Harper's Island

Harper's Island is a fun-to-watch and enjoyable limited series from 2009. The story is really a mix and resemblance of Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None" and the "Scream" franchise with too many twists and turns in each episode. It is fast-paced, suspenseful, and intriguing, with too many different characters and, of course, too many murders. This TV series's genre can be described as a teen slasher and thriller with some soap opera elements. Besides serial killings and horror elements, you can also watch too many betrayals, secret and extramarital relationships, some kinky master-slave sex games between some characters, and too many tragedies, secrets from the past, and dramas. Harper's Island also successfully and equally blends and presents likable, charming, and unlikeable, suspicious characters each episode. The script also gives you too many red herrings about characters, so this makes it difficult to guess who the actual killer is until the last episodes. Overall, it's not definitely an Emmy award-worthy TV show with some amateurish dialogues, so-so acting from some unknown TV actors, and nonsensical scenes that don't make too much sense. I'm sure some people find this TV series quite cheesy and corny, but overall it's ideal for binge-watching for a boring night with its intriguing premise, and I can recommend it to horror and thriller fans. I also like the gloomy island setting, which perfectly fits and elevates the general atmosphere and suspense.

Remember that old episode of "The Simpsons", "Marge vs. the Monorail"? Remember how at the end there was a large escalator suspended in the middle of the air that would take people from the bottom, lift them up to the top, them send them to a horrible crash to the ground below? Well, "Harper's Island" was kind of like the Escalator to Nowhere; the first few episodes were kind of slow, but the pace soon began to pick up, only to have the series finally crash with the finale.

"Harper's Island" had it all : interesting premise, likable characters, decent acting, and creative murders. I have to say that the performances of Elaine Cassidy and Jim Beaver impressed me enough to interest me in seeing some of their other work. So where did this show go wrong? Let's sum it up to four reasons : inconsistencies, clichés, loose ends, and plot holes - most of which arise in the finale. These little tidbits help to tarnish - if not outright ruin - the series as a whole.

And let's not forget that a possible supernatural angle to the plot was introduced in the early episodes, but was abandoned abruptly about five episodes in. What was the point!?

"Harper's Island" is a mixed bag when you get right down to it; there's a lot to like about the first ten or eleven episodes, but after that prepare to be disappointed. I'd recommend watching the show only if you skip out on the last two episodes. On the other hand, if you choose to watch all the way through, don't say I didn't warn you.

Actually I'm not that big on dramatic TV series and the market is awash with them lately - monsters, serial killers, vamps, islands etc. However I am strangely drawn to Harpers Island, aided not a little by the fact that the BBC shows two episodes back-to-back so we don't have to wait a week between them!

Elaine Cassidy is a pretty face and manages to hold the story together, although there are no real stars and no real passengers here - it's just an all-round competent show, which is how I like it. The events may be predictable in the sense we know there's a killer on the loose, but they are sufficiently disguised to provide some nice (or nasty) surprises. Young Cassandra Sawtell's chilling portrayal of the very odd child Madison Allen is particularly entrancing.

I'd have preferred more humour and maybe a pinch of salt, but overall Harper's Island is a worthwhile diversion from the usual humdrum TV.

Good show!!!! Actually very good up until the last few episodes. I had the killer figured out from the beginning.

OK, so obviously not everyone has the same taste in movies and TV series as I do, and everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I for one enjoy this show immensely! I think it's well directed, I like most of the characters, and those I don't like I love to hate.

Yes, there is less blood and gore than in your average horror show, but why bother with all that stuff when you can create the same suspense with well-planned plots and thorough story lines? You never know who is going to get murdered, when it will happen or who will find them, and everyone is as likely to be a suspect as anyone else... I love it! I think the casting crew has done a great job in selecting the actors, and I'm really looking forward to the rest of the season. I don't care WHAT else is on TV, I'm not missing a single episode! (Unless there is a Supernatural-special running at the same time ;o) )