As the critically acclaimed Apple TV+ series Widow’s Bay reaches a dramatic climax, the dark secrets of the cursed island are revealed along with the fate of Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys) and the islanders.
The horror-comedy follows Mayor Loftis, who, despite warnings from locals, attempts to revive the tourism industry in Widow’s Bay, a seemingly tranquil and isolated island off the coast of New England.
With a history of death and misfortune, urban legends and superstitions cast a dark shadow over the island, with many believing it is cursed. Loftis soon begins to realise that the locals were right and that the supernatural horrors of the island have come to life.
The curse entails that anyone born on Widow’s Bay may never leave. Anyone who attempts to escape will incur the wrath of the island and be killed by one of the many manifestations of the evil entity, whether that be typhoons and storms, masked slashers, or ghosts.
Widow’s Bay ending explained: How did the curse start?
In a flashback episode, we are taken back to 1702 in the Colonial Era as explorer and founder Richard Warren establishes a colony on Widow’s Bay. As they inhabit the island, the settlers experience famine, and Warren seeks to stop the suffering by making a pact with a mysterious and malevolent force after he eats psychedelic mushrooms.
To satiate the bloodthirsty demands of the island, Warren must offer human sacrifices. Further insight into the sacrifice process is revealed in the final episode when Dale, a local islander, finds a mysterious film reel in the archives.
What initially seems like a retro information video about the island hides a sinister reality, as it reveals that people who had committed a crime, owed a debt, or lacked purpose on the island were selected by a local committee to sacrifice themselves. The people handling the sacrifices were told to keep the victims as scared as possible, as the entity “likes the taste of fear”.
The human sacrifices were made underneath the Town Hall in a secret bunker as the victims were restrained on a chair before being fed to the entity. These people were fed to the demonic entity, which curses the island, and its appetite must be satiated upon request when the bell tolls.
The curse and human sacrifices will only end once Richard Warren’s bloodline is extinguished. It was believed the founder of the island had been dead for over 300 years when he was captured in his home by islanders and buried alive.
However, it was only after Patricia and Wyck dig up his grave to shine further light on the dark history of the island that they discover he is still alive, as he was unable to die due to the pact. He is eventually killed when Tom throws him overboard beyond the island’s boundary.
Who is the living descendant of Richard Warren?
It was believed that Richard Warren was the last of his bloodline and the curse will lift after his death. However, his youngest daughter Frances Warren managed to survive when she fell overboard and drifted ashore when attempting to escape the island with her mother, Sarah Westcott Warren.
Mayor Loftis discovers that the living descendant on the island is Ruth Livingston, his elderly assistant. Upon this shocking discovery, Mayor Loftis faces a moral dilemma, equivalent to the trolley problem: should he kill Ruth and lift the curse on the island, or do nothing and let nature take its course? He decides to poison Ruth by mixing her medication and slipping it into her tea.
Drowsy from the medication, Ruth confesses to Tom that she had had an affair with a married man and became pregnant. Unable to keep her daughter, she gave her to the father to raise in his own family, where she watched her grow up from a distance.
The daughter is revealed to be Tom’s late wife. Therefore, his son Evan is a living descendant of Richard Warren and can never leave the island.
What happens to Tom and Evan?
Remorseful for his actions, Tom prepares to take Ruth to the hospital. However, he is stopped in his tracks by Bechir Clemmons, the sheriff of Widow’s Bay, who shoots Ruth as he wanted to lift the curse before his child was born. Thankfully, the shot only grazes her.
Whilst exploring the tunnels in the emergency shelter during the storm and looking for an escape route, Mayor Loftis’ son Evan is trapped in the sacrifice room in a prank by a wayward group of friends, who do not know the sinister purpose of the room.
However, he manages to escape unscathed – it is unclear whether he is spared because he is a living descendant of Richard Warren or simply gets lucky.
Soon after Evan escapes, the storm lifts despite the curse remaining on the island. The series ends with Tom and Evan driving off together – although we hear a sinister bell tolling, suggesting that the entity is ready for its next sacrifice…
Widow’s Bay is available to stream on Apple TV. The season 1 finale will be released on Wednesday 17 June. Start your seven day free Apple TV trial.
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