In a town like Crystal Lake, where old wounds and long-held prejudices shape the lives of its residents, maintaining order requires more than a badge. It demands conviction, patience, and an understanding of the people standing on the other side of the law. In Crystal Lake, Peacock’s upcoming prequel to the iconic Friday the 13th franchise, William Catlett (Abigail, Black Lightning) and Cameron Scoggins (Nashville) explore those complexities through Levon Brooks and Dorf, two lawmen whose relationship is shaped by contrasting backgrounds, personal insecurities, and an unexpected mutual respect.
While Levon is determined to establish himself as a capable chief of police despite the resistance he encounters, Dorf is a local who has grown up wanting to be taken seriously. Their relationship is further complicated by Dorf’s family background and his desire to learn from a man whose strength and stoicism represent the kind of officer he hopes to become. Speaking to Pop Heist at New York Comic Con, Catlett and Scoggins offered insight into the complicated dynamic between their characters, revealing how the pair navigate a community where reputation and history can carry as much weight as the law itself.
For Catlett, Levon’s biggest challenge is balancing the expectations placed on him with the reality of a job he cannot always control. His arrival in Crystal Lake follows events in Newark that have left him with something to prove. He carries a secret from his past, and the circumstances surrounding his departure have helped bring him to a town where he must establish his reputation all over again. Levon wants to be seen as a good cop, but he also knows that not everyone is willing to give him a fair chance.
“I think Levon is just trying to be truthful," says Catlett. "There's a lot of times I'm not in control, and I understand what his dad wants, what the town wants: they don't want me there, but I have a job to do. I think I have a bit of a chip on my shoulder from what happened in Newark so I want to be seen as a good cop, as a good guy, and I'm standing on the back of a lot of cops that have been framed…so I'm just trying to make my way through this town.”
That chip on Levon’s shoulder informs how he approaches his position. He wants to prove himself through his work, but the pressure to do so can make it difficult to distinguish between being a good officer and trying to convince everyone else that he is one. His experience in Newark remains a significant part of his story, shaping his determination to move forward while leaving questions about the past he has brought with him to Crystal Lake.
Dorf has a different problem, as Scoggins explained. Dorf grew up in Crystal Lake, where people still remember him by his childhood nickname, “lil Dorfan.” Now a police officer, he wants to leave that reputation behind and earn the respect of the people around him.
Dorf is also a legacy character from the original Friday the 13th, first portrayed by Ron Millkie in the 1980 film. His return in Crystal Lake connects the prequel to the franchise’s beginnings while giving Scoggins the opportunity to explore the character’s background and motivations in greater depth. His family history, including his upbringing in a racist household, is another part of that story, influencing the person he has become and the officer he wants to be.
“For me, Dorf wants respect. Brad [Caleb Kane] and I talked about this, but Dorf grew up in Crystal Lake in our minds and everybody in town knows him as lil Dorfan and he grows up and he wants respect from people," said Scoggins. "Also coming from his racist family, it was really important for me, for Brad, and for Will that Dorf really wanted to learn from Levon and get better at being a cop because he sees the strength and stoicism of this chief of police and wants to learn from it. So that's where he's coming from.”
Rather than simply following the attitudes he grew up around, Dorf wants to learn from Levon. Scoggins said it was important to him, Catlett, and Brad to establish that the younger officer genuinely wants to improve at his job. He sees Levon’s composure and strength as qualities worth learning from, making their relationship an opportunity for Dorf to develop his own approach to policing.
That admiration is not entirely one-sided as Catlett sees Levon as someone who recognizes his younger colleague’s potential because he understands the impulse to prove himself. Levon knows what it is like to enter a situation feeling that his abilities are being questioned, and he sees Dorf struggling with a similar need for recognition.
“I also think that Levon respects Dorf a lot. He sees a lot of himself in Dorf and he was like, ‘You don't have to make the same mistakes of trying to prove yourself, you're a good cop. Just be you.’ And all of these things are unspoken but they're being communicated without words.”
Crystal Lake premieres October 15, exclusively on Peacock, with all eight episodes dropping at once. The show also stars Linda Cardelini as Pam Voorhees; Callum Vinson as a young Jason; Devin Kessler as Brianna Brooks, Levon's sister; Gwendolyn Sundstrom as Grace Snell, a young friend of Jason.
