Widow’s Bay Recap: Who Will Be the Last Man?

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The episode “Seasickness” begins with Mayor Tom Loftis waking up after a long sleep induced by some strong island mushrooms. He immediately gets a call from Patricia, who informs him he’s been out cold – even resting his cheek on the toilet seat – for an entire day. She then invites him to the historical society, which used to be the home of Richard and Sarah Warren. There, she casually reveals they’ve unearthed Richard Warren… and he’s still alive! Apparently, he’s been waiting upstairs to speak with Tom, as Tom is currently responsible for the island Richard originally protected over 400 years ago. It’s a lot to take in, especially after being out of it for more than a day.

The seventh episode of Widow’s Bay is a lot to take in, working both as a tense unveiling of the island’s mysterious powers and a clever nod to the movie Jaws. It really showcases the show’s ability to seamlessly shift between different moods – from scary and dramatic to surprisingly funny – without ever feeling disjointed. A particularly *Widow’s Bayesque moment is when Tom first meets Richard and awkwardly tries to talk to him. The scene builds tension with silence, promising a scare, and delivers… but often through Patricia unexpectedly walking back into the room – a space that used to be the Warrens’ bedroom. That’s the show in a nutshell: it’ll introduce a potentially possessed corpse, then shock you by having Patricia reappear to grab her purse.

This episode really delivers on answers about the island, so complaints about a lack of explanation would be unfounded. Richard reveals the origins of the curse, at least as he understands them, in a deeply resonant and ominous voice. He explains his longevity by admitting he was deceived and betrayed, but is now sustained by a dark power – he literally made a deal with the devil out of desperation. When the early settlers of Widow’s Bay faced starvation, Richard discovered a unique type of mushroom, and after eating one, experienced a strange connection to something else. When pressed for details about this connection, Richard remains elusive, suggesting it could be a demon, or even the island itself.

Richard made a deal with a mysterious being to save the settlement, where people were starving and even resorting to eating dirt and the dead. When Tom asks what Richard gave in return, Richard avoids the question, simply saying that everyone would have perished if he hadn’t agreed. It’s a common story – those who make deals with dark forces always claim they had no choice. When Tom reveals he might have seen the being too, Richard only responds that it preys on the desperation of frightened men.

Interestingly, the contents of the covenant – the small paper Richard carries in his locket – are never revealed. As soon as Richard mentions signing it with bodily fluids, Tom immediately stops looking at it. (Matthew Rhys delivers this moment with perfect seriousness, which makes it even funnier.) While we don’t know the specifics of the agreement, it strongly suggests Richard promised human sacrifices to appease the island, which is described as ‘starving.’ However, the reason the island needs to be ‘fed’ in this way remains a mystery.

Richard believes there’s a way to lift the curse affecting him. Because he’s the last of his family, all that needs to happen is for him to be taken far out to sea – beyond the dangerous point known to sailors. Once they reach that spot, the curse will be broken, allowing him to age and eventually die naturally. Wyck agrees to take Tom and Richard on his boat, navigating to a precise location marked by buoys. However, Wyck warns them that going any further could be fatal, as he’s a local to Widow’s Bay and knows the dangers of those waters.

The episode takes a dramatic turn, reminiscent of the movie Jaws. While on the boat, Wyck shares a long story about a terrifying experience he had as a teenager at sea. He recounts a trip with Mark Doyle, Gerrie’s brother, where they encountered a strange underwater creature – not a shark, as someone saw a tentacle during the attack. Wyck explains he tried to swim away, but felt something grab his foot. He kicked it off, only to realize it was Mark, desperately clinging to him for help, unknowingly in his final moments.

Hearing Wyck’s story reminded me instantly of the movie Jaws – it felt like something straight out of it. It especially brought to mind that powerful scene with Quint, played by Robert Shaw, where he describes the terrible fate of the sailors on the U.S.S. Indianapolis after their ship was attacked. The music during Wyck’s telling of the story even sounded similar to the iconic, unsettling tuba music from Jaws. Just like Quint’s story explained why he was so focused on sharks, Wyck’s story reveals the reason behind his obsession with lifting the curse on the island. He feels like he failed to save Mark, and now he’s determined to save everyone else from suffering the same fate. He sees this as his chance at redemption.

Mark Doyle’s story likely explains Gerrie’s strong interest in the island’s past. It’s understandable she’d prefer to believe her brother’s death was due to the island itself, rather than a simple, preventable error. She collects items that reinforce this belief, which is a heartbreaking way to cope. There’s a lot more to Gerrie’s dedication to the museum than meets the eye.

