Widow’s Bay is a mystery comedy worthy of all the buzz – no matter how you watch television
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jun/19/widows-bay-tv-show-review-opinion-mystery-comedy-worthy-of-buzz
46 points · 30 comments · view on lemmy.world
30 Comments
kepix@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 56d
i watch it with my eyes.
usernamefactory@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 56d
This one’s better if you use your third eye.
nocturne@slrpnk.net · 2 pts · 56d
Don't look in the mirror.
nocturne@slrpnk.net · 6 pts · 56d
I watched to Our History, then realized my wife would really like the show. So I started it over with her. It is a really good show with great actors and terrific characters.
harsh3466@lemmy.ml · 6 pts · 56d
My wife and I love this show!
usernamefactory@lemmy.ca · 6 pts · 56d
Took a few episodes for this one to grab me. I felt like the comedy really undercut the horror, and wasn’t funny enough to justify that. But around the third or fourth episode they seemed to get the balance right. Either that, or I got to caring about the characters enough that it mattered less. Either way, I was won over by the midpoint, so definitely recommend.
eluminx@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 0 pts · 56d
I'm on episode 2 and i found it to be sort of boring so far and not very interesting but I am on a horror kick and coming from watching From. I was hoping it would be scarier by now but after reading our comment I am looking forward to the next few episodes.
greenbit@lemmy.zip · 4 pts · 56d
Episodes 2 & 3 got me in. It's more like comedy reactions to horror situations. Makes sense Hiro Murai directed a lot Atlanta
acosmichippo@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 56d
yup the first couple episodes are very slow.
usernamefactory@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 56d
Part of it is definitely that I found Patricia much more interesting than Loftis, and she didn’t get much focus until episode 4. I wouldn’t say it ever gets as scary as you get from, say, a Mike Flanagan series. The humour is always a component, but it detracts a lot less from the horror atmosphere as things progress.
Marthirial@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 56d
How can I download it as illegally as possible so I don't give a cent to foul Apple?
watson387@sopuli.xyz · 4 pts · 56d
Great show. Maybe my favorite of the year.
BowtiesAreCool@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 56d
Same
acosmichippo@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 56d
I really like this show but it is not a mystery comedy. It's light horror with some comedic relief. Seems like they're trying to push the comedy narrative for awards season classification.
charokol@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 56d
Unlike a show like The Bear, which they classify as a comedy for awards show purposes (everyone on that show is super serious, except for a couple characters who get into hijinx in the kitchen every now and then), I would say that comedy is an intrinsic part of Widow’s Bay’s DNA.
unemployedclaquer@sopuli.xyz · 2 pts · 56d
I haven't made it out of the fourth episode. It isn't terrible. not entirely unfunny or dreary. Also not very compelling. Oooh spooky unexplained phenomena. The mayor is a drip, etc. I'll watch more because it's saved on my tablet already.
The Bear, takes itself too seriously, but is cool and squeezes humor into fraught drama, and in that, mimics life in a restaurant kitchen, it's compelling because it's manic and the characters feel like outsized but accurate versions of reality
acosmichippo@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 56d
idunno, i just don't see it that way at all. there are some funny parts here and there, like many other horror shows/movies. For example I wouldn't call IT chapters 1 or 2 "comedy" even though they had some funny parts.
BowtiesAreCool@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 56d
Nah this show is funny as hell.
ChicoSuave@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 56d
I'm intrigued about the show but this article seemed to use the show as a foil to complain about the world moving on without the author's consent. Poor article.
AceSLive@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 56d
I've been really enjoying "What we do in the shadows" - will this show scratch a similar itch? Or what else should I watch?
usernamefactory@lemmy.ca · 4 pts · 56d
WWDITS is much more of a laugh out load sitcom. It’s like a modern The Addams Family or The Munsters - horror themed, but too much of a lampoon to retain any actual scares.
Widow’s Bay I’d call a proper horror-comedy. There’s comedy coming from the character’s reactions, but the horror they’re reacting to is mostly played straight. The characters and the audience are both meant to be at least a little scared by it. I recommend checking it out, but it’s a very different feel.
I’d recommend watching other shows by the WWDITS team, first, if you haven’t. Wellington Paranormal, Our Flag Means Death, and Fight of the Concords. Only the first one is particularly spook flavoured, but they’re all solid comedies.
nocturne@slrpnk.net · 3 pts · 56d
HBO cancelling Our Flag Means Death should be counted as a crime against humanity.
AceSLive@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 55d
Mate, I really appreciate the response and ideas - thank you
TrickDacy@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 56d
I rarely like anything with "horror" as a part of the description. I usually find them poorly executed, boring, gross, or a combination of the three. There are some exceptions though. Maybe if I keep hearing about this one I'll try to put my biases aside.
Ilandar@lemmy.today · 2 pts · 56d
It's a comedy show, not a horror show. It has horror elements and almost gets scary on a few occasions but it's mostly just funny. You might actually enjoy its various send-ups of horror cliches, as someone who dislikes the genre.
TrickDacy@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 56d
Thanks, I appreciate this!
BowtiesAreCool@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 56d
I would say only a small part is horror. First batch of episodes is like 60% comedy 40% thriller with a handful of horror moments. And then there’s a bit more thriller/tension stuff but still funny. It definitely uses established old school horror tropes for jokes or for a good creep.
LordCrom@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 56d
Decent show.... Worth the watch.
Had some H P Lovecraft vibes.
Although the comedy was really out of place at times. Especially the 'fuck you, no fuck you, no fuck you' part on the boat.
BowtiesAreCool@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 56d
It’s definitely dark comedy but I for one love the blend of genuine creeps with laugh out loud moments
Ilandar@lemmy.today · 2 pts · 56d
I think that's the point, it's supposed to feel uncomfortable and awkward.
usernamefactory@lemmy.ca · -1 pts · 56d