We’re not leaving the island just yet, it seems. Apple TV+ has announced that hit new horror comedy Widow’s Bay, starring Matthew Rhys as a mayor trying to turn his haunted city into a tourist destination, has been renewed for a second season ahead of next week’s season finale.
“Season two is about how everything is great on the island and there’s nothing to worry about,” said creator, showrunner, and executive producer Katie Dippold (who’s definitely telling the truth). In addition to renewing the show for a second season, Apple also signed Dippold to a multi-year overall deal, meaning that we might be getting even more haunted goodness from her in the future. (Widow’s Bay extended universe, please?)
Hailed as “better than Martha’s Vineyard” by a certain critic, Widow’s Bay stars Rhys alongside Kate O’Flynn as his final girl-esque assistant Patricia, Stephen Root as town madman Wyck (who knows more than people think), Kingston Rumi Southwick, Kevin Carroll, K Callan, Jeff Hiller, and Dale Dickey. The series’ synopsis is as follows:
In “Widow’s Bay” something lurks beneath the surface. Mayor Tom Loftis is desperate to revive his struggling community. There’s no wifi, spotty cellular reception, and he must contend with superstitious locals who believe their island is cursed. He wants these people to respect him. They don’t. They think he is soft and cowardly. And he is. But Loftis is determined to build a better future for his teenage son and turn the island into a tourist destination. Miraculously, he succeeds: tourists are finally coming. Unfortunately, the locals were right. After decades of calm, the old stories that seemed too ludicrous to be true start happening again.
Widow’s Bay is executive produced by Rhys, Dippold, Carver Karaszewski, Claudia Shin, and Hiro Murai, who also directs five episodes of the season, alongside names like Sam Donovan and Ti West.
The series quickly catapulted to the top of Apple’s rankings alongside shows like Your Friends & Neighbors and Cape Fear, earning a whopping 97% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics, and 93% from audiences. Now those are approval ratings Tom Loftis would be proud of.
“From the moment audiences arrived in Widow’s Bay, they’ve been hooked on every eerie mystery, unexpected laughs, and cursed secret that Katie, Hiro, Matthew, and the entire team have created,” said Apple’s Matt Cherniss. “It’s become one of those shows everyone’s talking about, and we’re thrilled to see audiences continue to embrace it. We can’t wait to return for another season.”
The Season 1 finale of Widow’s Bay premieres on June 17.
