like Ted Lasso and Shrinking, but hasn’t explored horror much, until now with the horror-comedy Widow’s Bay.
Created by Katie Dippold (known for Parks and Recreation and Ghostbusters: Answer the Call), the show is set on an island with a dark past and lots of quirky characters in the present.
The story focuses on Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys), who is trying to turn Widow’s Bay—located 40 miles off the New England coast, into a tourist spot like Martha’s Vineyard, while also raising his restless teenage son, Evan (Kingston Rumi Southwick).
We also meet the town hall team: Patricia (Kate O’Flynn), Rosemary (Dale Dickey), Dale (Jeff Hiller), and Ruth (K Callan). Alongside them are the tough police chief Bechir (Kevin Carroll) and a grumpy fisherman, Wyck (Stephen Root), all adding to the island’s strange and offbeat atmosphere.
Kate O’Flynn as Patricia. © Apple TV
As Widow’s Bay unfolds, more characters come into the story, but the real central presence, aside from Tom, is the island itself. The series begins with a series of strange events, including an earthquake and a heavy, eerie fog that would make even John Carpenter uneasy. It quickly becomes clear that both the land and the surrounding waters are under the watch of dark, malevolent forces.
Tom, however, refuses to accept that reality. He remains cheerfully, and almost desperately, in denial, even though he knows the island carries a lingering darkness. At the start of the show, he’s overjoyed when a New York Times writer arrives from the mainland, and his excitement grows when the resulting article, a glowing portrayal of the seaside town, begins attracting new visitors.
But that optimism doesn’t last. As Widow’s Bay moves through its 10-episode season, the story digs deeper into the town’s origins, revealing how a decision made over 300 years ago continues to echo into the present in powerful and unsettling ways.
The local history museum reveals that this is a place where natural disasters come with terrifying extras—masked killers, witchcraft, and even cannibalism, and that’s just the beginning. The island is also filled with disturbing creatures, haunted houses, and other dark, macabre elements woven into its landscape.
Still, it’s not just a random collection of horror elements. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that there’s a countdown driving the latest wave of supernatural chaos, and before long, even Tom is forced to confront the bizarre and unsettling reality surrounding him.
As Widow’s Bay digs deeper into the strange, supernatural horrors at its core, we start to understand why the island is so unusual. The story reaches an ending that leaves room for more seasons—but even if it only gets one, the journey to this eerie, rocky place still feels worth it.
Widow’s Bay premieres its first two episodes on April 29 on Apple TV+. After that, new episodes will mostly release weekly, with episodes six and seven dropping together on May 27.