It’s been nearly 50 years since the debut of Sean S. Cunningham’s “Friday the 13th.” The indie film became a horror classic, and helped revolutionize the slasher genre. Multiple sequels and reboots have turned the narrative into an expansive franchise, but the Peacock series “Crystal Lake” finally gives fans an unprecedented window into Jason Voorhees’ origin story. Overseen by “It: Welcome to Derry” showrunner Brad Caleb Kane, “Crystal Lake” is the disturbing and violent tale of Pam Voorhees (Linda Cardellini), who, following the drowning of her son, Jason (Callum Vinson), attempts to pull herself out of her sorrow. However, when body parts start appearing in the nearby woods and mysterious men descend on the town, it becomes clear Pam isn’t exactly who she says she is. Thoughtful though overlong, “Crystal Lake” offers a new take on Jason’s horrifying beginnings while honoring the lure of the classic film.
The eight-episode series opens in 1972, eight years before the events of “Friday the 13th.” Pam is content with her placid life in Crystal Lake, New Jersey, where she works as a lunch lady for the school and the summer camp, Camp Crystal. Yet her main role is caring for her sickly son, Jason. Pam does everything she can to ensure Jason has a normal childhood. Still, his frequent seizures and physical differences make him a pariah among the other children of the town. Grace (Gwendolyn Sundstrom), a quiet girl dealing with abuse at the hands of her alcohol-dependent mother, is Jason’s only friend.
A tragedy sets up the show. During a seemingly regular day at camp, Jason swims too far and drowns as the other campers and staff look on helplessly. Pam races to rescue him, but his body is never recovered. Nine months later, Pam still hasn’t quite found her footing. Though most of the locals give the grief-stricken woman a wide berth, Chief of Police Levon Brooks (William Catlett) keeps offering Pam olive branches. But Pam’s mood swings and strange incidents in town keep him distracted, especially when his journalist sister Briana (Devin Kessler) begins connecting the severed parts to a bigger, long-buried conspiracy.
Set amid the rapidly changing 1970s, the show gives audiences a look at a society at a crossroads. From hippies to covert racists, psychedelics to cult-like workshop leaders, this is a world where any difference is still scrutinized and looked down on. Moreover, viewers are offered new insight into Pam, a woman who was deeply wounded long before the death of her only child. She isn’t the unassuming lunch lady Crystal Lake residents believe her to be. Instead, she lashes out in gruesome ways at those who attempt to hurt her or anyone she deems innocent.
“Crystal Lake” is grisly and gory, but it’s not a horror series. Though it boasts plenty of stomach-turning moments, it works much more as a psychological thriller, centering women’s rage and the perils of patriarchy. Episode 7, “Friday …,” the best of the bunch, puts Pam’s past on full display. Set in 1959, the episode weaves the lie of female hysteria, misogyny, Cold War fears and pharmaceutical greed into one tremendous installment.
While “Crystal Lake” adds depth and texture to the popular story, the show moves sluggishly, removing much of the suspense and surprise that can make slashers so exhilarating. Overall, with excellent performances from Cardellini — and from Catlett as a man trying to keep the town (and Pam) from coming apart at the seams — “Crystal Lake” is a brilliantly detailed prologue to a bloody and haunting tale.
All eight episodes of “Crystal Lake” premiere on Oct. 15 on Peacock.