Widow’s Bay is perhaps the biggest runaway hit TV series of 2026. Apple TV’s 10-episode supernatural dramedy brought lots of chuckles and chills to audiences as they dove into the mysteries behind a cursed and bloodthirsty island. Widow’s Bay is packed full of memorable characters, from Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys) to the cranky local doomsayer Wyck (Steven Root), who is initially a pain in Tom’s behind. Speaking of the latter, Widow’s Bay showrunner and creator Kate Dippold revealed at SDCC that the original script did not have Wyck in it.
I know, I know. It is incredibly hard to imagine the island without Wyck, who eventually forms a team with Tom and his eccentric assistant Patricia (Kate O’Flynn) to uncover what’s really happening with Widow’s Bay. From his chaotic outbursts to his sharp senses on what’s unfolding around them, Wyck is a key player in this story. Dippold spoke about what the first script for Widow’s Bay looked like, reminding attendees that it was initially a Parks and Rec spec.
“So the first version was a spec for Parks and Rec, but it started off that everyone knew it was a haunted town. There was no Wyck in that version,” Dippold said before joking that every copy of that version should be joined. Honestly, everyone knowing what’s up is a lot less fun. A lot of what makes isolated places and small towns scary is the rumors, stories, and differing opinions about them. The friction between initial non-believer Tom and Wyck’s interference made their eventual team up all the better.
As fans know, season one ends with more bell tolls requesting more souls. Wyck and Patricia don’t know the plot twist about Richard Warren’s last descendant, but we get the feeling that they are going to dig until they find out in Widow’s Bay season 2. No matter what happens, the W in Widow’s Bay stands for Wyck, and we can’t wait to see him again.