Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) in 'Stranger Things' Season 1 "Holly Jolly"Image via Netflix
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Giovana Gelhoren
Published 6 minutes ago
Giovana Gelhoren is a High-Trending Topics Writer at Collider, where she covers all the most-talked about stars, movies and TV shows. She’s a proud Latina, hailing all the way from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in Journalism and International Studies. She’s known among her friends as an encyclopedia of celebrities and will watch just about every type of media (especially if said friends are around to watch it with her). She's also interviewed many celebrities during her career, some favorites including Anne Hathaway, Halle Berry, Pamela Anderson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Brenda Song, Jordin Sparks, and many more.
Sign in to your Collider account Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recapWhile all the buzz in these past weeks has been about Apple TV's twisty new series Pluribus, and the long-awaited Season 5 of Stranger Things, there's another show that's reportedly gotten people talking lately. On Reddit, the 2022 thriller series The Watcher, created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, has gotten a whole new wave of attention, and has become the third most talked-about series on the platform. But while new attention to an older series might be a surprise, anyone who's watched it knows that it's a show that'll keep you guessing (if not searching on the internet for answers too).
What Is 'The Watcher' About?
Loosely based on the 2018 article on The Cut by Reeves Wiedeman, The Watcher chronicles the horrifying ordeal of the Brannock family, who — after moving in into their idyllic dream home in Westfield, New Jersey — begin being harassed by a slew of creepy letters sent by a stalker by the name "The Watcher." As the letters keep coming to their home on 657 Boulevard, the family of four is sent into a frenzy, one that raises suspicions of everyone around them, including their odd and mysterious neighbors.
Despite the efforts to scope out the neighborhood and increase surveillance around their home, The Watcher continues to stalk the Brannocks' every move, leading to a professional crisis for dad Dean (Bobby Cannavale), as well as his crumbling marriage to Nora (Naomi Watts). The Brannocks' kids, teenage daughter Ellie (Isabel Gravitt) and young son Carter (Luke David Blumm), also play a huge part in the family's paranoia, with Carter fearing for his life, and Ellie adamant on living like any other teenage girl. Another highlight in the series is Jennifer Coolidge's character Karen Calhoun, a real estate agent whose number one goal is making money, regardless of the stalker's intentions.
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'The Watcher's Naomi Watts & Jennifer Coolidge Reveal What They’d Do If They Were in Same Situation as Netflix Series
They also talked about what it was like to get the phone call from Ryan Murphy inviting them to be a part of this.
Posts By Christina Radish Oct 15, 2022‘The Watcher’ Is a Whodunnit at Its Finest
If, from the description alone, you're already theorizing in your head who the creepy stalker of 657 Boulevard could be, then this is the series for you. After all, even with a pen and paper in hand, viewers might need help keeping track of everyone who seems suspicious and is connected to the house in some way. From their neighbor Jasper (Terry Kinney), who breaks into their home to supposedly only use their old dumbwaiter, to next-door neighbors Mo (Margo Martindale) and Mitch (Richard Kind), who are hiding major secrets of their own, everyone around the Brannocks begins to look like the culprit.
And, as the list of suspects gets longer and longer in each episode, the show's quick pacing and heightened tension lets the stories unfold in a rhythm that's both satisfying and heart-thumping for viewers. After all, because Dean and Nora are on the hunt for answers just like the viewers, the series uncovers revelations and secrets one after another in each episode. By doing so, the series, despite its controversial and divisive ending, manages to leave viewers gripped until the very end.
With that said, while shows like Pluribus and Stranger Things are the biggest streaming hits right now, it's no surprise that The Watcher has Reddit viewers talking once again. After all, with a storyline that has everyone coming up with theories and answers on their own, and an ending that's become one of Murphy's most criticized finales of all time, the series gives viewers plenty to talk about, for better or for worse.
The Watcher
Like TV-MA Drama Mystery Horror Release Date 2022 - 2022-00-00 Network Netflix Directors Jennifer Lynch, Ryan MurphyCast
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Bobby Cannavale
Dean Brannock
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Henry Hunter Hall
Dakota
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Joe Mantello
John Graff
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Naomi Watts
Nora Brannock
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Pluribus
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Netflix
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