Show creator Brad Caleb Kane, fresh off his success with HBO’s It: Welcome to Derry, has taken the helm of the Friday the 13th franchise. The A24-produced prequel, Crystal Lake, is an eight-episode series premiering on Peacock. The first two episodes premiered at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival, and the franchise looks to be in good hands for now.
The series is a massive undertaking, balancing elements such as horror, tragedy, and a franchise origin story while keeping it fresh and accessible. Crystal Lake jumps right into the tragedy of young Jason Voorhees’s drowning, with Callum Vinson playing the role with confidence. It immediately sets the tone for the series.
Crystal Lake Explores Pamela Voorhees’ Backstory
From the opening frames, we are thrust into the tragic and violent world of Pamela Voorhees (Linda Cardellini). The show rides that wave of loss and grief through the first two episodes. Cardellini is excellent, making Pam vulnerable and devastated by the loss of her son, unable to move on at all. And, to be fair, who really moves on from the death of a child?
But creator Brad Kane had more up his sleeve than just exploring Pamela’s tragic story. He introduces a new backstory involving a strange door and a possible secret facility from Pam and Jason’s past, turning this into a thriller-mystery alongside the horror and tragedy. It’s a bold move that may face resistance, but it adds a layer of intrigue to what is essentially a story we are all familiar with. It will take more than that, however, to make this series work, and Kane seems determined to do just that.
RELATED: 10 ‘Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood’ Facts You May Not Know
We see familiar locations from the original film, making it feel like you’re going back to camp, with some sly humor as well. The timeline has moved to 1971, which helps distance the series from the films. Still, the feel and vibe are familiar and fun.
William Catlett plays Levon, the sheriff in the town, who is dealing with his own tragic loss, and thus it seems only natural that he and Pam would slowly gravitate to each other. However, there is nothing simple about these first two episodes, and Kane does a great job of mixing things up, switching the pace to keep the viewer off-balance.
Crystal Lake Episodes 1 and 2 Are a Great Start
Episode 1, “The Great Pretender,” is painful, frantic, bloody, and well done. Episode 2, “Are You Experienced?” is a very different animal. While not as hard-hitting as Episode 1, it gives the viewer a clear sense of how Cane and company intend to move this series forward.
There are some names familiar to franchise fans, along with a new cast of characters. Satisfying longtime fans while bringing in new fans is tricky, and over the first two episodes it seems to strike a decent balance. Though you can’t deny there is a strong push to win back the fans from that past.
RELATED: ‘Friday the 13th’ Almost Went Meta Years Before ‘Wes Craven’s New Nightmare’
Overall, it’s a very intriguing and well-thought-out beginning. Brad Kane has painstakingly crafted the series’ look, feel, and sound to be familiar and fun while introducing some new and interesting ideas along the way. Cardellini seems intent on carrying the show, with all the emotion and anger pent up inside Pamela oozing out in every scene she’s in.
Will they be able to carry this momentum of story and emotion through all eight episodes? That remains a tall order, to be sure, but there can be no denying this was a great start.
All episodes premiere on Thursday, October 15, 2026, exclusively on Peacock.
Support independent genre journalism. Horror Geek Life is powered by passionate writers, editors, and fans. If you enjoyed this article, you can help us keep the lights on by buying us a coffee.
As an Amazon Associate, Horror Geek Life earns from qualifying purchases. Some links may be paid affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
