The Watcher is adapted from an article that appeared in the New Yorker in the early 1970s and is based on a true story.
Moving to 657 Boulevard in the charming New Jersey town of Westfield was the realisation of a dream for the Brannock family from Manhattan. A quick transition from a dream to a nightmare. The decision to leave the bustle of the city, according to Dean Brannock, his wife Nora, and their two children Ellie and Carter, to live in this house, was worthwhile. The Brannocks invested everything they had in the Westfield house, despite the fact that they were not wealthy.
The family spends their first night in the house in happiness before awakening to the terror that would follow them there for the duration of their stay. The following morning, a letter addressed to “the watcher” and written in anonymity, shows up in the mailbox. The writer of the letter welcomes the family to the neighbourhood, calls each member of the family by name, and promises to keep an eye on them going forward. The letter also discusses the past of the house and how it is full of mysteries.
Other than the letter, Dean has a bad run-in with the neighbours Mitch and his wife Maureen, a retired couple who sit out in the sun all day long, watching the neighbours. The other neighbours are an odd pair of elderly siblings. Pearl, a quirky, middle-aged woman, cares for her special needs brother Jasper, who loves to ride the Brannock’s dumbbell waiter (a mid-century type of elevator for food) and always breaks into the Brannocks home, scaring their children. With the neighbours, the watcher and everything turning against them since they moved into the home, the Brannocks are tested to breaking point. Dean loses his mind trying to solve the case and even goes as far as hiring a private detective.
Despite being a thriller, the show comes out as fragile cute with its spooky techniques that fail to frighten anyone. However, what has made the show so well-liked is the mystery surrounding the characters. We are eager to learn the details of every character’s backstory. We cannot help but ask, “Could they be The Watcher or what the hell is their problem?”
That said, the cast make this show successful. They are profoundly committed to their characters and manage to evade any telltale signs from showing on their faces. The casting is the best decision Ryan Murphy made because they manage to salvage the unsalvageable in this lousy predictable script.
Created By: Ryan Murphy & Ian Brennan
Executive Producers: Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennan, Alexis Martin Woodall, Eric Kovtun, Bryan Unkeless, Eric Newman, Paris Barclay, Naomi Watts, Ariel Schulman, Henry Joost, Scoop Wasserstein
Cast: Naomi Watts, Bobby Cannavale, Jennifer Coolidge, Mia Farrow, Margo Martindale, Terry Kinney, Joe Mantello, Richard Kind, Noma Dumezweni, Christopher McDonald, Michael Nouri, Isabel Gravitt, Henry Hunter Hall, Luke David Blumm