4 hours ago
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In the last few weeks, you may have been seeing a lot of buzz around a show called Widow’s Bay. I am here to provide more buzz, like a loyal bee foot soldier to the queen (television).
In this dire existing-IP-driven remake-riddled landscape, an offering this fresh is the best thing in the world. The tone of the show is what has grabbed me the most, striking the exact right balance (in my correct opinion) between scary mystery vibes, and hilarious comedy. At no point does it sacrifice comedy for the more serious parts, and I really appreciate that. For example, in the penultimate, thrilling, everything’s-about-to-happen episode, they slow down for an eight-minute scene involving a side character named Rosemary, which moves the plot forward slightly but is mainly there to shine a light on the incredible comedy chops of actor Dale Dickey.
This attention to humour makes perfect sense; I knew of show creator Katie Dippold (famously of the Babadook post) many moons ago, when she was active and very funny on Twitter, and it doesn’t surprise me that she never allowed the show’s comedic through-line to waver or weaken. I appreciate this especially because it has helped hook my girlfriend (not an avid TV watcher), and it has become one of “our shows”. It has also emphasised how differently we watch TV.
To me, one of the fun things about a show like Widow’s Bay is trying to figure out what’s going to happen next. I have always loved mysteries, from Encyclopedia Brown as a child, to a concerning amount of crime fiction and procedurals as an adult. I consider myself observant, I love thinking about TV and movies and how they are made, and I dedicate a fair bit of brain space to all of that while I watch. While I’m doing all that, my girlfriend is sitting by my side, not giving one single thought to what might be coming next. After we watch Widow’s Bay each week, I want to discuss all the clues in the episode, tell each other our theories, and she just shrugs and grimaces. It’s not that she can’t theorise, it’s that she doesn’t want to. She doesn’t want to know what happens, she wants to be taken on the journey created for her. She hates spoilers, so why would she try to guess the spoiler?
Luckily for both of us, we live in a society. There are many other people who do love to theorise. After each episode of Widow’s Bay, I let her off the hook and tune into The Prestige TV Podcast where they go through each episode, teasing out their own and listeners’ suspicions of what is to come. You can delve as deep into this sort of thing as you want. There are Facebook groups and Reddit threads and Discords where every single word from the show, every shot and interview and scene is dissected to smithereens. That is a bridge too far for me, but I respect it – although I feel for the people trying to make a mystery in this modern era.
The mystery is a big part of the DNA of Widow’s Bay. It is a show with ongoing puzzles and intrigue, and clues placed carefully in the background. I’m sure the show’s creators want you to be discussing what you think – but enabling that without giving the game away is not an easy job in this day and age. Every single detail is noticed, every frame frozen. If you make a season of mystery television, people will be vocally disappointed however you do it. Something that Widow’s Bay has done wonderfully is to make the show not entirely reliant on that aspect. Yes, the mystery is the main narrative device, but it’s not what I personally care about. I tune in for the people, and the jokes. The comedy is so strong, the characters (especially Patricia) are incredibly drawn, that I could spend whole episodes just watching them in an office comedy.
You can watch this show, like me, and theorise a little bit, enjoy the mystery, but mostly be there for your new friends. Or you can theorise a lot, spend the week between episodes dissecting everything with strangers on Reddit. Or you can watch it like my girlfriend, with your mental blinders on, staying completely in the present moment and glaring at anyone who tries to distract you from it. It has something for everyone.
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Rebecca Shaw is a writer based in Sydney
