Each week Joe and Terry discuss an episode of Apple TV’s Widow’s Bay, alternating between our respective sites. This week, we’re wrapping up season one withe finale, episode 10.
Miss an episode? 1-2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6-7 / 8 / 9
Spoilers follow for Episode 10, “We Hope You Enjoyed Your Time”: Season finale. We understand that hard choices had to be made and we may never be the same, but we hope you’ll visit again!
TERRY
Wow…okay, I don’t know where to start, Joe. Clocking in a bit shy of 50 minutes, showrunner and episode writer Katie Dippold filled this finale to the brim. Some of it worked for me, some of it didn’t. In a way, “We Hope You Enjoyed Your Time” feels like a microcosm of how I feel about Widow’s Bay in general. Alfred Hitchcock once compared surprise with suspense by famously using an analogy about a bomb exploding (surprise) vs the audience knowing there’s a bomb under the table (suspense). Well, that analogy must have struck a chord with Dippold, because this finale is full of ticking clocks and exploding surprises.
In an episode with a literal ticking clock, Dippold somehow makes the on-the-nose reference the least concerning time bomb ready to explode.
Up first: we have Tom (Matthew Rhys) looking up information on Ruth (K Callan), in hopes of discovering something life-threatening about her. He whispers “cancer, cancer” at one point, probably trying to will the malady to life. But not only is she sickness-free, but Tom will soon discover that she is spry and in a lot of ways still at the prime of her life.
She belongs in a story circle, writing stories with fellow islanders. She takes care of her neighbor Diedre, helping her up and down her steps every day. Her calendar is chock full. To further cement that this is a healthy lady, by the time Tom shows up with murderous intent, Ruth just finished two miles on her treadmill and, insult to injury, jogs up her stairs a lot quicker than I, a middle-aged man, would.
So here’s the first ticking clock. It’s literal. Ruth makes tea for Tom and herself, which takes 27 minutes to steep. The timer plus Tom’s discovery of a doctor’s note reminding Ruth to not mix Oxycodone with recently prescribed Diazepam, clues the audience in that her time is presumably short lived.
Back at the shelter, Patricia (Kate O’Flynn), Dale (Jeff Hiller) and Wyck (Stephen Root) attempt to calm the unruly crowd of 137 souls hiding from the storm. This is another ticking clock, as struggles with moldy MREs, cans of bad-tasting water and angry islanders expecting Martha’s Vineyard but getting apocalyptic storms threaten to cause a riot.
Meanwhile, Bechir (Kevin Carroll) is still worried that his wife Chelle (Sipiwe Moyo) will give birth on the island, damning their child to a life of never seeing the mainland. Dr. Morgan (Christian Clemenson) helpfully informs him that the child will be born tonight. And finally, Evan (Kingston Rumi Southwick) and his two friends discover a ladder leading further down into the ground. We know from the season’s teasing that the bunker and electric chair await them.
So many ticking clocks, Joe.
But those clocks are punctuated by some surprising exploding bombs, such as the reveal that not only is Ruth not the final descendant, but that she had an affair that not only produced a secret child…but that child is…bum bum BUM…Lauren. Which makes the annoyingly misused Evan the last descendant. That revelation honestly shocked me, Joe.
And that’s before Bechir shows up to shoot Ruth.
As much as I loved the feeling of being shocked by the sudden explosion of violence, I have to admit that Bechir finally getting involved with Widow’s Bay’s mythology felt forced. Maybe if more time were devoted to him and his wife as characters, it would have rung true. Instead, his role exists only to shock us, both with the revelation of his wife’s pregnancy but also with him shooting Ruth. We know next to nothing about Bechir, as he only shows up on the periphery doing typical sheriff things across the island. So while this creates a rather surprising climax, it didn’t feel earned.
But I am incredibly curious to hear your thoughts, Joe. Did the revelations and violence surprise you? Am I being too harsh on how Bechir has been used so far? You didn’t care for the humor in “Emergency Shelter”, but did the comedic flourishes work for you here? What do you make of Dale’s revelation involving the film reels? And can we pour one out for poor Kenneth the Custodian (Michael Malvesti) who unceremoniously and unknowingly becomes the town’s sacrifice?
JOE
I’m inclined to agree with you, Terry. I liked the inevitability of things going to shit, even if sometimes the execution or the pay-off didn’t entirely work for me. Like, sure I chuckled when Dale bursts out of the archive room to declare “This place is a death trap. Ruuuun” the moment that Patricia managed to calm the crowd. But I also groaned because it’s exactly what I knew would happen because the show frequently goes for this kind of low hanging comedy.
