After years of Jason Voorhees and “Friday the 13th” trapped in litigation, Creator Brad Kane’s “Crystal Lake” series on Peacock was a breath of fresh air. The series, comprised of eight episodes, is not perfect. It offers homages for “Friday” die hards while frequently becoming its own thing. It gives the town of Crystal Lake a life of its own. It’s bustling with townspeople you grow to know, while also setting in place the legend of Jason’s drowning and the ultimate ‘curse’ that would affect the town’s camps and forests. It often departs into non-cannon and retcons, which may irritate some die hard viewers. However, from the opening credits—which scream vintage “Friday the 13th” openings—and throughout its characterizations, the series is helmed at the forefront with solid performances from all involved.
Linda Cardellini is the show’s official star. She plays Mrs. Voorhees with the right amount of at first concern for her son and later unhinged sociopathy. I haven’t seen her in a series since “ER,” and her range here is something to behold. The opening episode where we see her deformed son Jason (played well by Callum Vinson) excited about camping and all things outdoors was crowd pleasing. It was nice to see Jason before he was a monstrous killer and as someone you could empathize with. The poor lad clearly has some serious birth defects as well as serious seizures and limited dexterity. It was a nice touch here that when mom opens a camping pack and hands him a machete, Jason lifts it above his head like He-Man, and not a psychopath. Pre-drowning Jason was just a boy, and “Crystal Lake” shows it.
Crystal Lake Recreated
“Crystal Lake’s” strong point is its homages and recreations. Kudos belong to Production Designer Lester Cohen for absolutely nailing the look of the town’s main street. The exterior shots of the diner and town make one feel they’ve walked into the first “Friday the 13th” movie. The diner looks the same, filled with Crystal Lake denizens. Among them are familiars like Enos (the truck driver who gave Annie a ride in the first film), Officer Dorf (the cop who hassled the counselors in that film’s beginning, and of course Crazy Ralph, here younger and not entirely crazy yet. They are played by Daniel Stewart Sherman, Cameron Scoggins, and Nick Cordileone, respectfully. I especially liked Cordileone’s Ralph. He’s a war veteran who’s a bit cracked (the town sheriff refers to it as ‘shell shocked,’ a term that had been fully retired by the 1970s this series takes place in), and he’s believable as a loner who values his freedoms and being left alone. And speaking of the sheriff, he’s played by William Catlett and is one of the high points of the series.
The homages are good as are the recreations. We have Ralph riding on his bike complete with front basket, wearing his bucket hat. We have the camp itself recreated well, complete with its archery range, which looks exactly like the 1980 film. It was also nice to see Crystal Lake as an actual camp and not the death haven it becomes later. There’re plenty of easter eggs—many, like the barn and a roaming snake will be noticeable only to hardcore fans—while also giving the camp a life of its own. We see the owners, John and Kay Christy (Brian J. Carter and Nancy Nagrant) and their struggles to keep the camp open after Jason drowns. And we see glimpses of their son, Steve (Dan Thompson) who’ll eventually try and open the camp in the original 1980 film. All of this makes the camp and the town feel like a lived-in place. It’s a 180-turn from the ghost town we see in the original film.
Before Jason was a Monster
Where the series departs—and might divide fans—is in the machinations that turn Pamela Voorhees from a mother into a killer and the lore that ultimately creates Jason as a murderous protector of the woods. First, the series mixes things up. Jason’s drowning takes place in 1971, where in the film he drowned in 1957. To me, this change lets viewers bask in the ‘70s—which is on full display here. It also sets up an easier second season, should Peacock decide to go there, which would doubtless take place closer to modernity. Several episodes highlight the look and pastimes of the era, and viewers really feel transported back in time.
As “Crystal Lake” isn’t yet a month old, I’ll avoid spoilers while describing the series’ enticing parts and what does or doesn’t work. There’s a lot that happens here, including mysterious men looking for Pam, a group of hippies that camp at Crystal Lake to help paint the buildings, dead men that turn up, the sheriff and deputy who investigate them, and rumors of a shadowed company that figures into the plot in key ways towards the end. And all along the way, missing persons and rumors of an ‘evil’ in the woods find their way into town. I will spoil one thing. When Ralph gets angry with some townsfolk and tells them, “if you want to take a walk in the woods, be my guest; you’ll never come back again,” I cheered. Ralph became one of my favorite characters. This was a positive change as he had no back story in the original films.
Plenty of Loved Characters and Homages
Suffice to say, along the way in “Crystal Lake” there are a lot of kills. Some very gruesome, yet they often reminded me of the original series’ practical effects though they doubtless used CGI. Of course, a machete is used once; that’s all I’ll say, while the others are sometimes very creative and brutal. There was also one scene I really liked. Similar to dogs barking at Ted Bundy in Zach Efron’s “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile,” a killer bear in the woods locking eyes with Pam and refusing to attack, noticing a killer kinship, was a nice touch. “Crystal Lake” also gives Pam a mother complex. Along the way she becomes close to an orphaned child, Grace (Gwendolyn Sundstrom), whom the series uses in interesting and twisty ways. Also, the way “Crystal Lake” shows how Pam unintentionally finds out the identity of the two camp counselors who neglectfully let her son drown (Danielle Kotch and Phoenix Parnevik) was well done and realistic.
Yet while the homages and necessary backstory are apropos, the show excels at making it feel unique as well. In particular, Sheriff Brooks—in no way connected to the film’s cannon—is one of the series’ huge draws. William Catlett plays him with calmness and steadiness (he’s an outsider from a big city) and gives the show balance. The camaraderie he has with Pamela (he’s sweet on her) and Officer Dorf throughout is believable and endearing. Many have praised Cardellini’s performance as Emmy-worthy (she’s great and her performance probably is), Catlett is the show’s second beating heart. Alongside him, Cameron Scoggins plays a great Officer Dorf and the way the series ties up their relationship at its close was cheer worthy. Cardellini is of course great; caring at the beginning, by the end she’ll be stark-raving mad. You really believe her transition. Additional characters such as Rita (Joy Suprano) and the Sheriff’s reporter sister (Devin Kessler) add intrigue to the show equally.
Cardellini, Catlett, and Cordileone Steal the Show
While Peacock hasn’t announced if a Season 2 will follow, you could see “Crystal Lake” standing as a lone prequel. It sets up Pamela Voorhees’ murderous rampage believably and creates lore to establish Jason as the wraith-like killer he is. The production is top notch, the performances are all good, and the homages are spot on (you can click here for all easter eggs in the production). There are some elements towards the series’ end that retcon most of Jason’s backstory (or rather fill in) that I found irritating. They were too sci-fi and purposeful for my liking. You’ll have to watch the show to discover this plot, but suffice to say it’s very ‘60s and full of that period’s nuclear hysteria.
Yet despite this, “Crystal Lake” is an enjoyable, easy watch. It should please “Friday the 13th” lovers who can deal with some creative license, and for Peacock subscribers looking for a fun show to watch—assuming you don’t mind gore—should also find it pleasing. Jason is like Tom Cruise; even if you’re not a horror fan, you’ve heard of him. Brad Kane and company have created a pleasing show with good performances. It’s an overall great way to hang on to Spooky Season for just a little longer as we swing into Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the holidays.
