Good news for fans of spooky islands and wry humor. That’s all of us, of course. With a week to go before the finale of Apple TV’s horror-comedy or comedic horror series Widow’s Bay, the streaming service who makes all the phones announced the show will come back for a second season. That means we’ll likely get more hauntings, more sea monsters, more vague allusions to Lovecraftian elder gods, and (we hope) more petty municipal squabbles. It’s really a very good show, one of my current faves.
In the announcement, Apple TV promised a second season of the fan favorite series led by Emmy Award-winning star and executive producer Matthew Rhys, hailing from creator and executive producer Katie Dippold and Emmy Award-winning executive producer and director Hiro Murai. Additionally, Apple TV announced a new, multi-year overall deal with Dippold. This is really good news because I’d love to see what other kind of strange stories Dippold has for us.
“From the moment audiences arrived in Widow’s Bay, they’ve been hooked on every eerie mystery, unexpected laughs, and cursed secret that Katie, Hiro, Matthew, and the entire team have created,” said Matt Cherniss, head of programming, Apple TV. “It’s become one of those shows everyone’s talking about, and we’re thrilled to see audiences continue to embrace it. We can’t wait to return for another season.”
Widow’s Bay is about a very small New England island of the same name. Tom Loftis (Rhys), the Mayor of Widow’s Bay, desperately wants to bring tourism to the struggling community, but many of the locals, personified by surly fisherman Wyck (Stephen Root) warn him that the island is cursed and is waking up. Tons of very strange things then ensue including ghosts, time-tripping, hags from the sea, zombified puritans, and even a Michael Myers-ass slasher. At the same time, Loftis is trying to keep his teenage son (Kingston Rumi Southwick) safe because kids born on Widow’s Bay are lowkey not allowed to leave.
But apparently all of this will get cleared up in the season one finale. “Season two is about how everything is great on the island and there’s nothing to worry about,” said creator, showrunner and executive producer Katie Dippold. I have a feeling she’s kidding.
If you haven’t yet seen Widow’s Bay, which blends both genuine horror and genuine comedy, I urge you to catch up. The first season finale will air Wednesday, June 17 on Apple TV.
Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Letterboxd.