A review of this week's Widow's Bay episodes, "Our History" and "Seasickness" — with spoilers — coming up just as soon as I dig up a coffin...
Alan Sepinwall
When streamers like Apple and HBO Max do hybrid releases — only one episode a week much of the time, but occasionally two or even three all at once — the motivations behind it can be confusing. This week's Widow's Bay double-feature, though, makes sense on a few levels.
First, the episodes feel like a proper two-parter. "Our History" goes back over 300 years to tell us the true story of Richard (played by Hamish Linklater), the community's founder, and the curse that still reverberates into Tom and Patricia's lives. It climaxes with the townspeople burying Richard alive in an attempt — a futile one, we understand — to stop the curse, then ends with Wyck digging up that grave. "Seasickness," meanwhile, picks up right where that leaves off, as Wyck and Tom have to figure out what to do with this centuries-old man who is responsible for all of their misery.
But second, and maybe more importantly, "Our History" is such a departure from everything else the series has done — in setting, characters, and tone — that it might have felt frustrating to some viewers if this was the only installment they got for the week.