Apple TV's Widow’s Bay Blends Comedy and Horror on Cursed Island

Apple TV+ has launched Widow’s Bay, a new series that mixes comedy and horror around a fictional cursed island. The show stars Matthew Rhys as ambitious mayor Tom Loftis and Stephen Root as the eccentric local Wyck.

Loftis aims to draw tourists to the northeastern island town and turn it into the next Martha’s Vineyard. Residents, however, insist the land is cursed. Loftis brushes off the superstitions, but his stance hardens as he uncovers details from the island’s past.

Wyck believes the island is haunted and warns that Loftis endangers visitors by promoting the town, particularly the local motel. Forbes described the dynamic: "Tom is the classic straight man in comedy terms. He doesn’t believe the hocus pocus surrounding the island’s history. He’s irritated by the outrageous Wyck, who wants Tom to shut the town down to outsiders, sound the alarms, and batten down the hatches. The island is waking up, Wyck warns, but even when he sees evidence of the supernatural, Tom refuses to bend."

Katie Dippold serves as showrunner. She wrote for Parks and Recreation and penned the film The Heat. Her comedic touch shines through in the sharp writing and elevated dialogue.

The Guardian called it "Mare of Easttown meets Schitt’s Creek in this rich, wonderful, and laugh-out-loud series, in which a put-upon mayor tries to turn a cursed New England island into a tourist hotspot."

Rotten Tomatoes gives Widow’s Bay a 96 percent score. New episodes air every Wednesday on Apple TV+.