After a string of box-office successes in the 2000s, it only made sense for television to jump on the horror bandwagon. For every rare hit, though, there were multiple misfires that, for some reason or another, didn’t make it beyond a single season. Harper’s Island was, unfortunately, one of these casualties.
This horror drama had opened with strong numbers in the spring of 2009, then once the ratings declined, its remaining episodes were burned off until the network finally dropped the axe. And although the swift cancellation came as no huge surprise, Harper’s Island’s loyal watchers mourned what might have been, had the series been given more time to grow, a better timeslot, and the chance to find a proper audience. It’s also worth mentioning that just a year later, a bona fide horror renaissance began on TV; The Walking Dead ushered in this new wave and was eventually joined by the likes of American Horror Story, Bates Motel and Hannibal. So, perhaps, Harper’s Island’s greatest mistake was simply its timing.
Harper’s Island was something of a risk at the time, especially for a network like CBS. On top of it having no name actors — before airing, Bill Pullman was replaced with Harry Hamlin — there was the glaring element of horror. By that point, CBS had already found its meal ticket with procedural police dramas, such as CSI, Without a Trace and Cold Case. The network also wasn’t exactly rich in or equipped to handle straight horror. Mind you, none of those aforementioned series lack in murder or mystery, but they weren’t anywhere on the same wavelength as Harper’s Island, either. No, what CBS had on its hands, and had no idea what to do with back then, was a slasher.
By no means were murder-mysteries unheard of on TV before this riff on And Then There Were None first aired, however, Harper’s Island stood far apart from its predecessors. For starters, creators Ari Schlossberg and Jon Turteltaub combined the timeless appeal of an Agatha Christie-style whodunit with the luridness of slasher movies. It was such a simple union of ideas, one that has certainly blossomed on the cinema front, yet Harper’s Island was really the first television show to lean into the concept. As a reminder, the comparable show Slasher didn’t surface until 2016.
Image: Black Christmas (2006) alum Katie Cassidy returned to horror with Harper’s Island.
Even with thirteen episodes to tell its story, Harper’s Island immediately sails off for a remote destination far from home. The show knows the chance for escape should be possible yet also highly difficult. As for an old hotel and the woodlands surrounding it, the show’s setting may not be the most stimulating or astounding, but it’s a solid middle ground for vacation murder-mysteries and rural slashers. The characters can navigate the creepy crannies and sinuous corridors of their accommodations, or they can grapple with the multiple perils found in the nearby wilderness. It’s indeed the best of both worlds for horror heads, although once the culprit’s intentions are made public, the entire island becomes one massive killing floor.
In spite of all the changes made prior to its premiere, Harper’s Island was always going to focus on a wedding getaway gone horribly wrong. That one unwavering plot point is what makes this series stand out, even after all these years. Yet as uncommon as nuptials are in the slasher genre, they can also invite drama. As proof, those initial episodes of Harper’s Island come across as a bit soapy when first getting to know the ensemble cast. Affairs, exes, rivalries, and other tawdry matters all take up some space until the time comes for the killer to make his or her presence known. And that ghastly announcement makes up for any minor melodrama beforehand.
This series taps into that vein of horror where the seemingly peaceful setting comes with an unsavory history that’s bound to be repeated. And like Haddonfield, Crystal Lake and Springwood, the past has everything to do with the present day on Harper’s Island. Those in the know, among the Dunn-Wellington wedding party, can’t help but think of the horrific murders that occurred here only seven years ago; the island’s own Michael Myers, the presumably dead John Wakefield (Callum Keith Rennie), went on a killing spree that included the sheriff’s wife. And also in true horror fashion, the murders resume once someone returns to their wretched hometown. In this case, Abby Mills’ (Elaine Cassidy) portentous arrival leads to an extensive body count.
Image: Harry Hamlin’s time in Harper’s Island was cut in half.
Although it seems like Abby is fully informed of the tragedy that befell her birthplace, seeing as how her mother (Sarah-Jane Redmond) was one of Wakefield’s victims, further secrets spill out over the course of the series. Bit by bit it’s revealed that the motive behind the first murders is different than originally believed. In the meantime, Abby quells her inner demons while also struggling with her various estrangements since being sent away for her safety. These fractured relationships include still-smitten ex-boyfriend Jimmy (C.J. Thomason), various old friends and frenemies, and most importantly, Abby’s father and the sheriff of Harper’s Island (Jim Beaver). Mending fences, however, is tricky once uncertainty comes into play and everyone becomes a suspect.
The characters of Harper’s Island are one of its strengths, and without them, this series wouldn’t be as memorable or enjoyable. From the sympathetic bride-to-be (Katie Cassidy) to the resident true-crime enthusiast (Cameron Richardson) and her endearingly dorky beau (Adam Campbell), the cast is quite likable. As for Cassidy’s pivotal role, Abby makes for a refreshingly flawed Final Girl, one whose sense of curiosity drives the story. Her obvious amount of plot armor, however, means everyone else is more susceptible as well as disposable. Practically no one is safe as the show’s body of supporting players reaches a Shakespearean level of fatalism. So getting attached to particular characters is as inevitable as it is ill-advised.
The real fun for viewers, or in some cases their disappointment, is seeing how Harper’s Island comes for its victims. After all, fan-favorites are as vulnerable as the flanking characters clearly marked for death. In the first few minutes alone, a random cousin of the bride is given a face full of boat propeller, as those on deck celebrate without even an inkling of his demise. Then in the same episode, the groom’s uncle, Harry Hamlin’s character, endures an end so grisly that it made the network worry. And while it’s easy to dismiss the violence as tame and the stuff of television, Harper’s Island got away with more than expected. Putting one’s own desensitization aside, and remembering the timestamp, this series could be rather gruesome.
Had Harper’s Island survived the fickle hand of television, it would have actually continued as a seasonal anthology. So, once again, the show served as a prototype for subsequent and modern small-screen horrors. It was a way of testing the waters, regarding slashers on TV, and despite it ultimately having a short lifespan, Harper’s Island at least had the pleasure of being well ahead of its time and paving the way for similar kinds of stories.
Harper’s Island is now available on Blu-ray.
Image: Elaine Cassidy and Christopher Gorham’s characters witness more death in Harper’s Island.
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