As the Bell Tolls, the Season Finale of ‘Widow’s Bay’ Left Us on Edge
Widow’s Bay‘s first season has come to an end. And with it comes questions for the future of the small island. The finale, titled “We Hope You Enjoyed Your Time!” has Mayor Tom (Matthew Rhys) coming to terms with what he has to do to protect Widow’s Bay. Or….the real truth of the small New England island.
The last episode started where the previous left off: With Tom contemplating killing 84 year old Ruth (K Callan). According to Rosemary’s (Dale Dickey) report, Ruth was the last of her bloodline. Meaning the ancestors of Richard Warren (Hamish Linklater) would be gone and the island would be free of the curse.
Only issue is that Tom didn’t think about secrets that Ruth might have and the skeleton in her closet leads straight to his own home. After he tries to mix Ruth’s medication to quietly kill her, Tom realizes that his own son, Evan (Kingston Rumi Southwick) is Ruth’s grandson. She reveals in her stupor that Lauren, Tom’s dead wife, is her daughter. And Tom’s best laid plans are all out the window when his son’s life is on the line.
But while Tom is learning of his own family, Dale (Jeff Hiller) is learning of something even more sinister waiting for Widow’s Bay when the storm finally passes.
The terrifying bell toll…
A lot happens all within a few minutes. Dale comes out of the room where a creepy video tells him to feed the monster of the island to keep it happy, Evan and his friends hear something sinister happen to Kenny the custodian, Bechir (Kevin Carroll) tries to shoot Ruth himself, everyone at the shelter is screaming and trying to run, and then the storm suddenly stops.
What made the storm stop is up in the air but something terrifying looms over the break between seasons for fans: The bell tolls. We learn through the lore of Widow’s Bay in this episode that how many times the bell tolls is how many souls the island needs. They must do it to honor the covenant.
“The bad times will not end until the covenant is honored, and honored fully. Life for life. The island will make its needs known. One soul for each bell toll,” the orientation video, that looks like the Dharma Initiative if it made base in New England, says.. “You will be tempted to comfort them. Do not. Their fear is necessary. They say it likes the taste.”
That’s what we know. And I counted the bell tolling six times as Tom and Evan look out on the clear skies of Widow’s Bay.
(featured image: Apple TV)
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