By Dan Skip Allen

Apple TV has had some pretty good shows in the past. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Ted Lasso, and The Morning Show are among some of the best they’ve created. They are all what I’d call guilty pleasures where you can’t wait to see the next episode and talk to your friends and co-workers about what happened in the recent episode. That’s the case as well with the latest mini-series from Katie Dippold called “Widows Bay”. It’s a bit of a Stephon King novel that meets comedy mystery. Two genres I didn’t see being combined together that work seamlessly. It helped that they cast Matthew Ryhs, who’s perfect in the role of small island mayor, who is caught over his head.

Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys) is the mayor of a small town of Widows Bay on an island forty miles off the coast of Massachusetts. He balances a lot in the town, including being a single father of a teenage son Evan (Kingston Rumi Southwick). He’s the man in charge despite there being a sheriff as well. His office is full of characters, but they all have a reason for being there and doing their jobs. As the mayor, he runs into some unusual people, and one of them is Wyck (Stephen Root), an island pessimist. He warns Rhys’ character that they are in a recurring dark time on the island that they need to worry about the time they are in, specifically the week and month. 

The island has a lot of bad history that isn’t very good and that history likes to crop itself up every so once in a while. The story of the island goes back hundreds of years to the colonial era of pilgrims and quakers. Some of these story points are depicted in flashbacks, and one episode, 6, in particular called “Our History.” This episode delves into the lore behind a lot of the horrible things that have happened on the island/town. Witches, psycho killers, and evil priests are among the evil menaces that have befallen the island/town in the past, including bad weather. Ti West, the man behind the X Trilogy, brought his unique talents to the table in this episode as the director. You can see why he particularly was chosen to direct this episode.

The supporting cast of the series plays a big part in how it unfolds. I’ve listed a couple of the main players, but this cast is extensive. Dale Dickey plays an office assistant to the mayor, Rosemary, and she tries to help the Rhys character figure out why the things that have happened on the island keep happening over and over on specific dates. She is a bit of a conspiracy enthusiast similar to Root’s character but not as over the top. An old secretary, Ruth (K Callan) is a funny character but she has a dark history she’s keeping from the rest of the people on the island. Patricia (Katie O’Flynn) is a woman who isn’t liked much. She has a bit of a checkered past where people don’t trust her. Her past creeps up on her in the night in episode 8 “Your Baggage” in the form of a Jason like serial killer with a mask as well. The supporting cast is very important in this show. You have to pay attention to them.

Matthew Rhys is an actor who came into prominence with the FX Original series “The American” as Philip Jennings co-starring opposite Keri Russell as two Russians spies masquerading as American citizens and reporting back to their Russian handlers. Ever since he’s starred as Perry Mason in the HBO series about the depression era PI and in the Netflix series “The Beast In Me” as Niles Jarvis in which he was nominated for a Golden Globe. He’s trying to get back to his Emmy Winning ways, though, in this show. His previous work has led him to this moment where seems to be having a lot of fun as this mayor who doesn’t necessarily believe in the island’s horrific lore, until he is thrust into it full boar. This show seems like something he was perfect for. I loved how he seemed like he was going crazy and then the moment where everything hits home for him, and he knows he’s in for a ride of a lifetime. With a twist thrown in for good measure. 

“Widows Bay” has a mix of “Jaws” as well as any Mike Flanagan directed series on Netflix. It has a lot of crazy elements thrown in to give viewers a wild time. Elements like moody fog and ominous music are mixed with other horror aspects to give the series a distinct feeling fans of the genre will love. Included are a handful of odd and / or quirky characters who add to the craziness the show is going for. A humorist perspective can be gleaned from the show as well. I felt like all the wild things were never going to stop. The audience is part of the wink wink of the story. Dippold puts us into the wackiness that is happening on screen with each subsequent episode. When the series is over, you don’t know for sure that it’s truly over with. That’s the sign of a terrific show. She succeeds in giving viewers something we will come back for.

4 ½ stars