Watch The Widower

The Widower premiered on PBS in 2014, and marked the first time that co-creators Jeff Pope and Neil McKay had brought their true crime storytelling to the United States. The three-part series was based on the true story of real-life serial killer Malcolm Webster, who was serving a life sentence for the murder of his first wife and the attempted murder of his second at the time of the show's debut.

Throughout the series, viewers follow Webster (played expertly by Reece Shearsmith) as he uses charm, deceit, and manipulation to woo unsuspecting women, only to leave them dead, dying, or penniless after he has plundered their savings. With the help of his new wife Felicity (Kate Fleetwood), Webster goes about his grim business, weaving a web of deceit that eventually catches up with him.

What sets The Widower apart from other true crime shows is its emphasis on character development. Instead of focusing purely on the crimes themselves, the show delves deep into the personalities of Webster and his various victims. We see the former as a man obsessed with money and status, driven to increasingly desperate measures as his lies start to catch up with him. At the same time, we see his victims as kind-hearted women who are slowly worn down by Webster's charm, until it's too late to escape his grasp.

The Widower is a slow-burn show, taking its time to establish each character and set the scene for the crimes that are to come. But it is never less than gripping, thanks to the strong performances of its cast - particularly Reece Shearsmith, who brings a chillingly understated quality to the role of Webster. His portrayal of the killer is all the scarier for its lack of theatrics, as he lures women into his trap with a soft voice and a winning smile.

The show is set mainly in Scotland and New Zealand, and makes great use of its locations to add to the sense of unease that pervades throughout. The rugged Scottish Highlands serve as a bleakly beautiful backdrop to some of the show's most harrowing moments, while the sunshine of New Zealand's North Island provides a stark contrast to the darkness that lurks within Webster's heart.

At its core, The Widower is a story of justice - or, more accurately, the lack thereof. For years, Webster was able to evade the law as he traveled the world, leaving a trail of broken lives in his wake. But eventually, the weight of his crimes caught up with him, and he was brought to justice. The show doesn't shy away from the grim reality of this process, showing how the wheels of justice can grind slowly and imperfectly, especially when dealing with a defendant as manipulative as Webster.

Overall, The Widower is a compelling and thought-provoking show that examines the psychology of a serial killer in intimate detail. It is a testament to the power of good storytelling that it can make such a gruesome subject matter so deeply engrossing, and it stands as a reminder of the vigilance we all need to exercise when it comes to trusting those around us.

The Widower is a series that ran for 1 seasons (4 episodes) between October 4, 2015 and on PBS