Created by Ari Schlossberg, Harper’s Island is a 13-week horror/mystery series that follows a group of family and friends who traveled to a remote island off the coast of Seattle for the wedding party of Trish Wellington and Henry Dunn. Unbeknownst to the partygoers, there is a killer on the loose who will “off” at least one character per episode. The killings are believed to be somehow connected to a string of murders that occurred on the island seven years earlier. The suspected perpetrator of those murders is John Wakefield, a former fisherman who once dated Abby Mills’ mother, Sarah. After his murderous rampage, Wakefield was shot dead by Abby’s father, Sheriff Charlie Mills, and Abby was sent away from the island.
Who’s Who on CBS' Harper's Island?
The series’ official Web site lists 25 suspects, one of whom is responsible for the latest killings. The following is a brief summary of the most significant characters – characters who have surprisingly interesting and intriguing back-stories that prevent them from being just another crop of stereotypical, yet aesthetically-pleasing nobodies waiting to be picked off in gruesome ways by a merciless killer. Naturally, this allows the viewer to become more emotionally invested in the story.
Abby Mills is the main protagonist. She grew up on the island and is Henry Dunn’s best friend. She found her mother hanging from the “Tree of Woe” after the Wakefield murders and was sent away by her father to Los Angeles, where she stayed for seven years. The wedding party marked the first time that Abby reluctantly returned to the island, but she was determined to face her fears and move on from the past.
Henry Dunn is the groom. Although he comes from a modest background, having previously worked at the docks of Harper’s Island during summers, he is now marrying rich girl Trish Wellington. His parents were both killed in an accident when he was younger, and his brother is “black sheep” J.D. Dunn.
Trish Wellington is the bride-to-be. Her father, Thomas Wellington, was killed by a falling head spade in the show’s fifth episode. She has an older sister, Shea, and a niece, Madison. Her brother-in-law Richard Allen was having an affair with her step-mother Katherine. Richard was murdered with a harpoon in the sixth episode.
Jimmy Mance is a local fisherman and the high school sweetheart of Abby. He saved her life seven years ago when he startled Wakefield, allowing Abby to escape after witnessing him commit a murder. When Abby left the island in 2001, she left without saying goodbye to Jimmy, but she continued to harbor romantic feelings for him. In the seventh episode, the two rekindled their relationship.
Charlie Mills is Abby’s father and the sheriff of Harper’s Island. He shot and killed Wakefield in 2001, but he has remained a suspicious character with numerous islanders alleging that he should not be fully trusted. Since the murder of his wife, he has tracked what he believes to be several “Wakefield copycats” in the north-western U.S.
Other notable characters include Christopher “Sully” Sullivan, Henry’s best man and best friend since high school; Madison Allen, the spooky and mischievous flower girl; and Cole Harkin, the former deputy with severe burn scars on the side of his face.
Harper’s Globe
Harper’s Globe is a complementary web spin-off that ties in to the television show and contains some of the same characters. Globe follows Robin, a young girl who comes to the island to archive stories for the local newspaper. It also provides details into the history of the island and into the Wakefield murders. Since Globe contains its own intriguing plots and storylines, it is not necessary to keep up with this series in order to understand and enjoy Island.
Ratings
Harper’s Island debuted on April 9 with 10.21 million viewers, according to U.S. Neilsen ratings reports. After only three episodes, CBS moved the program from Thursdays to Saturdays, the least-watched night of the week. Since the premiere, the number of viewers has steadily declined every week and hit an all-time low of just 3.85 million after the May 30 episode. Despite the failing ratings, CBS has vowed to air all of the remaining episodes until the series finishes in mid-July.
Interested in Watching?
Episode recaps and character profiles are available at the series’ official Web site at CBS.com. Be sure to tune into this week’s episode, as the killer kidnaps Madison and uses her life as a bargaining chip to keep the others on the island. Harper’s Island airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. EST on CBS.
 |
