Widow’s Bay episode 4, “Beach Reads,” begins immediately after the third episode, “Inaugural Swim.” Remember, Sheriff Bechir (Kevin Carroll) radios for help from Patricia’s cocktail event after the swim, but we don’t know why.
Well, as it turns out, Widow's Bay episode 4 starts four days earlier at the market. Patricia (Kate O’Flynn is at her book van/mobile library, but no one is interested. After checking her book donation box, she finds a bunch of trash and an interesting self-help book. And, that’s where her problems begin!
For the first three episodes, we’ve focused a lot on Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys), and for good reason. The fourth episode, though, starts to tell us a lot more about Patricia.
Patricia slowly loses her mind
After her book event, she attends a party at Leonore’s house with some of Patricia’s classmates from high school, but it’s clear she is not welcome. And, we quickly find out why.
Patricia tells one of the women, who is new in town, about the girls who died when they were in high school. Patricia claims that she was attacked by the Boogeyman, who killed her classmates in high school.
After running to the bathroom, Patricia comes back out to all the women at the party talking about her. Apparently, they feel like Patricia has been lying about everything that happened. It’s super awkward.
When she returns home, Patricia goes into her van and finds the book, the self-help book that was donated, lying on the floor. She picks it up and starts reading. Strangely, it’s all about becoming the best version of herself and throwing a party. Well, what a coincidence because Patricia is planning a party after the Inaugural Swim! Tom references this during the meeting in episode 3.
After no one RSVPs to her party, Patricia cancels another event in town that everyone is going to, and finally, some people start to RSVP. Patricia refreshes the page all hours of the day and night obsessively. She’s also reading the book for hours at a time in the day and night. The Sheriff sees on CCTV that Patricia was out at 3 a.m. in the pitch black reading this book.
Something is not right!
Patricia makes everyone drink the punch and gives a toast
On the night of the party, Patricia prepares the punch like a maniac. Rosemary (Dale Dickey) tries to ask Patricia what some of the items on the supply list were. She also asks if Patricia wants a different headdress, which is very interesting. It’s almost like Patricia is possessed.
At the party, Patricia tries to get people to have a good time, but it’s not happening.
After Kris, the woman from earlier, makes another mean joke about Patricia, she finally gets the courage to confront Kris, who tries to put Patricia in her place. The Boogeyman killed Kris’s friends back in the day, and she thinks Patricia was and still is so starved for attention that she lied about the Boogeyman coming to her house when they were in high school.
After Patricia has a breakdown in the kitchen, the book tells her to serve the punch, which she does.
While the party starts slow, Patricia’s punch that she prepared is a big hit! In no time, the party turns into a great time, eventually. The punch turns the party around.
Then, Patricia gives a toast, and she reads from the book to give the toast, which is also odd. Then, everyone heads down the beach for a bonfire. Rosemary claims that she didn’t understand a word of Patricia’s speech.
Huh, that’s odd.
What actually happened to Patricia in Widow's Bay episode 4?
Sheriff Bechir arrives at the Salty Whale, and Patricia snaps out of the trance she was in. She looks down at the spot where she prepared the punch, and it's full of dead animals and blood. The tiara she was wearing is some sort of satanic headdress with antlers and like a badger head.
Patricia panics. The decor for the party was actually symbols of witchcraft. The book that gave her the idea is no longer a self-help book; it’s a book of spells! Patricia basically became the witch and cast a spell on everyone.
It’s pretty clear that Patricia brewed some kind of potion. Everyone who drank the punch is in a trance and is walking down to the beach where Patricia has built a large bonfire. Everyone is walking into the ocean to drown themselves, while Patricia and Bechir try to turn them around.
Eventually, Patricia throws the book into the fire, which breaks the spell. Everyone wakes up. Thankfully, no one dies, but everyone thinks Patricia drugged everyone with the punch, which is kind of true.
Reverend Bryce is found dead
Later that night, Tom and Wyck (Stephen Root), having just vanquished the Sea Hag, spot Patricia in the road. They pick her up on the way to whatever they are going to do.
Shortly after, they arrive at the church looking for Reverend Bryce, who left that mysterious voicemail on Tom’s machine that night. They find him, all right, but he’s dead.
And, that’s how Widow’s Bay episode 4 ends with the death of Reverend Bryce.
What an incredible episode of the series! O’Flynn deserves so much praise for her performance this episode.
We’re nearly halfway through Widow’s Bay season 1, and this story keeps getting better. Widow’s Bay is headed for a dark place after Patricia was just possessed by a spell book and nearly killed half the town.
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