There are plenty of great shows to choose from nowadays, from Apple TV’s Pluribus, or FX’s Furious. But if you’re feeling like going a comedy route, especially with the spooky components as befits the Fall season, the right choice is Widow’s Bay, an Apple TV Original created by Katie Dippold. Each episode has something new and mysterious suddenly appearing on the horizon, threatening the residents of the titular sea town. Not only that, but the series also contains an excellent cast ensemble, both leading and supporting. And if we had to choose a favorite, it would be Kate O’Flynn’s quirky Patricia Moyer.
For those who aren’t familiar, Widow’s Bay is a horror comedy following Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys), the mayor of the titular New England island. As the series unfurls, we discover that this place suffers from an ancient curse, all while the ambitious Tom attempts to paint Widow’s Bay as the picturesque and dreamy destination for tourism. Each episode, Rhys’ character faces a bevy of supernatural things, from a mysterious fog to a sea hag. And thankfully, he doesn’t have to deal with this alone. Tom can lean on the support of his loyal assistant Patricia.
O’Flynn’s character isn’t only a right hand to Tom. We discover that while she’s devoted to her job, she’s a social outcast due to something that happened years prior. It’s an interesting storyline that touches on mean girl antics and starts to unravel midway through the series and culminates in episode eight.
But, before we get into that, there’s the viral memes that her sunset cocktail party inspired across social media. She’s hopeful but also worried that people will not show up, but she throws the party anyway and it seems like a success… until things get weird. What she thinks she sees is a great party, and she dances to “The Rhythm of the Night” by Corona (which is now a legendary scene to see that undoubtedly had a part in landing O’Flynn a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series), but it’s actually a bloody affair.
In reality, the soirée consists of an iconic attire including a crown of sticks and antlers, which Patricia perceives as a cute, sparkly tiara. The décor includes creepy, Blair Witch Project-style stick bundles, which Patricia sees as flower arrangements, and the toast that she prepares is actually an incantation that possesses the participants. Thankfully, Patricia is quick on her feet and saves them from sacrificial drowning by throwing the cursed book into the fire. That proves that she’ll do anything to fix even her own mistakes if it means helping people.
Throughout the season, the question of whether Patricia was really attacked by the serial killer named the Boogeyman that terrorized Widow’s Bay when she was a teenager and killed some of her fellow high school friends makes you wonder what’s going on with her. She’s constantly scrutinized by a group of former classmates. One can even go as far as saying she’s bullied. She’s not included in the group’s activities, and they constantly talk about behind her back. Even still, she yearns for acceptance and friendship.
Perhaps her most shining moment comes when the aforementioned killer suddenly returns, and she delivers a fan-favorite line as commotion happens and she tasers Kris, saying: “I’m sorry, she’s the worst… She’s the f**king worst!” (We cannot not agree. Kris was pretty bad!)
Patricia gets her “final girl” moment when she fights back against the perpetrator, a sequence that’s meant to celebrate slashers and point out all the ways that killers like Michael Myers come back to life. It’s evident Patricia saw all those films because she does something all of us horror fans would do. She literally and physically makes sure the killer is taken to the crematorium, examined by the mortician, and successfully incinerated. In the end, she’s holding a shotgun at his (seemingly?) lifeless body until she makes sure there is only ash left in the incinerator. Patricia will make sure no perpetrator slips through because she’s ambitious, stubborn, and fierce.
Kate O’Flynn delivers the hell out of this role, from deadpan one-liners like “You had your qualms?!” and “Are you mad at something I said?” written on her notepad. No wonder audiences everywhere are obsessed with her character and O’Flynn herself globally. If it’s not her running with a shotgun, dressed in a printed tee, shorts and old rain boots, it’s her letting go and dancing in her “Patricia” fashion, letting the music take over. And you know what? There’s never enough Patricia. In fact, give us more in season two!