Crystal Lake: The Friday the 13th Prequel Series Review The Friday the 13th franchise returns with Crystal Lake, a gripping prequel series that reimagines the tragic origins of Pamela and Jason Voorhees. While the timeline is shifted to the 1970s, the series captures the eerie atmosphere of the original film, offering a deeper exploration of the character dynamics at Camp Crystal Lake. After 17 long years, the Friday the 13th franchise has a reason to celebrate with the release of Crystal Lake, a worthwhile entry for the historic horror franchise. If you're like me, you may have had doubts that A24's prequel series would ever see the light of day. And yet, here we are. Following Bryan Fuller's exit, A24 handed the reins to Brad Caleb Kane as showrunner. We will never know what Fuller's Friday the 13th prequel would have fully looked like, but it's now safe to say that Kane was well-suited to lead the series.Crystal Lake Reimagines Jason And Pamela OriginKane's Crystal Lake notably alters the origins of the franchise's two most important figures: Jason and Pamela Voorhees. It's the latter who serves as the main character in Crystal Lake, an eight-episode series that primarily focuses on Pam (Linda Cardellini) following the accidental drowning of her son, Jason (Callum Vinson).In addition to taking viewers on Pam's journey from grieving mother to unhinged killer, the series provides an in-depth origin story for both mother and son. While Kane presents Crystal Lake as a prequel to 1980's Friday the 13th, the series is actually a reimagining, meaning there are several major changes and expansions to the established lore. Despite the liberties taken in this ambitious series, it still serves as a love letter to the franchise and its die-hard fans.Granted, there will be several aspects of Crystal Lake's big twists that will likely divide fans, especially when it comes to details surrounding Jason. Crystal Lake's Nostalgic Setting Is A Fun Blast From The Past The original Friday the 13th movie takes place in 1979, with Jason's drowning said to have happened in the late '50s.Crystal Lake Changes Friday 13th Timeline To 1970sCrystal Lake shakes up Friday the 13th's timeline a bit, with Jason's apparent death happening in 1971 and most of the series set during the aftermath in 1972. The timeline shift will bring up questions about continuity, but more importantly, the move allows Crystal Lake to drop right back into the look and feel of the true beginnings of the franchise.Brad Caleb Kane and his team do an excellent job of recapturing the 1970s aesthetic, and a lot of that has to do with going back to the source. Much of Crystal Lake's filming took place in and around the same New Jersey locations used for the original Friday the 13th movie. Even if the same exact areas couldn't be reused, the Crystal Lake team scouted original locations to replicate the memorable sets from the first movie.The decision effectively gives a sense of familiarity, even if the prequel is a reimagined take on the events leading up to the events that launched the film series. The town looks the exact same as it does when Annie the hitchhiker comes walking through, looking for a ride to Camp Crystal Lake in the 1980 movie.In fact, the new series pays homage to that exact sequence with a new character, and it's just one of the many thrilling ways Kane references the franchise's roots. The eeriness of the lake and surrounding woods also means the incorporation of creepy POVs as characters are stalked at different points of the series.Elements of the camp itself will be instantly recognizable, though the camp itself is in much better condition than in the movies, seeing as Crystal Lake occurs before the location fully gets its"Camp Blood" moniker. For those long-time fans tuning into Crystal Lake, it will also be intriguing to see more of the camp before, during, and shortly after Jason's tragic drowning.In doing so, the prequel takes a deeper look into those impacted by the tragedies at Camp Crystal Lake. There's even a camp sequence taken directly from the original movie that's remade and expanded on, which will forever change how you look at the franchise's original kills. As an extra treat, Crystal Lake's opening credits pay tribute to the original movie with retro imagery and music from composer Harry Manfredini.Linda Cardellini Delivers Powerful Pamela Voorhees PerformanceLinda Cardellini Delivers A Powerful Performance As A Complex Pamela Voorhees One of the most enthralling aspects of Crystal Lake isn't just that it expands on Friday the 13th's lore; it's that the series acts as a character study on Pamela Voorhees. Jason has become the villain synonymous with the franchise, but the first true killer in Friday the 13th is his mother, Pamela.Driven by rage since her son's tragic death, Mrs. Voorhees falls deeper into madness and continues to seek vengeance, even if it means targeting innocent victims decades after her son's death. Betsy Palmer set high standards for the character's initial portrayal, but Linda Cardellini is brilliant in depicting Pamela Voorhees and the character's complex makeover.To fully understand the immense loss felt by Pam as a result of Jason's drowning, Crystal Lake gives more insight into their strong mother-son bond, which is beautifully seen through Cardellini and Vinson's shared scenes.