YAGA Premiere Recap: Hudson Williams And Carrie-Anne Moss Get Weird And Witchy In New AMC+ Drama — Grade It!

Smack dab in the middle of spooky season, AMC+ launched the suspense drama "YAGA" Friday. The half-hour thriller stars Hudson Williams ("Heated Rivalry") and Carrie-Ann Moss ("The Matrix" films) and is named after folkloric figure Baba Yaga... though the connection to that legendary witchy woman remains a mystery in the show's first episode. 

In a moment, we'll want to know what you thought of the series' start. But first, a quick recap of Episode 1. 

In voiceover intro, a woman talks about how she's considered a witch and a beast (and we see a visual of a man being burned alive in the woods). Obviously, we're hearing from some sort of Baba Yaga figure, though we don't get much more on that front in the episode. The scene then switches. A helicopter lands near a large, seaside home, and a private investigator named Charlie Rapp (played by Noah Reid, "Schitt's Creek") emerges from the aircraft. He's greeted by several local law enforcement officials, including Sgt. Carson (Clark Backo, "Letterkenny"); Carson isn't impressed by the P.I., and she's even less excited when she's assigned to accompany him around town on his investigation.

About that investigation: Rapp is looking into the disappearance of a young man named Henry Park (Williams), the college-aged son of the family that owns the town's highly profitable fishery. Henry has been missing for three days; just before he disappeared, he removed $15,000 from a bank account he shares from his parents. Rapp works for the family and has a friendly-if-undefined relationship with Henry. Carson is convinced that the fishery scion just took off for an impromptu trip — his laptop, backpack, and carry-on suitcase also are missing — and eventually will be back. 

When the pair go to Henry's place to question his roommate, Logan, they're shocked to see that the young man looks like he could be Henry's twin. (Yep, that's Williams — adorned with prosthetics — playing the dual role.) They quickly establish that Henry and Logan aren't related, met at the start of the school year, and live together in a palatial home owned by Henry's parents.

Logan is definitely an odd dude. As he awkwardly answers Carson and Rapp's questions, we learn that Henry is a podcaster and the two young men frequently throw parties at the house — though Logan asserts that they're not into drugs. His unease grows as the questions continue, especially when Rapp and Carson ask about what looks like a chicken's foot hanging from the headboard in Henry's bedroom. 

Logan abruptly tells Rapp he knows who he is... and it's not complimentary. "H told me all about you," he says, then asks them to leave. On the way out, Rapp snags Henry's camera, telling a scandalized Carson that it's OK, because he bought it for him. He explains that he's worked for the Parks for a long time, and that Mr. and Mrs. Park are in Japan on business. Meanwhile, Carson explains that she's known Logan for years; she helped his mother deal with an abusive uncle a while back, and she's pretty sure Logan's dad has never been in the picture.

Rapp and Carson question Henry's ex-girlfriend, Pam (Ezra Franky, "Untamed"). She says she broke up with him because, even though they had an open relationship, he was sleeping with too many others — including a professor he interviewed for his podcast. As Carson brings Rapp to his motel afterward, they're arguing when she accidentally hits a chicken that appears out of nowhere as they drive along a road through the forest. When they get out to look, the animal is screaming in pain, and Rapp twists its neck to put it out of its misery. Unbeknownst to the investigators, someone we (and they) can't see watches them from the woods.

The drive continues. Rapp is a shameless flirt, and he eventually succeeds in getting Carson to agree to have a drink with him in the spirit of collegial cooperation. At the bar, though, he's intrigued by a woman sitting by herself. He sends her a drink and then approaches, and that's when we meet Katherine (Carrie-Anne Moss), a college professor and author whose area of expertise is bones. They have a close conversation, during which Rapp notices that Katherine is wearing a watch from Henry's expensive collection. She tells him it was a gift. Carson notices Rapp, engrossed in his chat with the new woman, and decides to leave.

Later that night, back at the motel, Rapp is having sex with the pretty young desk clerk — this guy works quickly, no? — when there's a loud noise in the hallway outside his room. He opens the door to find a rooster, on fire (!), nailed to his door. He quickly puts out the flames, then rushes after a figure who's running away. Rapp thinks he's got the culprit cornered in the elevator, but when the car arrives in the lobby, there's no one inside. 

Throughout the episode, Rapp has been texting Henry, with no reply. But as the stymied P.I. tries to figure out what the heck just happened, three messages come through on his phone in quick succession. All of them are from Henry, and they all read: "STOP LOOKING FOR ME."

The old woman's voice from the intro returns, reminding everyone that though a legend about her has been circulating since humanity began, "you say these things as if there's nothing more. You say these things... and now, it's time to listen."

Now it's your turn. What did you think of the premiere? Grade it via the poll below, then hit the comments with all of your thoughts!