What to Expect on Your Trip
5th episode of the 1st season of Widow's Bay
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"What to Expect on Your Trip" is the fifth episode of the American comedy horror Widow's Bay. The episode was written by supervising producer Colton Dunn, and directed by Andrew DeYoung. It was released on Apple TV in the United States on May 20, 2026.
Episode 5
| "What to Expect on Your Trip" | |
|---|---|
| Widow's Bay episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 5 |
| Directed by | Andrew DeYoung |
| Written by | Colton Dunn |
| Cinematography by | Cody Jacobs |
| Editing by | Jen Bryson |
| Original release date | May 20, 2026 |
| Running time | 37 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
The series is set in the fictional New England island town of Widow's Bay, which is afflicted by a centuries-old curse that brings various supernatural evils upon the island. Mayor Tom Loftis wants to make a good impression in order to raise awareness for tourism in town, while also trying to uncover the mysteries surrounding the area. In the episode, Tom, Wyck and Patricia try to find more information about Reverend Bryce's death, with Tom experiencing a drug trip in the process.
The episode earned extremely positive reviews from critics, with Matthew Rhys earning high praise for his performance in the episode.
Plot
The morning after finding Reverend Bryce's body, Tom enforces a curfew, affecting the planned fireworks for that night. Investigating Bryce's burned rectory with Patricia and Wyck, Tom discovers a charred page of writing, psychedelic mushrooms, and a phone number Bryce repeatedly called before his death.
They visit Todd O'Connor, a self-styled shaman who explains that the mushrooms induce terrifying visions linked to the island's mysteries. Intrigued, Wyck buys some mushrooms, despite Tom's reservations. However, Tom accidentally drinks from a cup containing the mushrooms, as Todd mistook him for Wyck, and he will now experience severe effects over the next 12 hours. Tom begins experiencing some time jumps through the day, as he struggles to stay focused and continues asking for Evan. During this, Wyck learns from the restored piece of writing that the island's curse may be tied to a cylindrical pendant buried with Widow's Bay founder Richard Warren.
At night, Evan and his friends visit the house said to belong to the Boogeyman, but Bechir stops Evan from entering. Evan is forced to return home, where he gets into an argument with Tom over their relationship, while also questioning why they never leave the island. Locking himself in his room, Tom flashes back to the day Evan was born, when his wife Lauren suddenly lost her eyesight while leaving the island. However, while Tom claimed she died during the birth, it is revealed that she actually survived, albeit now in a catatonic state. Back in the present, Tom prays for Evan, when he starts hearing a strange voice.
Production
Development
The episode was written by supervising producer Colton Dunn, and directed by Andrew DeYoung. It marked Dunn's first writing credit, and DeYoung's first directing credit.[1]
Filming
For the scenes where Tom experiences the drug effects, Matthew Rhys checked YouTube videos to check "which faces to pull." He added, "It's hard. But thankfully we had these incredible directors that you could give yourself over to with such trust, and they would say, ‘No. Let's pull it in a bit. Or let's push it out a bit.’ And they were our barometers."[2]
Critical reviews
"What to Expect on Your Trip" earned extremely positive reviews from critics. Jen Chaney of Vulture gave the episode a 4 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "In the chilling final moments of “What to Expect on Your Trip,” Tom appears to encounter an entity of some sort, the Widow's Bay equivalent of a smoke monster. Is that creature, or whatever it is, real, and might it be the same thing that Reverend Bryce saw before he died? Or is this simply a side effect of the most potent mushrooms that have ever grown on potentially cursed soil?"[3]
Cheryl Eddy of Gizmodo wrote, "Last week, “Beach Reads” elevated Widow's Bay yet again, giving us a witchy party from hell that pinballed between triumphant glee and agonizing embarassment. (Mostly the latter.) But the Apple TV show, one of the brightest surprises on streaming right now, hit yet another new high with “What to Expect on Your Trip.”"[4]
Sean T. Collins of Decider wrote, "Nothing draws attention to the gesture. There are no camera cuts or closeups that emphasize it. No one visibly reacts to it, since after all it’s not a big deal. I wouldn't be surprised if actor Stephen Root improvised it in the moment. It's there, though, and it reveals a depth to this man I wouldn't have predicted the show even attempting to explore. But I've learned by now not to try to predict Widow's Bay, which I never would have predicted to be one of the best shows of the year."[5] Bryce Olin of Show Snob wrote, "Widow's Bay heads into episode 5, “What to Expect on Your Trip,” after two outstanding episodes. The first two episodes were terrific, but the third episode, “Inaugural Swim,” and the fourth episode, “Beach Reads,” took this story to another level. Well, it appears Widow's Bay leveled up again in episode 5."[6]
Carissa Pavlica of TV Fanatic gave the episode a 4.5 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "Sometimes, you're so wasted that people don't even bother considering what you're saying has any merit. Although, in this case, they probably should believe whatever Tom says, wasted or not."[7] Christine Kinori of The Review Geek gave the episode a 4 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "On a technical front, the amazing camera work used in this episode is what brings the whole hallucinogenic experience together. The director uses the chaotic handheld camera style to make the audience feel as disoriented as Tom. From the close-up to the vertigo effect and the subjective audio-visual distortion, everything is on point."[8]
Accolades
TVLine named Matthew Rhys as a honorable mention for the "Performer of the Week" for the week of May 23, 2026, for his performance in the episode. The site wrote, "As Tom's trip got more intense, Rhys left the heavy lifting to his eyes, communicating Tom's terror and confusion with little more than silent stares. And when the psychedelic experience reached its peak, forcing Tom to confront his late wife's eerie demise, Rhys' performance turned subtler but no less affecting. Tom's clearly got a demon or two left to exorcise, and Rhys has us seated for every haunting moment."[9]