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+--- Thread: Jon Del Arroz actually loves "Widow's Bay" on Apple TV (redemption network) (/thread-20668.html)
Jon Del Arroz actually loves "Widow's Bay" on Apple TV (redemption network) - C C - Jun 18, 2026
JON DEL ARROZ
https://youtu.be/zY-2nHp3_EY
VIDEO EXCERPTS: Apple TV is really weird. They have these super expensive productions on everything that are way over the top. They also mix in their little DEI agendas into most of these shows. There seem to be very few exceptions to it, but I'm just looking at the production values of them, and it's like, whoa, they're spending [losing] a ton of money and they don't seem to care.
They're like, "We're just going to do it". I think they're in a unique position where that is okay, because they get a tax write-off. They get to control their own stuff without a concern for ratings, and it gets pretty interesting. Many of the shows might have been especially great if not wrecked by DEI agenda.
[...] I always brace for that with Apple TV because every single show does it. If you were a time traveler from the future, you would think that 90% of the population is gay if you regarded Apple TV as reflecting demographic reality.
But there's one show now that's out, which I'm surprised has not delved into this stuff, that actually does things right. And I'm not even a fan of the genre, but it works really, really well.
[...] Widow's Bay is an interesting concept. It's pretty weird, and there's a unique aspect to this due to who's behind it. ... They renewed it for season 2 already, and if you've not started it, I think it's definitely worth checking out.
So, it's a horror comedy that's set on a cursed New England island. And they really do weave back and forth between horror and comedy. It's not too funny. You do take it seriously, but there are humorous elements of it where people act ridiculous, which is like, huh?
The reason I actually started checking it out at all is because Matthew Rhys is the lead actor. I love this guy; he's a wonderful actor. In some of my favorite shows. "The Americans" was one. ... And he seems to only take roles where he knows the scripts are going to be good. So smart guy. He seems to not care about gigantic paychecks, which is a good thing.
[...] Katie Dippold is the creator of the show, who wrote for Parks and Recreation seasons 2 through 4. Believe it or not, she did Ghostbusters 2016. What? That was arguably the worst movie of all time, but her writing in Widow's Bay is brilliant.
It makes me wonder, are corporate executives in movies pushing things on a franchise to hold back creativity, from what a writer or creator would have done if they had been unleashed? So maybe it wasn't her fault. And that's the crazy part. This woman wrote a terrible movie, but she turned things around. The writing on Widow's Bay is some of the best TV I've ever seen...
This Apple TV Show Might Be The BEST Thing I've Seen In YEARS! ... https://youtu.be/zY-2nHp3_EY
RE: Jon Del Arroz actually loves "Widow's Bay" on Apple TV (redemption network) - C C - Jun 22, 2026
Started to wonder at first, but I've got to admit that Widow's Bay becomes a bit addictive by or after the third episode.
It is a little more on the humor side of black comedy than, say, Severance or Better Call Saul or Slow Horses. And a really eccentric trio is forming in the show. Kate O'Flynn was a perfect selection for her role and likewise Stephen Root. Matthew Rhys is so old now that there's almost something Ed O'Neill about him at times in this kind of format.
https://youtu.be/GLMoZUWh_dI
RE: Jon Del Arroz actually loves "Widow's Bay" on Apple TV (redemption network) - C C - Jun 24, 2026
The season didn't end on a hard cliffhanger, but lots of loose ends to develop for next year.
While Katie Dippold created the show, is the top executive producer, and wrote the first and last episodes... It seems to be Hiro Murai that is the most active or involved co-showrunner.