It’s admittedly annoying that we still haven’t seen or identified the creature haunting Widow’s Bay, but the mystery is actually building suspense. It’s similar to what Steven Spielberg did in Jaws – he strategically delayed showing the shark, partly because the mechanical shark wasn’t working reliably. That choice ultimately made the movie more terrifying, and the same technique is proving effective in Widow’s Bay.

The scene where Richard and Tom drink spiced rum strongly echoes the famous U.S.S. Indianapolis monologue from Jaws. Like Spielberg’s scene, it takes place around a table in the boat’s cramped cabin. Instead of Quint’s song, “Show Me the Way Home,” Richard sings a sea shanty called “Last Man,” created specifically for Widow’s Bay. Neil Casey, who also stars as Kurt, wrote the lyrics, while Arcade Fire’s Richard Reed Parry composed the music.

Just as Wyck expected, Richard decides he wants to live. Honestly, that’s understandable – spending over 300 years trapped in a coffin would probably make anyone feel that way. The boat is suddenly rocked, similar to a scene in Jaws, and a fight breaks out. Richard shouts a crude threat at Wyck, and knowing Richard’s history – he’s previously signed papers with his blood, feces, and semen – it seems like he’d actually follow through.

Wyck and Tom finally manage to get Richard back into his coffin after a difficult fight involving a harpoon, reminiscent of the movie Jaws. Wyck is briefly lost at sea clinging to a life preserver, but he returns to the boat safely. Tom then checks the coffin and finds that Richard has completely decomposed, leaving only bones and ash. His final words were eerily accurate: “Let me live.” While seeing Tom throw the coffin overboard would have provided more closure, the show seems to want us to view this as a success.

Honestly, it seems unlikely that Richard’s death has ended the curse, and here’s why. We’re only on the seventh episode of the season, with three more to go, so it’s too early to tell. Plus, back on land, Kelly encourages Evan to investigate his father, leading him to discover pictures of his mom alive and well with him as a baby. This means Evan will probably have some serious questions for Tom when he returns. Combined with Wyck’s physical weakness when the boat nears the dangerous area, it’s clear the island truly can’t be left. Richard’s death probably won’t fix that.

The final scene of “Seasickness” returns to the inn, where a departing customer—comedian Anthony Atamanuik—insults Kurt with a crude comparison. As he leaves, the camera focuses on a painting in the lobby. This painting shows Sarah Warren’s children leaving on a boat, similar to a scene from episode six, but with one child seemingly drowning. This raises a question: is Widow’s Bay hinting that more of the Warren family might still be alive than Richard thought?

Loose Teeth

Before anyone finds embarrassing baby photos of Evan, he and Kelly are watching a classic horror movie called Horror Hotel. It’s about a strange town in Massachusetts haunted by two witches who made a deal with the devil to live forever and continue causing trouble. It reminds Evan of Kurt’s inn…

At the start of the episode, as Tom enters the historical society, the camera quickly shows a damaged letter. The only legible words read, “I wish my words alone would convey the gravity, but this is the only way you will understand.” It’s signed by Reverend Theodore Roberts, hinting that Bryce isn’t the only religious figure who may have died by suicide on the island.

The show’s funniest visual moment happens when Richard wanders through a museum exhibit of his children’s old belongings. He comes across a display of “Richard Warren” merchandise – items that are clearly flying off the shelves. The highlight is a T-shirt with the pun, “Don’t Say I Didn’t Warren You,” which is likely the gift shop’s biggest seller.

Patricia was the clear comedic highlight of this episode. Everything she did, from her reaction to Richard’s bizarre act at the statue (“How sad…Oh!”) to her overly confident (and unsuccessful) attempts to handle Beshir and steal the sheriff’s Jeep, was incredibly funny. Even revisiting her story about the Boogeyman brought the laughs. But the absolute funniest moment was what she wrote in her notebook, hoping to get through to Richard.

The first page simply introduces Patricia. The second, written after Richard didn’t respond, asks, “Are you upset with something I said?” It’s both amusing and heartbreaking that, after just meeting someone who’s been trapped and silent for centuries, her first instinct is to worry about offending him. It’s like immediately asking Rumplestiltskin if he’s angry! Patricia, you’re wonderfully chaotic – please don’t ever change!

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2026-05-27 14:56