You do not want to file separately if you can avoid it. Filing separately loses you access to a number of credits.
The IRS says on page 22 in Pub 17,
"Spouse died during the year. If your spouse died during the year, you are considered married for the whole year for filing status purposes. If you didn't remarry before the end of the tax year, you can file a joint return for yourself and your deceased spouse. For the next 2 years, you may be entitled to the special benefits described later under Qualifying Surviving Spouse."
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