While I’ll confess I didn’t anticipate that there would be another heir in the mix (that was my favourite subversion for this finale), as soon as Ruth admitted she had an affair, I knew that Evan would be involved. That made me roll my eyes more than Bechir’s sudden act of violence, which I agree felt sudden and unearned; naturally the show would hinge its entire future moving forward on arguably its most annoying/frustrating characters. Ugh, of course it had to be Evan!
I messaged you mid-way through the finale that this whole episode feels like a one-off episode of Silo, in part because it concerns a group of people being lied to by its leadership in an underground dwelling. I liked the rising hysteria, the feeling that things could spiral out of control at any moment, and even amusing beats like Rosemarie beating Kurt (Neil Casey) with her clipboard when he tries to lunge at the food/water supplies.
But, in truth, the episode’s most successful moments for me were all the quiet, intimate bits involving Ruth and Tom. Callan hasn’t been given a ton to do before the episode, but their discussion about the trolley problem (wherein she explains that pulling the lever to kill one to spare many is a murderous choice) was powerful and engrossing. You can feel Tom’s dilemma and his shifting discomfort, so all of these moments really worked for me, to the point that it made me realize Widow’s Bay would be a stronger show if it allowed its incredible performers to do more <acting> instead of forcing them into big supernatural moments.
But it’s always been in a rush to get to the watercooler moments, so naturally we have to have Bechir shoot someone or Kenneth killed offscreen in the scary dungeon room. Because…sure.
It’s not bad per se, but it’s all just kinda fine.
Looking ahead Terry, we have confirmation that this is definitely not a limited series. Sure Kenneth has satiated the island’s hunger for a tasty fearful “offering” but Dale definitely hears that there needs to be one for each of the bell tolls and Tom and Evan hear eight before the credits roll.
How do you feel about this tease? Is there enough lore/mystery left to power a second season and does that excite? And how long can Tom and Bechir keep this quiet from Chelle and Evan, respectively? And what would you grade S01?
TERRY
Since we’ve started writing these recaps, it’s become official that there will be a second season. It’s always difficult to know how well an Apple TV show is doing because it seems like no one online is really talking about them…and yet, later, articles start rolling out that Widow’s Bay is a “breakout hit.” I’ve seen more discussion surrounding Widow’s Bay than previous Apple TV shows, so I’m glad that it seems to be hitting its stride.
As for that tease…it’s not exactly titillating for me. Right now, it just means more deaths are coming to Widow’s Bay, though I guess the part that might be interesting is how the characters will deal with it. That’s the kind of moral dilemma that can create a chaotic second season, no doubt.
But then you hit me with a downer of a question about how long Tom can keep this information quiet from Evan and all I kept thinking about was ways in which Tom will avoid having a conversation with his son. And if there’s one thing I’ve really disliked about the show so far, it’s Evan.
Even with some of the issues we’ve discussed with the series, as a whole I really enjoyed our time in Widow’s Bay so far. I think it has a nice balance of horror and humor. I (mostly) didn’t even mind the creature of the week structure it sometimes leans into…though I hope for Season 2, they have more of these episodes focus on characters other than Tom. Those episodes are the best…though maybe that’s because I love Patricia so much.
At any rate, I think the first season is a solid B. I think the writers started finding their stride later in the season, so I hope they keep that momentum burning in the second season.
But what about you, Joe? You asked me about the lore/mystery and I honestly don’t have a good answer for that…do you think there’s enough to sustain for more seasons? And what did you think of the season overall?
JOE
It is interesting, right, because they’ve now (allegedly) given us the entire backstory of the island, so I’ll be curious to see what’s left for a second season.
I’m fully in agreement with you about giving the spotlight to other characters, though. I will never stop loving Matthew Rhys, but I have definitely struggled with his character (and specifically his relationship to Evan – blech), whereas the secondary/supporting characters have really popped for me.
As you suggested, the online fandom has definitely sprung up and from what I’ve gathered, the two Patricia-centric episodes have also been fan favourites, so I’m hoping the writers take notice and give O’Flynn and Root and Dickey more to do next season. Hell, I’d even take a Sheriff Bechir episode – even if his storyline with his wife is too similar to Tom and Evan’s for my liking.
So yeah, I’m on board with S02, but hopefully there won’t be too much repetition. I’m still a bit softer on S01 than you, but other than The Vampire Lestat and FROM, this is easily the best horror series on TV.
S01 score: B-
Widow’s Bay has finished airing S01 on Apple TV. It has already been renewed for S02
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