Widow's Bay blends folk horror and cringe comedy, with a water-logged curse and Tom’s paranoia making it more dangerous than local legends. Here’s my review.
The episode kicks off with a rare moment of light for Tom. After his son, Evan, defaces a street sign, Tom encounters a stranded tourist named Marissa (Elizabeth Alderfer). Despite the growing supernatural rot on the island, Tom is immediately charmed. Alderfer is a standout guest star here, playing Marissa with a grounded warmth that makes her the perfect foil for Tom’s spiraling skepticism. He invites her to the town’s "Inaugural Swim," seemingly on the verge of a normal human connection—until the island intervenes.
The episode leans heavily into the island’s maritime lore with the introduction of the Sea Hag. According to the eccentric Wyck, this water-logged phantom "betroths" her victims with a scratch. The "romance" is a death sentence; the Hag’s touch contains a paralytic toxin that immobilizes the victim, allowing her to kill them by, in a truly bizarre and terrifying detail, sitting on their face until they suffocate.
In a brilliant mix of horror and comedy, Tom’s fear causes him to misinterpret every "weird" tourist behavior as a sign that Marissa is the Hag in disguise. The "Misdirection" arc culminates in Tom publicly shouting, "I know what you are!" at a bewildered Marissa. The tragedy? She was just a normal woman who actually liked him. Tom didn't save himself from a monster; he just successfully sabotaged his own love life.
The horror becomes literal during the Inaugural Swim when Tom is scratched and retreats home, only to fall into a state of total paralysis while stuck in his armchair. What follows is one of the series's most intense and surreal sequences: the Sea Hag arrives to claim her "groom." In a frantic, wordless struggle, Tom manages to kick his recliner’s lever, launching the creature across the room and buying himself enough time to crawl into the bathtub. Just as the Hag corners him for the kill, Wyck arrives with a harpoon, detonating the phantom into a spray of sea muck and salt water.
The episode concludes on a series of ominous cliffhangers that suggest the Sea Hag was only the beginning: Reverend Bryce leaves a frantic, guilt-ridden voicemail for Tom, claiming he "heard it" and begging for divine forgiveness. Sheriff Clemmons broadcasts a desperate call for backup over the radio, reporting a mass-casualty event or supernatural outbreak at a local cocktail party.
"The Inaugural Swim" beautifully showcases why Widow's Bay is such an exciting and fresh addition to TV, seamlessly blending genres. It manages to make a "face-sitting ghost" genuinely unnerving, while also tugging at your heart over a fallen-out date. Matthew Rhys’s physical comedy, from the bathtub crawl to the recliner fight, is truly impressive and shows his talent in physical acting. Rhys brilliantly portrays the vulnerability of someone who feels "trapped" by their own fears. Elizabeth Alderfer’s guest appearance adds a delightful touch of humor. Her relatable character makes Tom’s "Sea Hag" accusation both hilarious and painfully real, making it a standout moment of the season. Stephen Root’s storytelling about the island’s lore adds a touch of "prestige folk horror,' giving the episode an extra layer of depth that sets it apart from ordinary creature features.
Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.
What did you think of "The Inaugural Swim"? Leave a comment.
You can catch a new episode of Widow's Bay on Wednesdays on Apple TV.
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