Critics split on Peacock’s Friday the 13th prequel

Peacock’s Friday the 13th prequel series Crystal Lake is scheduled to premiere October 15, with early critics’ reviews ranging from strong praise to a sharply negative assessment. The eight-episode series stars Linda Cardellini as Pamela Voorhees, the mother of Jason Voorhees, and is set before the events of the original films. The story centers on Pamela after Jason, played by Callum Vinson, apparently drowns at Camp Crystal Lake. In the series’ account, she searches for answers about her son while people in the town are killed and investigators look into the deaths. William Catlett plays Sheriff Levon Brooks, and Gwendolyn Sundstrom plays Grace, a friend of Jason. Reviews published ahead of the premiere diverge on how well the series works. One reviewer rated it 9 out of 10, praising Cardellini’s portrayal and the show’s treatment of Pamela as a central character. Another called it mediocre and uneven, arguing that its plot meanders and takes too long to provide context for Pamela’s actions. Both assessments describe the series as violent and connected to the franchise’s slasher roots. Other reviewers highlighted the show’s departure from a straightforward slasher format.