Peacock’s Crystal Lake Prequel Debuts With Critics Split

Peacock’s eight-episode Friday the 13th prequel, Crystal Lake, premieres in the United States on October 15, with Linda Cardellini playing Pamela Voorhees, the mother of Jason Voorhees. The series moves the franchise’s focus from Jason to Pamela and the events that precede the original films. Set in the 1970s, the story begins after young Jason apparently drowns at Camp Crystal Lake. Pamela, grieving and unconvinced that her son is gone, searches for answers as deaths occur around the town and investigators look into them. The cast also includes Callum Vinson as young Jason, William Catlett as Sheriff Levon Brooks and Gwendolyn Sundstrom as Grace, a friend of Jason. The series combines horror with a small-town mystery and character drama, rather than relying solely on the familiar slasher format. Its eight episode titles include references to earlier franchise installments, among them Part II, A New Beginning and The Final Chapter. Peacock has said all episodes will be available at the U.S. premiere. Critics’ assessments published before the release differ on whether the expanded story works.