Coverage dated October 12, 2026 to October 15, 2026

‘Crystal Lake’ Rotten Tomatoes Reviews Cheer ‘Friday The 13th’ Prequel Series

Headline from Forbes, from the development of Oct 13, 2026

Newest development Oct 15, 2026 · 3 reportsLearn the Origins of a Powerful Creature in ‘Crystal Lake’

"Crystal Lake," a prequel series to the "Friday the 13th" film franchise starring Linda Cardellini as Pam Voorhees, is chilling Rotten Tomatoes’ critics.

Forbes's own description from its feed. We collect headlines and these descriptions, not full articles; read the original reporting below.

Developments in this update

3 dated developments, oldest first, newest marked. Each is named by one outlet's own headline; open its reports to see every outlet that covered it.

  1. Names this update

    ‘Crystal Lake’ Rotten Tomatoes Reviews Cheer ‘Friday The 13th’ Prequel Series

    Headline from Forbes ·

  2. ‘Crystal Lake’ Pays Tribute To Snake Killed In Making Of ‘Friday the 13th’: “A Direct Nod”

    Headline from Deadline ·

  3. Newest

    Learn the Origins of a Powerful Creature in ‘Crystal Lake’

    Headline from The Good Men Project ·

3 reports not tied to one development ·

Reports & sources

17 articles, oldest first.

  1. KGET Bakersfield

    Trip to ‘Crystal Lake’ ends up being killing experience (opens KGET Bakersfield)

    Published

    KGET Bakersfield's feed description

    BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) -- The summer of 1982 changed Brad Caleb Kane forever. That’s when he saw “Friday the 13th, Part III” and it became what he describes as “the gateway drug to the wider world of film genre.

  2. Variety

    Linda Cardellini Leads Peacock’s Bold and Bloody ‘Friday the 13th’ Prequel ‘Crystal Lake’: TV Review (opens Variety)

    Published

    Variety's feed description

    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 g…

  3. The Hollywood Reporter

    ‘Crystal Lake’ Review: Peacock’s Linda Cardellini-Starring Series Is the Best ‘Friday the 13th’ Property Yet (Which Isn’t Saying a Lot) (opens The Hollywood Reporter)

    Published

    The Hollywood Reporter's feed description

    The Emmy winner plays Pamela Voorhees, mother of a missing special needs child, in this prequel/adaptation/reimagining of the landmark slasher films.

  4. New York Post

    ‘Friday the 13th’ prequel ‘Crystal Lake’ is a mediocre Jason Voorhees origin story: review (opens New York Post)

    Published

    New York Post's feed description

    “Friday the 13th” prequel series "Crystal Lake" is a violent gore-fest starring Linda Cardellini as Jason Voorhees' mom.

  5. Time

    Friday the 13th Series Crystal Lake Is Everything Wrong With Film-to-TV Adaptations (opens Time)

    Published

    Time's feed description

    Peacock reboots the 'Friday the 13th' franchise, and the result is the one thing this horror classic should never be: boring

  6. UPI

    TV review: 'Crystal Lake' overexplains 'Friday the 13th' (opens UPI)

    Published

    UPI's feed description

    "Crystal Lake," on Peacock Thursday, turns "Friday the 13th" into a very familiar TV mystery revealing banal backstory about the movie characters.

  7. Polygon

    'Crystal Lake' Is a Shockingly Good 'Friday the 13th' Prequel Series That Nobody Asked For (opens Polygon)

    Published

    Polygon's feed description

    Crystal Lake is a surprisingly fun exercise in IP management

  8. Gizmodo

    ‘Crystal Lake’ Rewrites ‘Friday the 13th’ Lore With Gory, Campy Glee (opens Gizmodo)

    Published

    Gizmodo's feed description

    Linda Cardellini plays Jason Voorhees’ murderous mother Pam in the new Peacock series.

  9. Forbes

    ‘Crystal Lake’ Rotten Tomatoes Reviews Cheer ‘Friday The 13th’ Prequel Series (opens Forbes)

    Published

    Forbes's feed description

    "Crystal Lake," a prequel series to the "Friday the 13th" film franchise starring Linda Cardellini as Pam Voorhees, is chilling Rotten Tomatoes’ critics.

  10. New York Post

    ‘Crystal Lake’ creator breaks down Linda Cardellini’s casting and why the ‘Friday the 13th’ prequel used ‘gallons of blood’ (opens New York Post)

    Published

    New York Post's feed description

    “Crystal Lake,” which premieres on Oct. 15, follows Jason Voorhees' mom in the ‘70s, shortly after her son's drowning.

  11. Gizmodo

    The Heroes of ‘Crystal Lake’ on Diving Into the World of ‘Friday the 13th’ (opens Gizmodo)

    Published

    Gizmodo's feed description

    William Catlett and Devin Kessler talk about playing siblings Levon and Brianna Brooks.

  12. Deadline

    ‘Crystal Lake’ Pays Tribute To Snake Killed In Making Of ‘Friday the 13th’: “A Direct Nod” (opens Deadline)

    Published

    Deadline's feed description

    More than 45 years after the first Friday the 13th, Brad Caleb Kane is righting a wrong from the set of the 1980 slasher. Ahead of Friday’s premiere on Peacock, the Crystal Lake creator noted that a snake Pamela Voorhees (Linda Cardellini) sets free after finding it in the camp pantry in the first e…

  13. The Guardian

    Crystal Lake review – Friday the 13th gets unnecessary expansion in gory and goofy series (opens The Guardian)

    Published

    The Guardian's feed description

    Linda Cardellini tries her best but this baffling attempt to add backstory to one of horror’s thinnest franchises is IP stretching at its most pointless The unending exhaustion of IP has forced us to ask questions we never really wanted or needed to ask.

  14. Variety

    How Do You Get ‘Friday the 13th’ Fans to Care About Jason’s Mom? ‘Crystal Lake’ Team on Their Ambitious Attempt and Decision to Leave Out the Hockey Mask (opens Variety)

    Published

    Variety's feed description

    “You should know that Jason’s mother, Mrs. Voorhees, was the original killer.” That quote from “Scream,” in which Ghostface trips up Casey (Drew Barrymore) while asking her about scary movies, is a reminder that for many modern audiences, “Friday the 13th” matriarch Pamela Voorhees exists as little …

  15. New York Post

    Inside Jason Voorhees’ wild origin story in ‘Friday the 13th’ prequel ‘Crystal Lake’ (opens New York Post)

    Published

    New York Post's feed description

    “Crystal Lake” finally reveals how the iconic horror villain Jason Voorhees is virtually indestructible and keeps coming back to life.

  16. The Good Men Project

    Learn the Origins of a Powerful Creature in ‘Crystal Lake’ (opens The Good Men Project)

    Published

    The Good Men Project's feed description

    A rather intriguing story gets told on this show I can’t say I have watched many of the Friday the 13th films. I am familiar with the character of Jason Voorhees and really enjoyed watching them in Freddy Vs. Jason. When I first heard that a prequel series was being made, I thought it could…

  17. Deadline

    ‘Crystal Lake’s Linda Cardellini Used Pam Voorhees’ Grief As “Fuel For Her Rage,” Reveals Her Favorite Kill Scenes: “Feels A Little Too Good” (opens Deadline)

    Published

    Deadline's feed description

    SPOILERS: This post contains details about the Peacock series Friday the 13th With the Friday the 13th prequel series Crystal Lake, longtime fans are treated to a backstory for the mother of all slashers.