It feels like forever again when the Crystal Lake series was announced by A24, with Bryan Fuller as the showrunner.
There’s been a few bumps in the road since then, including Fuller’s exit as showrunner, replaced by Brad Caleb Kane. Fuller retains a writing credit for the pilot, but other than that, this is Kane’s show.
Most horror fans know the story of Pamela Voorhees’ bloodbath in the original Friday, but this series brings us an alternative prequel timeline that shows how Jason drowns and the aftermath.
Linda Cardellini is our Mrs Voorhees, and, shocking to no one, she is a revelation. The first episode, which doesn’t mess about creating the new mythology, is also surprisingly emotional.
The key here is Cardellini’s chemistry with Callum Vinson’s Jason, who has never been more sympathetic.
Crystal Lake does take some big swings too, involving a side plot that fills in the blanks of both Pamela and Jason’s pasts while also hinting at what could lie ahead if we get a season 2.
Gore fans won’t be worried either, as Crystal Lake has bucketloads of blood and some genuinely gruesome kills.
A surprise MVP of the series is William Catlett’s Sheriff Levon Brooks, a new character who feels like the straight man amongst some of the chaos unfolding at Crystal Lake.
Hardcore fans will recognise plenty of familiar faces, including ‘Crazy’ Ralph, who again is given plenty to do and actually has somewhat of an arc.
Crystal Lake has laid the groundwork to break new, bloody ground, and if a Season 2 is greenlit it will be fascinating to see where the Voorhees family goes next.
All episodes of the Sky Exclusive series Crystal Lake will be available on October 19th on Sky and streaming service NOW.
