Widow's Bay flipped the script in episode 6, "Our History." In a genre-bending episode directed by modern horror legend Ti West, Widow's Bay brought viewers back to the early 1700s to reveal the island's dark past.
Creator Katie Dippold also tapped two incredible actors to play two important figures in this story. Episode 6 introduces Sarah Warren, played by Betty Gilpin, and Richard Warren, played by Hamish Linklater.
The episode begins as Sarah arrives in Widow's Bay to wed Richard, the Lord Protector of the island, after the death of Richard's first wife. When she arrives, it's obvious that everything is not as chill as she was led to believe.
Quickly, the secrets of Widow's Bay are revealed throughout the episode that ends about why the terrors continue and why those born on the island can't leave the island. I covered this in my recap of the episode, but it's time to take a closer look at all these big reveals and how they set up the final four episodes of the season.
Who is Richard Warren? And why does he get buried alive?
Richard Warren is one of the key founders of Widow's Bay. In the episode, we learn that Richard was instrumental in why the island survived during the first harsh winter on the island. Earlier in the season, we see Richard crawling through the snow and frozen earth, grabbing a handful of those black mushrooms that took Tom on an epic, demonic trip in episode 5, and eating them ravenously.
When we catch up with Richard in 1702, he's lost his mind, or so it appears. Everyone in town believes that he's possessed by the devil or is the devil himself. The truth is a little more complicated.
You see, Richard feasted on those mushrooms and connected with an ancient presence on the island. Whether it's the island itself, a demon, or the devil, we don't know. Richard calls it their "god."
Anyway, Richard has likely been sacrificing the people of Widow's Bay, acting alone, in order for them to continue to live on the island and prosper. When the townsfolk are burying them alive, he warns them that they must "fulfill the pact" or the "terrors will not cease."
Essentially, Richard has been sacrificing people on the island to save the community, but the others don't believe that to be true. Insead, they think he's the devil who can't be killed, so they bind his legs and arms and bury him alive.
Since then, well, the terrors have not ceased.
What's with this sickness that makes people murderous on Widow's Bay?
Throughout the history of Widow's Bay, there have been serial killers, like the clown killer, the Boogeyman, and others that we know about so far. But, in Widow's Bay episode 6, we get a look at the origins of this sickness that makes some of those in town lose their minds.
Early in the episode, we see a man, Ezra, conversing with Richard about this illness that causes a type of mania in people. We also hear something of this from the pastor, as well. Basically, when the fog rolls in, people who are affected or caught in the fog begin to lose their minds a few days later before inevitably going on a murderous rampage.
At the end of the episode, we see Abigail, a woman from the island who recently lost her husband to the sickness, covered in blood. She looks possessed, and she tries to attack Sarah before Sarah is able to leave the island with Richard's kids. Sarah knocks her out before fleeing, but this is one way that the island demands payment, I believe.
There are two explanations. Either, the island itself is turning on the residents to feed, and this demonic presence or god that speaks to Richard is actually helping keep that sickness at bay, as long as the pact is fulfilled.
Or, the demonic presence is causing all of this in order to be fed. When it's fed, the terrors and the plague will stop, according to Richard. I thi
So, I believe, with the information we have right now, it's the thing that's causing it, and Richard is helping stave off the sickness and "terrors" by sacrificing people to that monster.
We don't know yet, but all will likely be revealed soon.
Why can't anyone born in Widow's Bay leave the island?
There's been this rumor that those who were born on Widow's Bay can't leave the island. We've seen evidence that this is true, like with Tom's wife and Evan's mom, but we don't know for sure.
When Richard is informed that his children are leaving the island and heading for the mainland with Sarah, he panics, and he tells them that they have killed them all. He also mentions that the island won't let them leave.
Now, why and how could this happen? The working theory is that the blood of the residents of Widow's Bay was promised to this god, as Richard describes. In forming this pact, Richard has tied the residents to this island as some kind of curse.
We don't totally understand how it works yet, but it's pretty clear that something horrible is going to happen to Richard's children as they try to leave the island.
We'll find out more in episode 7! Stay tuned!
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