Matthew Rhys Addresses the Huge Question ‘Widow’s Bay’ Season 2 Needs to Answer

Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for the Widow’s Bay Season 1 finale.

As the secrets unraveled in Apple TV’s Widow’s Bay, a quaint island town 40 miles off the coast of New England where a sea hag and a Boogeyman roam free and a sacrifice must be made, the unlikely trio of Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys), Wyck (Stephen Root), and Patricia (Kate O’Flynn) teamed up to stop the malevolence that was permeating. But to save the many means that the elderly Ruth (K Callan) must be sacrificed, leaving Tom as the one to ensure the deed is done. Only, Tom quickly realized that he didn’t have all the details about the town descendants, that ending Ruth would not end the curse, and that the truth was far worse than he ever could have imagined.

During this interview with Collider, co-stars Rhys, Root and O’Flynn discussed Tom’s relationship with the Widow’s Bay sea hag, the different colors of Patricia, Wyck’s desire to protect the town, the unifying moment that brought this trio together, how Rhys came to drop his co-star during a scene in the finale, the shocking reveals at the end of the season, and how that might play into Season 2.

Matthew Rhys Was Creeped Out by His ‘Widow’s Bay’ Sea Hag Interactions

“The moment I did the car-driving on that road, I actually found it quite scary.”​

Image via Apple TV

COLLIDER: Matthew, you have quite the relationship with a sea hag in this series. What was it like to work with her, especially in the moments when she’s so up close with you?

MATTHEW RHYS: I’m refraining from saying the wrong thing. There were two sea hags. There was a stunt hag and a sea hag. I would work in different ways with different hags. It was creepy. The moment I did the car-driving on that road, I actually found it quite scary. There were moments with the headlights where I’d go, “Oh, my God, this is so sinister.” And then, there were other moments when she was being thrown that you find yourself laughing out loud when you’re not supposed to. That is beautifully Widow’s Bay.

I loved that you could tell there was a real person there. That must have made it so much easier to react to.

RHYS: It did. It’s nice to be reacting to not be reacting to CGI as someone is shouting, and the dinosaur is running towards you. It’s always nice to react to a real human.

Kate, we really got to know Patricia in episode four. What did that episode tell you about her? How did what happened in that episode inform who she was for you?

KATE O’FLYNN: Initially, you meet her, and you’re like, “What’s her deal?” She manages to leave every conversation mortally wounded, even if the conversation is about the weather. You think, “Why is she stuck in that victim [mentality] of, ‘No one sees me’?” And then, you get that in episode four and understand the pain of what she’s been through. And also, you get to see the ecstasy. She has the best night of her life in episode four. It’s great to see that side of her as well, just to fill in all the different colors of Patricia.

Patricia is described as an introvert who hates being invisible, so she demands attention in her own way, which really seems to summarize her. What do you think she really wants from this town and from the people in it?

O’FLYNN: I think on the surface she wants to be seen to be really helpful, like a really good person. That’s what she wants at the start. Underneath that, she wants friends, and she wants to find her community and to genuinely feel of service. She gets past how she’s seen and finds her tribe. That’s what she’s looking for.

STEPHEN ROOT: For all these characters, they’re looking for universal things. They’re looking for love. They’re looking for forgiveness. I think it’s really relatable.

Stephen, Wyck is described as an adversary for Tom, but that doesn’t really seem accurate to me. It seems like there’s a lot going on with him.

ROOT: There is.

He seems like someone who has seen too much and knows too much, and he’s frustrated because no one will listen to him.

RHYS: That’s Stephen Root.

ROOT: And also, he is the town inebriated drunk, so he has to work through that. Ultimately, he’s trying to protect the town, and he feels like he has the chutzpah to be able to do it and Tom does not. He wants to make it clear that these things are actually happening, and he’s researched it from day one. He’s got stuff from hundreds of years ago, and he’s very, very frustrated that he can’t get that through. But eventually, they find a way to work together to maybe combat the island itself, which is an entity.

Tom, Wyck and Patricia Shared a Moment in Episode 7 of ‘Widow’s Bay’ That Really Unified the Trio

“I thought it was a really seminal moment for the three of them.”

Image via Apple TV

In episode seven, there’s a funny moment when Patricia and Wyck have to inform Tom that a guy they thought was a buried corpse is actually alive, and they need Tom to have a conversation with him. Matthew, do you feel like that is a moment when Tom really just questions his life choices?

RHYS: No, because there’s too much going on in the moment. That was such a unifying moment for us three. It’s when they align properly for the first time, and they all believe what they’ve been dreading or what has been talked about or what they’ve been ignoring. I thought it was a really seminal moment for the three of them. But there’s so much to be done that there’s no dwelling on that moment, which is incredible.

ROOT: There’s a dead guy here. We’ve got to do something about it. You’ve got to talk to him.

RHYS: That was such a joy to play.

O’FLYNN: That was the hardest scene to get through. It was impossible to not laugh.

In episode eight, Patricia is running away from this imposing figure of a Boogeyman that’s after her, ends up interrupting a book club, and tases a mean girl. What was all of that like to do? Did it feel empowering for Patricia?

O’FLYNN: Totally. Patricia is a badass. She’s brave. I actually think all the locals are because they’ve been dealing with this island. It’s in their blood. There is a toughness to them. That’s the arc of Patricia. Suddenly, she’s finding her power, and she’s got the gun, and she’s like, “Watch out!”

Matthew, in the finale, Tom has this long conversation with Ruth while they’re sitting together and he’s learning about her history. He also learns that he didn’t have the full extent of the information and that she’s not exactly the last descendent. How do you think he feels about learning that it’s actually his son, who he’s been trying to protect this whole time? What goes through your head in a moment like that?

RHYS: I just remember making an inaudible sound when I read it. I remember taking the biggest intake of breath when I read that moment. I went, “Oh, my God, it’s genius!” Talk about a cliffhanger for a second season. It’s the amalgamation of all that’s gone before. I just thought it was an incredible piece of scriptwriting. And then, I dropped K Callan. There was a moment in the script that said, “Tom lifts her into his arms.” The stunt coordinator, Paul Marini, said, “Okay, we’ll cut before you lift. Just don’t lift her.” I was like, “She’s 89. Of course, I can lift her.” In that moment, I went, “I’m going to lift her.” So, I lifted her, and then I dropped her. (Showrunner) Katie Dippold took a screengrab of that moment and put it on a mug, and I was explaining it to my son the other day. He was like, “What is that a picture of? You’re falling with an old woman.” I was like, “Let me tell you, son. There’s a place called Widow’s Bay, 40 nautical miles off the coast of New England.”

Now you’re as cursed as Tom is.

RHYS: Yes, in many ways.

Matthew Rhys, Stephen Root, and Kate O’Flynn Are Curious About What Will Happen in ‘Widow’s Bay’ Season 2

“It’s time to grab a Scooby snack and get back out there.”

Beyond where Tom goes from here, where does this trio of Tom, Wyck, and Patricia go from here? What are you most curious about?

ROOT: The fact that it’s all dropped on Tom.

O’FLYNN: Yeah, we don’t know.

RHYS: Now, figure that out. It’s not figured out. There’s a lot of work to do. It’s time to grab a Scooby snack and get back out there.

O’FLYNN: We don’t know if he’s going to tell them. We have no idea.

RYHS: It’s a beautifully human, emotional journey. It’s not all about fighting the supernatural. It’s a very, very relatable thing.

O’FLYNN: Kevn Carroll, as Bechir, is left with a huge dilemma at the end. There’s real jeopardy with that and real fear.

Widow’s Bay is available to stream on Apple TV.

Release Date

April 28, 2026

Network

Apple TV

Showrunner

Katie Dippold

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