Picture “White Lotus” with a horror backdrop, tangled in a mystery. That’s the best way to describe Apple TV’s new series, “Widow’s Bay.”
Though Rotten Tomatoes is hardly the final arbiter of quality streaming, the show’s 96% score is justified. The characters are eccentric, devious and mysterious. Together, it all works.
Starring Matthew Rhys and Stephen Root, the series centers on an ambitious mayor, Tom Loftis (Rhys), who tries to capitalize on a surge of tourists visiting the fictional island. His goal is to turn it into the next Martha’s Vineyard.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
There’s one problem. Residents of the northeastern town insist the land is cursed.
Still, the mayor refuses to bow to superstition. But, without getting into spoilers, that becomes harder the deeper he digs into the island’s past.
No character is more convinced of “Widow’s Bay’s” haunted nature than Wyck (Root). In Wyck’s view, Loftis is putting every tourist in grave danger by inviting them to vacation in the town, especially at the local motel.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK ANALYSIS
Forbes captured the dynamic well:
“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.”
The show is funny and supernatural, with a premise that feels like something Stephen King might have dreamed up before he suffered from a severe case of Trump derangement syndrome (TDS). (King used to be really, really good.)
For background, Katie Dippold serves as showrunner. She previously wrote for “Parks and Recreation” and penned the film “The Heat.” That sharp comedic sensibility is evident throughout the series.
This strong blend of comedy and horror avoids the low-quality, gag-driven humor of something like the “Scary Movie” franchise. Instead, “Widow’s Bay” delivers sharp writing and elevated dialogue. (No knock on “Scary Movie.”)
“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,” is how The Guardian described the series.
That’s accurate.
We understand that there’s no shortage of streaming options, so recommendations shouldn’t come lightly. That said, “Widow’s Bay” is worth your time. It’s elite and, so far, the best show of 2026.
New episodes air every Wednesday on Apple TV.
