Peacock Releases 'Crystal Lake,' a 'Friday the 13th' Prequel Starring Linda Cardellini

Across the eight episodes, the show follows Pamela after her young son, Jason (Callum Vinson), drowns at Camp Crystal Lake, where she works as a cook. Grief and paranoia push her toward the serial killer she becomes, TechRadar said. The review describes Pamela as a lonely single mother who has lost her only child and tries to keep herself together, with her descent into insanity presented as inevitable; the kills are brutal and shocking from the first episode.

TechRadar said the series also develops a mystery around Pamela's past. It was written by Brad Caleb Kane, who recently worked on HBO Max's IT series Welcome to Derry. Jason's father, Elias, receives a new storyline tied to Pamela's backstory, with Hamish Linklater playing a man whose decisions influence how Jason turns out and how he survives his drowning in the original Friday the 13th film.

The review said Crystal Lake adds new lore to the franchise but feels stretched in places, and that a six-episode run would have been tighter. It also cited nods to the films, including the killer's point of view, a chilling score and a title sequence that evokes 1980s slasher movies, and praised the editing. TechRadar described the series as gripping and binge-worthy, offering horror fans familiarity and new material.