Widow’s Bay 1×6 and 1×7 Review: “Our History” and “Seasickness”

Widow’s Bay season 1 episode 6, titled ‘Our History’, and episode 7, titled ‘Seasickness’, did a lot to explain the backstory of the haunted island and what might be happening in the present.

Before I begin my review of episodes 6 and 7, I would like to answer folks who might be searching for my review of episode 5. Well, I did watch the fifth episode, and I did enjoy doing so. However, I felt that not a lot happened in it to warrant my sitting down and sharing my thoughts. That particular episode, titled ‘What to Expect on Your Trip’, felt more like a primer to what occurred in episodes 6 and 7, with the introduction of the mysterious mushrooms growing on the island and the cylindrical pendant worn by Widow’s Bay founder Richard Warren. And yes, there was a huge reveal about Tom’s wife, but I can talk about that in this two-episode review.

‘Our History’, true to the episode’s title, took us all the way back to 1702. We followed Sarah Westcott arriving on Widow’s Bay to marry Richard Warren. Considering the era and the type of character Sarah was, she was quite ready to “serve” as a good wife to Richard (who already had a bunch of children from his deceased first wife). And while Sarah’s excitement and luck (she wasn’t a young “perfect-marriage-age” woman) regarding such a husband-to-be and her “duties” were understandable, I liked how the episode showed that Sarah was quite observant. Sarah was quick to notice that something was off about the island and Richard.

Sarah’s journey to realizing she was trapped in a very dangerous situation was an enjoyable one to witness. I also liked how the writers didn’t drag out Richard’s brutal nature. Thinking he was hearing the voice of a higher being, Richard wasn’t above killing people to “protect” the island’s inhabitants. Sarah soon found herself needing to team up with the villagers to put an end to Richard’s reign of terror. I mean, back in the day, while women were easily targeted as witches, certain types of men could also be accused of being demon worshippers, and Richard did fit the bill.

Kudos to the writers for still managing to find effective moments to inject comedy while Sarah tried to support the fight against Richard and escape the island. One of the laugh-out-loud moments for me was when Sarah ran to tell the pastor about Richard being immortal and found herself rushing into a group meeting.

Episode 6 concluded with Richard being buried alive and Sarah leaving the island on a boat with Richard’s children. In the present, Wyck decided to dig up Richard’s grave, hoping that Richard’s pendant would house a clue or two about the island’s curse.

As for episode 7, I have to say that the reveal about Richard STILL being alive took me by surprise. Wyck, Tom, and Patricia were a bit too cool when it came to talking to (essentially) an immortal man. But I’m willing to overlook their reaction because it was obvious the narrative wanted to deliver comedy instead of how actual humans would respond to finding such a person inside a coffin.

With Tom having a conversation with Richard, we got some information about the island’s curse. It wasn’t a definitive answer to what might be happening, but from what I could understand, the island was somehow alive. Apparantly, the personification of Widow’s Bay appeared to Richard after he ate the mysterious mushrooms while starving. Wanting to save his community, Richard accepted the entity’s contract. Again, from what I could understand, the island demanded sacrifices to ensure the safety of the islanders.

Richard’s development from a man who believed in the entity to one who now wanted to end the curse made sense. Being stuck alone in a coffin would do that to a person. Having lost his children to time, Richard wanted to finally travel to the afterlife. His plan involved leaving the island and dying. Apparantly, ending his bloodline would be the only way to cancel the contract with the entity.

It was an understandable plan, even if the outcome wasn’t guaranteed. So, I don’t blame Tom for wanting to help Richard. Of course, Wyck got dragged into it because he was a fisherman. Being out at sea gave Wyck a moment to share an experience from his teenage years. A teen Wyck couldn’t save his drowning friend when the island decided to punish the teens for leaving.

That particular scene was acted out well. However, when it comes to live-action media, I do prefer ‘Show-Don’t-Tell’, and so yeah, just hearing Wyck recall his experience (involving a possible kraken tentacle) to Tom didn’t hold the emotional weight that would have benefitted such a moment between Wyck and Tom.

With it being time for Richard to finally free himself of the curse of immortality, Richard having second thoughts was a very human characterization. And while Tom managed to take Richard out of the island’s range to turn him into dust, I will say that Tom got on my nerves in episode 7. There’s a difference between a cowardly character who caused inconveniences in the main plan and a cowardly character whose actions could result in death. Tom’s actions would have led to Wyck and his own demise if not for plot armor. Being more than halfway into Widow’s Bay season one, I think it’s now a fact that Tom being played by Matthew Rhys has done a lot to make him likable.

I don’t think that Richard’s death put a stop to the curse, especially because of the shot of a picture we have seen featuring a kid being lost at sea. Richard’s bloodline is very likely still ongoing, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s linked to Tom’s wife Lauren, and hence, Evan.

As someone who has been annoyed with Evan, I was glad the writers gave his character some importance to the overall plot. I still find him annoying, but at least there’s now a (somewhat) substantial reason for his existence. I’m kind of looking forward to seeing Evan confront Tom about the truth about Lauren. And while Tom’s been looking into ending the island’s curse, I highly doubt he will be willing to sacrifice Evan under any circumstances.

With only three more episodes to go, I wouldn’t be surprised if season one concludes with a setup for season two, because there’s still a lot that needs to be answered.

Did you watch Widow’s Bay season 1 episodes 6 and 7? What did you think of them?

Let us know.

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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