Widow’s Bay is one of those shows that somehow seems to be flying under the radar, which is honestly a little rude.
Because this thing is fun.
Not in a loud, desperate “please notice how quirky we are” way. More in a foggy little coastal-nightmare way, where old island lore, cursed town history, haunted inns, sea hags, suspicious fog, and deeply strange local government all somehow belong in the same sentence.
And the weird part is, it works.
The show manages to be funny without turning the horror into a joke. It doesn’t feel like a spoof. It feels like a genuinely spooky story that just happens to be full of people saying completely unhinged things with total administrative confidence.
That might be my favorite part.
Matthew Rhys is fantastic as Tom Loftis, a skeptical mayor trying very hard to stay rational while the island keeps politely destroying his worldview. He has this exhausted, irritated, “I cannot believe this is my job” energy that fits the whole thing perfectly.
And then there’s the town itself.
The city hall weirdos.
The local legends.
The suspicious events.
The tiny background details.
The kind of signs, headlines, maps, and odd little visual jokes that make you pause and zoom in like a perfectly well-adjusted adult.
All these little quirks create such a specific vibe.
A bit of Jaws.
A bit of Midnight Mass.
A bit of Twin Peaks.
A bit of Stephen King weirdness in a damp sweater.
But it also has its own thing going on. Cozy coastal horror mixed with dry comedy and small-town paranoia.
It’s strange.
It’s spooky.
It’s oddly funny.
And it’s way more entertaining than people seem to realize.
So yes, Widow’s Bay deserves more love.
Preferably before the island wakes up and takes the lack of attention personally.
I know this has been pointed out before, but I just wanted to talk about how clever the powers are in Misfits. It’s all a twisted version of what they desire.
- Simon is so awkward and uncomfortable in his own skin, so he is given the ability to be invisible.
- Alisha wants to be desired, so any man she touches will desire her uncontrollably.
- Kelly is unsure of herself and overthinks things, so she can read other peoples minds.
- Curtis made a mistake and messed up his life, so he can go back in time.
- Nathan is reckless and impulsive, so he can never die.
It’s so clever and I feel like this show doesn’t get enough credit.
Following a real estate agency Roman Agency, this real estate not only lists houses but also cleanses them of negative entities, spirits, and monsters.
SyFy aired this series in 2021 and unfortunately canceled it after one season. Or so it was thought, SurrealEstate was resurrected in May 2022, and it was un-canceled and green-lit for a second season, which will air sometime in 2023.
SPOILERS, obviously.
THINGS THAT GO BUMP
Luke Roman (Tim Rozon) is the boss of a particular real estate business, The Roman Agency. Not only do these agents sell houses, but they also deal with the beyond. The Roman Agency specializes in selling and helping those unable to sell their houses without a much-needed cleanse.
The Agency is small but close-knit and scrappy. It consists of Luke, boss man extraordinaire, Father Phil Orley (Adam Korson) a lapsed priest, August “Auggie” Ripley (Maurice Dean Wint) the tech king, Zoey L’Enfant (Savannah Basley) the office manager, and new-comer Susan Ireland (Sarah Levy). Susan originally came from another estate agency, and unfortunately, is a fish out of the water with this new group of agents. She is kept in the dark about the Agency’s specialties, but does know it by reputation.
Luke and Susan take on their first job together at the Lenore household, who are at their wits’ end with objects randomly flying around their house. Believing that the house is haunted by a poltergeist, they send in Auggie and Phil, who reveal that all their tests come up negative. As things escalate at the Lenore house, Luke has taken a special interest in another holding, the Donovan household.
The Donovan house is special and immensely haunted. Off-the-charts metaphysical disturbances plague the house, and its current occupant, Meghan (Tennille Read).
As The Roman Agency fights demons, ghosts, and possessed houses, the Donovan house makes reoccurring appearances because of the sentimental attachment it has to Luke. Years previously, Luke’s mother went into the house and never left. Luke has seen her ghost several times lingering in the house, and she is not a nice person. But Luke’s father (also a ghost) says that she was a sweet and kind person, but didn’t seem like she could handle Luke’s gift of seeing the other side. Leaving him and his father behind years before.
The season comes to a head at the Donovan house, which has been gaining strength steadily thanks to the misguided attempts by the Roman Agency. The portal in the house, which they thought allowed ghosts and spirits in, actually allowed them to cross over. Because they closed the portal in episode one, all of these ghosts and spirits haunted the house in agony, unable to leave. The house was able to make a personified incarnation of itself thanks to the lost souls stuck within its walls. Auggie, Zooey, Susan, and Phil all encounter lost loved ones, a wife, a mentor, a father, and an ill-fated sweetheart. Luke also sees his mother, or rather his sister.
Luke was a twin, and the woman he believed to be his mother, is actually his sister who lost her life when Luke’s umbilical cord wrapped around her neck. Because she died during Luke’s birth, his abilities came from being born in the shadow of death. His twin wants to switch places with him, and the only way for that to be achieved is that he dies. As she strangles Luke, in the basement, the crew is able to open the portal and all the trapped souls are sucked into it, including Luke’s sister.
The Donovan house is purged of its ghosts, and the crew stumbles outside, grateful to be alive. However, Luke distances himself from everyone. Why? He’s lost his ability to hear and see the spirits that had attached themselves to him since he was a child.
RESURRECTED FROM THE GRAVE
The paranormal drama was canceled originally. Ratings and viewership seemed to have been the main reason for its cancellation. George R. Olson, the creator of SurrealEstate, tweeted in October 2021 the unfortunate news that SyFy wouldn’t be moving forward with a season 2, but to not give up hope and they were looking for a new home for the paranormal procedure.
Hulu began streaming season 1 of SurrealEstate starting October 6 and it was revealed on May 2022 that SyFy had decided against officially canceling SurrealEstate when it talked about new and returning series in an article.
CONCLUSION
I rate SurrealEstate 3.9/5, I’ve loved Tim Rozon since his days on Wynonna Earp as the immortal gunslinger Doc Holliday, which was also unfortunately canceled after its fourth season by SyFy. No worries, Melanie Scrofano (Wynonna) guest starred in episode three and played a fanatic homeowner trying to sell her cottage (such a fun episode).
SurrealEstate is character-driven, and with a heavy-hitting cast, the characters are believable and loveable. Even with the extra bits thrown in (Roman’s ability to see ghosts, and Ireland’s telekinesis and pyrokinesis) and the haunted houses, the heart is still there and beating strong. It was sad that at first it looked like we would be leaving on such a cliffhanger, with Luke losing his powers and knowing his mother was alive somewhere.
SurrealEstate is ALIVE and will be airing on SyFy sometime in late 2023. As of October 12th, you can catch up on season one on Hulu.
Okay, but why does nobody talk about this show! A “realistic” apocalypse that doesn’t have zombies and showcases a small town in America surviving after a nuclear blast?! Come on. And Skeet Ulrich was masterful. AND it has like at least 3 members of the cast of Supernatural and The Walking Dead. Its’ lack of attention will never make sense to me.
