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The Cast and Creatives Behind ‘Widow’s Bay’ Discuss The Fine Line of Horror and Comedy [EXCLUSIVE]

By Rachel Tolleson Jun 16th, 2026, 2:15 pm
three men standing in a hall

Widow’s Bay was the sleeper hit of the season, quietly premiering on Apple TV+ back in April before gradually picking up speed. Now, with its season finale premiering tomorrow, and a confirmed season two on the horizon, Widow’s Bay is receiving the widespread praise it was destined to. Not many shows can blend horror and comedy like this one does, and that is largely thanks to creator Katie Dippold, who wrote for the single-camera comedy Parks and Recreation.

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Back in April, Rachel Leishman spoke with Dippold, along with stars Matthew Rhys, Stephen Root, and Kate O’Flynn. Speaking first with Dippold, she asked what it was like blending her comedic past with the horror beats of the show.

Dippold said, “It’s very fun, but to be honest, it’s also very challenging because there are so many jokes and moments in the writer’s room that came up that would make me laugh so hard, but then we couldn’t use it because you have to be very careful to not undercut the stakes in the tension in the story. And with this, I really, really wanted it to to feel real. As a horror fan, I want to know that it’s being taken seriously, or I wouldn’t watch it if it just felt like it was going to be a parody … And so, as the season grows, the juxtaposition between the tension and comedy gets even stronger, and the goal is for that those two tones to feed off each other and not undercut the other.”

The cast has nothing but praise for the tone and the writing of the show

When speaking with Rhys, Root, and O’Flynn, Leishman asked what was the most exciting part about this genre as a whole and what it was like getting work on a show like Widow’s Bay.

Root was quick to praise Dippold, saying, “That’s Katie Dippold’s, with her fantastic scripts.”

Rhys added, “She created such a real world and real characters and the comedy and the horror to an extent came from those character character-driven situations. So, there was never this kind of onus on delivering comedy or horror, that if the whole thing was done with with truth, then you know, it would all unfold as it should.” Root agreed, confirming that the comedy was never written in and stemmed from those character-driven situations.

What is Widow’s Bay?

A small New England town isn’t what it seems. Mayor Tom Loftis (Rhys) is originally from the mainland and is skeptical of the town’s seemingly archaic beliefs. Patricia Moyer (O’Flynn) is Tom’s eager assistant who skirts on the fringes of society. Wyck Crawford (Root) is an outspoken believer of the town’s supernatural history.

When strange things begin happening in Widow’s Bay, Wyck desperately tries to get Tom to listen when he says that the town is cursed. What unfolds is a story directly from horrific legend, with plenty of comedy woven in.

The season finale of Widow’s Bay airs tonight, June 16, on Apple TV+.

(Featured image: Apple TV+)

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Rachel Tolleson - Freelancer

Rachel (she/her) is a freelancer at The Mary Sue. She has been freelancing since 2013 in various forms, but has been an entertainment freelancer since 2016. When not writing her thoughts on film and television, she can also be found writing screenplays, fiction, and poetry. She currently lives in Brooklyn with her cats Carla and Thorin Oakenshield but is a Midwesterner at heart. She is also a tried and true emo kid and the epitome of "it was never a phase, Mom," but with a dual affinity for dad rock. She also co-hosts the Hazbin Hotel Pod, which can be found on TikTok and YouTube.