Rachel Reviews: Widow's Bay (2026)

I'd been desperate for something to watch which would entertain but also stimulate me. I'm fed up of having the brutality of man constantly thrust in my face in all its gory or sweary nastiness, both in fiction and reality, but was struggling to find something else. And then, I stumbled across an article about Matthew Rhys which mentioned "Widow's Bay". In it, it cited how he may have brought to his performance, in this new Apple TV series, his knowledge of people in the small town where he grew up, the Pembrokeshire town of Fishguard in west Wales.

For those of you that don't know, Pembrokeshire is my home county and on reading this, I was immediately drawn in. I have to say that I wasn't sure about it and whether I'd like it, horror not really being my thing, but in solidarity to a fellow countryman and because I know that Rhys is a good actor, I thought I'd give it a go.

I've binged it. I know I shouldn't have and I should have paced myself but I couldn't help it. I finished watching it this morning and I feel a bit sad that's it's ended, which is a good sign! It is! It shows it was worthy of my time. What's more, I can see another series on the horizon as the final episode was a cliffhanger; there's definitely scope for more as the problem that Tom is faced with in this final episode is going to have to be confronted so I will eagerly await its return.

But enough of these circumspect ramblings about its ending. What is it about? And who is Tom?

The premise

Well, it's about a strange island called Widow's Bay, its name a suggestion of its true nature. By all accounts, it should be an ideal holiday destination in the same league as its neighbours Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket Island but there's something uninviting about it which is revealed by degrees throughout the series.

Tom Loftis, played by Rhys, is the mayor who is trying to debunk all the theories about the island, one being the mysterious offshore "mist" which seems to consume or seize those who stray into it, altering them forever - but he's up against it. The series starts with someone disappearing into the mist and this sets the tone for the darker elements of the programme. Tom's biggest opponent is Wyck who is desperate for Tom to conclude his promotion of the island as a tourist destination for good reason - because it's cursed.

Tom is the skeptic who thinks that he is surrounded by highly strung madmen but as time goes on and more and more happenings occur, he finds he is unable to discount what is happening around him as superstition or the product of over-active imagination nor is it the product of years of isolation from the outside world. You see, Tom becomes the focus of some of the spookier goings-on himself.

Why is it so good?

There's lots of reasons to watch it:

• It feels old-fashioned. The island is stuck somewhere in the 1960s/1970s in terms of its decor. It needs investment and because money doesn't come from outside, it remains stuck. The aesthetic appealed to me. I'm nostalgic for veneer and panelled walls, antimacassars and lurid lino floors. Who wouldn't be? Don't say you're not tempted...

• It's got great stories in each episode. Although the main driver is to find out why the island is cursed so that the curse can be lifted, there is something strange going on in each episode which compounds the island's otherness and also reveals more and more about the characters who surround Tom.

• It's funny. It really is, and this can be at the same time as something really scary is happening. I don't want to include spoilers to explain myself so I won't but there is one episode with a sea hag (now you want to know what that is!) which really made my skin crawl but also made me laugh (it's the scene with the recliner - you'll know when you watch it! So funny!). I loved this about this - the juxtaposition of really quite terrifying situations with humour within those is very difficult to achieve but "Widow's Bay" does it with ease. This is achieved through great lines of dialogue throughout, delivered with expert timing and expression.

• It's got great characters. Rhys is brilliant as Tom, the frustrated mayor and Wyck, played by Stephen Root, is great as the fisherman who believes he has a duty to keep people away, to save them from danger. Patricia , Kate O'Flynn, is Tom's assistant at the town hall and would be a little weird, regardless of where she lives but in a harmless way. She has her own mobile library which I adore and is well-meaning but not popular. She also has one of the funniest scenes in the series with Rosemary, actress Dale Dickey, the dour receptionist, who, like Wyck, knows what the island is but unlike Wyck, is less resistant.

I could go on and tell you more and more, but what I really want is for you to go and watch it yourself.

Before I leave you to find out this TV gem for yourself, I will just mention that Tom has a son, Evan who he desperately wants to provide with opportunities but his predicament with island curses and all that makes it tricky. And that the name Richard Warren is significant in the history of the island. He's like a Widow's Bay pilgrim father.

There you have it. A taster and appreciation of "Widow's Bay" in a nutshell.

Now, off you go.

Rachel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars