Jesse's Happy Day (and spoiler alert if you haven't watched Widow's Bay yet!)

It felt like a friendship test. Jenn received a text from Jesse that told her she needed to watch Widow’s Bay. Like NOW. 

Jenn explained that she didn’t have Apple TV and it had been a crappy day. She wanted to pour ten fingers worth of Japanese whiskey and disappear behind a screen of true crime.

But Jesse persisted. Jenn. Jenn. Jenn. Jenn. You will love it. This show is a mix of spooky and funny. Trust me.

Five minutes later Jenn had Apple TV loaded on the Roku and had opened the series page for this Emmy-nominated mega-hit. She went to the fridge and found this and that, making nachos out of leftovers, then poured a glass of red wine, because that’s what you drink with horror in the Riley family.

She pressed play, then immediately had to pause it to read Jesse’s text, “Jenn. You better do this. I am gonna post about it on Substack. Don’t leave me hangin’.”

Jenn sent a photo back of the nachos and wine, Cooper begging for her food, and in the background it was clear Episode One was queued up.

The conversation in this mini-bonus-thingie is Jesse FINALLY getting Jenn’s opinion on the show. He couldn’t rest until he knew her initial impressions. 

If you are searching for a fresh, binge-able podcast, this might be the one for you!

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:02

Oh Jen. Jen, Jin, Jin. What?

SPEAKER_01 0:07

That sounds like you're a disappointed parent.

SPEAKER_02 0:10

What? No, no. I'm actually as happy as I've ever been right now because uh I've been I I have been uh I've had a dream, Jen. What is your dream? I've had a dream that you would join the rest of us uh on the journey into Widow's Bay, and you finally have.

SPEAKER_01 0:31

I am told I I you know what I feel like last night was a test, and it's okay, it's a friend test, it was a friendship test. But you were like, No, you're saying you're gonna get Apple TV and you're gonna start watching it, but are you really like if I post it on Substack, is it really gonna happen? I'm like, it's gonna happen, and so I made my nachos, I used all these like delicious, by the way. Yeah, they were just leftover. They had like a steak chili on them. I had avocado chunks.

SPEAKER_02 1:04

I'm kind of hungry right now, so but they look delicious.

SPEAKER_01 1:07

So hungry, and I'm actually kind of thirsty, not gonna lie. But then but then I hit play, and then I realized wait a second, I wasn't paying attention for the first couple minutes, and so I rewound and I hit play again. So I watched the first five minutes like twice.

SPEAKER_02 1:22

But how many episodes did you make it through last night? Two, only two.

SPEAKER_01 1:26

I made myself stop at two. Those are good ones, those are but both of those are good ones. So in the first two, so if you if you guys haven't watched it, then turn off this this little segment. Why are you listening to it? Yeah, because there will be spoilers. There's gonna be spoilers.

SPEAKER_02 1:43

They're up for 19 Emmys. Okay, so like if you're you know that there's gonna be some spoilers at this point, for sure.

SPEAKER_01 1:50

And we're not the first ones to do it, is what you're saying basically. Because you were like, don't look at YouTube because Easter eggs, and I went, don't look at the Easter egg. Yeah, like um, like because you okay, Jesse. First off, let's just out ourselves when you have written novels, you can see a plot and the outline of a plot a mile away, and it kind of ruins movies and TV shows for pretty much forever because you actually see where it's gonna go, and so it's so exciting.

SPEAKER_02 2:23

It ruins the bad ones, the the you know, it's like uh you you can't you can't suspend that disbelief if uh you're like, oh, this dialogue sucks, or like uh you know, or like uh, oh they're about to die. You know, I mean, you know, I mean, yeah, it ruins that, you know, but but like if somebody's really putting the effort into it, like I think they did here, like it I appreciate it, you know, because I'm like, oh, I I don't know where this is going.

SPEAKER_01 2:55

And those are my favorite stories. That's that's the thing, and it makes it so delicious that it's like I saw some breadcrumbs, but it's like they it I could tell that the the writers were gonna be accountable. Whatever rules they set for this world, this space, this fictional space, they were already adhering to them. And I was already aware of them because you know what the worst thing is, is when at the end you realize here was the premise, here were the rules, and then you watch it again and go, they broke their own rules. This is not the case. Like, literally, uh spoil again, not a spoiler alert because you guys have obviously watched it, but when the guy goes missing in the fog right off the bat, and then there's this moment in uh the mayor's office, and um, this one guy is I think it was the mayor's office or a restaurant, and the guy was like, You are such a you know a piece of shit, you weren't even a townie. You actually came from off the island, yes, and you pretended you knocked on the door, and then you ran away, and you were just pretending. I looked out the window and you you just acted all big for the other people. And as soon as the mayor owned that moment, within seconds, here comes the guy that was missing in the fog. And he's he's hurt, but he's there. So it's like I felt like there's a sense of imbalance and lies and and being held accountable. And I was like, this is intriguing because I don't know what it all means, but I know that they're holding um there's some some scale up there holding something accountable because you don't expect to see that character again.

SPEAKER_02 4:36

You're like, oh, the fog got him, you know, because that's what would happen in every other every anything, you know.

SPEAKER_01 4:42

Yeah, and then afterwards you'd go, wait, what did happen to that guy?

SPEAKER_02 4:46

But and that's Matthew Reese, who plays Tom, who's the mayor, and then Steven Root, who plays Wick, is the character you're talking about.

SPEAKER_01 4:53

I Steven Root Wick.

SPEAKER_02 4:55

Steven Root is uh, you know that you know he is, he's uh he's uh office space. The uh I believe you stole my stapler. Yeah, you know, he's that guy. Oh my gosh. Yeah, if you I am D BM, you'll freak out. He's been in like everything.

SPEAKER_01 5:10

Oh, and and you can tell they had the pick of who wanted to do it. So so far, all I've watched are the first two episodes the guy in the fog that shows up, and then they challenge the mayor um in the second one to stay in the inn. And I also am very intrigued by the teenagers that were smoking pot at the first and what they've seen. And you know, I it I think I wonder if they're gonna come into it later because I'm like, oh, and his son Evan, the mayor's son Evan. I'm really interested in him as a character. Um, and the story of his mom. Do we ever get the story more of that revealed?

SPEAKER_02 5:49

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So I can't, I'm like down the road, down the road.

SPEAKER_01 5:53

But I don't want I didn't want to binge it right off the bat.

SPEAKER_02 5:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:59

Because I bet you there's people that watch it in like two days.

SPEAKER_02 6:02

All the characters are great. Um, but like uh that's your favorites. That bunch that works in the mayor's office is oh my god, I love them.

SPEAKER_01 6:12

Um Ruth and Pamela. Is it Pamela?

SPEAKER_02 6:15

It's uh yeah, Patricia. Patricia, Patricia, who I immediately was like, I love her. Okay. Uh she she says everything out loud. I don't know what's I don't know what's up with her, but like she's I love her. She's great.

SPEAKER_01 6:28

She's me. I feel like she's like a literally me because I say everything kind of aloud to myself.

SPEAKER_02 6:34

You know, and she was like, Well, you know, I was there the night that the murderer like kill, you know, and like uh and he's like, Yeah, uh okay, yeah, I know. And it's like, you know, it's only the like the scariest thing to ever happen to me, or whatever.

SPEAKER_01 6:46

I know, and so you don't want to listen to it again. I mean, she's so fucking funny.

SPEAKER_02 6:50

Yeah, well, okay, here's the she you're you're you're just you're you're I already love her.

SPEAKER_01 6:56

I told you I'm already down on a knee proposing to her.

SPEAKER_02 6:59

You're not prepared, you're not prepared. How good that gets.

SPEAKER_01 7:03

The other moment that kind of um goosebumps all over my arms, and it was super brief, but I know it was important was when they were in the historical um, you know, museum thing, and she's like goes, and there's about the witch trials, and we we found them, we killed him, we burned him, you know, whatever that was done. And I went, that's important because you know, and then that chair that they show you in that, like with those cellar doors and that like leather buckle thing. Um, I was and then that chair that's sitting there, like an electric chair. I'm like, this is so interesting because I feel like there is a deeper older magic that's been happening here for a long time.

SPEAKER_02 7:48

Yeah, it's uh like I again, you don't want me to, and I can't say anything. You know, but like uh it it it's it it it is uh the creator, her name is Kate. God, I hope I don't say your name wrong, Kate. It's uh Katie Deep Dipold, or it may be dipold. I think, but I anyway, uh forgive me, Katie, but um you're a genius, is what I'm trying to say here. Yeah, because um uh and she comes from like parks and rack and stuff like that. So I didn't expect the comedy when I I was I saw it, I was like, oh, Whittle Spay, and it's got Matthew Reese in it, who is in, you know, typically not in comedies, you know. So I was like, I go, okay, well, this will be a good here's a good new spooky show, you know, to watch. And uh then I was like, okay, this is really funny, and it's really funny on purpose, and like they're somehow they have achieved this balance of comedy, yeah, you know, that that like I that I don't think I've seen in a lot of other shows between like scary spooky and like and and just like really funny comedy.

SPEAKER_01 9:10

I agree, and I keep telling you that my dad would have loved it because that's literally my dad. Like we have this dark sense of humor in our family, the Riley side, and it's like that. It's like the funny makes the the funny in this show makes the spooky all the spookier, like that that contrast is so it's addictive.

SPEAKER_02 9:35

Yeah, it's really funny. And it's you know, that and then that second episode you're talking about where he has to stay in the end like the haunted end.

SPEAKER_01 9:44

Oh my god, he's like anything else. I mean, everybody in the and the there, and you know, he's got the diner. That was the other thing is I actually am seeing these in, and it's intentional. I'm certain everything is on purpose, but I'm seeing nods to like Twin Peaks and you know, and different things. But I love the peanut gallery at the the restaurant, and they're like, Oh, and don't forget this one, and don't forget to do that.

SPEAKER_02 10:08

And he's writing his little notes and he's going down his checklist, and oh my gosh, he's like, No, yeah, you gotta actually go into the crawl space, you know what I mean? And like uh it's like he's like, Yeah, okay, whatever, you know, and then he gets there and he's like, and he's like he's like, There, he's like, Wait, yeah, you're not staying here too. He's like, No, I'm going home.

SPEAKER_01 10:30

To the like the innkeeper guy, he's like, No, and also it it has that, and also it's that humor that you have to look for that is so yeah, that's so fun because like when he comes out of nowhere and it hits you, you know, but but Wick puts the board all open the door of the inn, and then somebody just like opens a door and is like looking at the board like it didn't do anything.

SPEAKER_02 10:54

The way that Wickels and I think there's a couple of really great like uh gags like that that like I and I I can't tell you until you get to them.

SPEAKER_01 11:04

We can't talk about them, but so how many episodes are in the first season? Is it just the one season so far? Wait, there's just eight episodes? There's ten. Oh my god.

SPEAKER_02 11:16

Yeah, there's ten altogether.

SPEAKER_01 11:19

Okay, good. All right. Well, it's good. God, I could really if I have gone to there maybe nine.

SPEAKER_02 11:25

No, no, there's ten.

SPEAKER_01 11:26

There's ten okay, yeah. All right, well, yeah. Um I'm gonna keep you posted as I keep watching it because it's so good. And I can't believe how cheap Apple TV was. Why didn't I waste?

SPEAKER_02 11:41

Oh yeah, no, it's it's there's good stuff on there, too. There um the the next two episodes are are both bangers, so I cannot wait. Episode four is called Beach Reads, and it's like maybe my favorite episode. It's like you're you just you're not ready.

SPEAKER_01 12:03

I know, I'm not. I feel like I need to watch the other two again, but I'm not going to because I feel like it's one of those that I'm gonna watch through once and then watch it through again.

SPEAKER_02 12:13

I almost started watching it again last night just uh because I was like, well, Jen's watching it, so maybe I'll watch it again. But I literally just finished it, so I was like, nah.

SPEAKER_01 12:23

I cannot wait. It's gonna be one of those things that I'm gonna be like, what do I watch now after it's over?

SPEAKER_02 12:29

No, it's the thing right now. I already want the Blu-ray of the whole thing, right? You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 12:34

So I guess I do know, I do understand.

SPEAKER_02 12:37

Well, I'm glad that you started it. I feel like you I feel like you're gonna love it. Um kind of everybody in our little dopey substack circle like is obsessed with it. So now we can all now we can all make Widow's May jokes for these.

SPEAKER_01 12:55

Yes, well, exactly. I'm still not privy to them, but at least I'll start. I'm getting a little hint of it. I can't wait.

SPEAKER_02 13:02

About two more episodes, you'll be up to speed. Trust me. And then you're good.

SPEAKER_00 13:08

Well, we'll talk next time. We'll talk after two episodes.

SPEAKER_02 13:11

After two speech reads, we'll we'll meet back here after you watch Beach Reads. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 13:17

All right, bye.

SPEAKER_02 13:19

Bye.