HARPER'S ISLAND 1.9, 1.10 & 1.11 - "Seep", "Snap" & "Splash"

I've fallen behind with my double-bill reviews of Harper's Island in recent weeks, so this post heralds my first ever triple-bill review before Sunday's two-part finale. Each part was written after viewing that particular episode. And don't worry, I was ruthlessly brief:

"Seep" With half the cast dead and the survivors barricaded at the Candlewick hotel as the sun goes down, it was easy to get caught up in the atmosphere of "Seep". It had all the key ingredients of a horror, and the characters inevitably started to turn on each as anxiety and claustrophobia took hold. It didn't help that Abby (Elaine Cassidy) read Wakefield's fire-damaged journal and concludes she's his bastard daughter, resulting in her being ostracized by the group and left feeling insecure about herself. Suddenly, a few things about her father seem to make sense in light of her controversial parentage, like why he decided to send her away to the mainland after her mother was murdered. But, I don't buy it. It's too easy. I now think the killer is Wakefield and his daughter (whoever that may be), both after revenge on the Mills family.

This was mostly an episode of tension and intrigue, as underground tunnels dug during Prohibition were discovered beneath the hotel (explaining how the killer's able to cross vast distances without being seen), which the gang explore to try and find kidnapped Madison (Cassandra Sawtell) and the missing Beth (Amber Borycki). They find the latter at the end of a tight tunnel Abby crawls down (surely eliminating the bulkier characters as suspects?), but Beth turns up dead down one of the crawlspaces. I found it strange that nobody immediately questioned Madison about who took her, as that would surely be the first thing you'd ask with a serial-killer on the loose, but fortunately Abby did ask the pertinent question seconds from the end credits... to which Madison revealed it was her dad, Sheriff Mills (Jim Beaver), "playing a game"...

"Snap" It's from the Candlewick to The Cannery for "Snap", as the finger of suspicion falls heavily on the Sheriff and the marina is booby-trapped -- apparently killing Abby's ex-boyfriend Jimmy as he tried to refuel his boat with Shane (Ben Cotton) -- forcing the group to take refuge in the local bar. But is the killer really Abby's protective dad, as Madison claims? Well, with the evidence so overwhelming, this was a clear red herring, and kids can't be trusted. "Snap" was a neat companion to "Seep" because it had a similar air of claustrophobia, but I'd rank it slightly better because the confines were tighter and the killer was right on their doorstep.

There were a few good surprises, too: Cal (Adam Campbell) getting shot as he ran for a car with Sully (Matt Barr), intending to drive to a sailing boat on the other side of the island; the death of two mainland cops sent to rescue the stricken islanders the second they stepped off their seaplane (not unexpected, but I grinned at their comic uselessness); and the dumping of Jimmy on the Cannery's doorstep by the killer, barely alive and holding a key to Abby's hotel room...

Trish was certain the key's a sign the killer wants to talk, so Abby leaves for the Candlewick and indeed discovers her father waiting there inside -- only, he's not the killer, he was just manipulated into doing Wakefield's dirty work in order to spare Jimmy's life. He gets to say as much before he's yanked through the room window tied to a car and hung in a chilling echo of Abby's mother's demise. And then, finally, the killer steps out of the shadows: John Wakefield (Callum Keith Rennie), whom I seriously hope isn't working alone, considering the fact Harper's Island was sold as a murder-mystery and his name was invoked in the first episode!

"Splash" Following such an effective cliffhanger (even if I'd been waiting for Wakefield's return for ages because Rennie's too recognizable to waste on mugshots), "Splash" was a slight disappointment. A big problem was how inept everyone became suddenly, now the killer's stopped lurking in shadows. Surely an armed group has an advantage now the killer's lost his element of surprise, but the boogeyman has revealed himself at the exact moment everyone became incapabale of aiming a gun straight! It was a particular worry seeing as how an earlier episode painted Henry (Christopher Gorham) as an ace clay pigeon shooter. I could look past this irritation for the most part because it's a fun horror cliché that victims are so inept, but seeing a shotgun-wielding Trish retreat from from a Shane/Wakefield knife-fight at The Cannery was just inexcusably dumb. Squeeze the trigger, girl! Sheesh.

What worked nicely about "Splash" was being reminded how far a few of the characters have grown -- particularly love-rivals Cal and Sully, who have reached an understanding over Chloe. Speaking of whom, Chloe is kidnapped by Wakefield at the chapel and used as bait later on, drawing everyone out into the countryside. Rennie doesn't have very complex character to play in this show, but he's unsurprisingly captivating on-screen and ensures Wakefield feels like a true force of nature. In fact, with so many masked monsters clogging the multiplexes, it feels quite flesh to have a villain who shows his face. I just hope he has a motive we can appreciate.

And, of course, "Splash" ends with the most affecting deaths yet -- as Cal rescues the stricken Chloe against all the odds, but is viciously stabbed by Wakefield while trying to get her to safety across a bridge, prompting a heartbroken Chloe to commit suicide rather than let Wakefield claim her next. Undoubtedly two of the show's most likeable characters, it was genuinely upsetting to see these love-birds killed with only two episodes left. I really wanted them to survive the whole ordeal. But did anyone else find the shots of their lifeless bodies floating on the river mildly funny? Oh. Just me then.

I've suspected Jimmy of being Wakefield's accomplice for awhile now, and this episode appears to confirm my suspicions with the discovery of a file the Sheriff had on Jimmy. So that means I must repudiate my theory immediately. I know how this show works after six weeks; anything obviously signposted is never the truth. I mean, why would Sheriff Mills suspect Jimmy of being Wakefield's partner yet sacrifice himself to ensure Jimmy lived? I suspect instead that Jimmy is Wakefield's illegitimate child he wrote about in his journal, even if that's arguably more reason to suspect they're in cahoots. Mind you, my revised theory would mean Abby is actually Jimmy's half-sister -- ewww. I'm guessing Jimmy's unaware of his heritage and someone else is helping Wakefield kill. But who? Tune in Sunday for the two-part finale to find out!


4 October 2009 (1.9 & 1.10)
BBC Three/BBC HD, 9pm

11 October 2009 (1.11)
BBC Three/BBC HD, 9.30pm

written by: Nichelle Tramble Spellman (1.9), Christine Roum (1.10) & Dan Shotz (1.11) directed by: Craig R. Baxley (1.9), Steve Boyum (1.10) & Rick Bota (1.11) starring: Elaine Cassidy (Abby Mills), Christopher Gorham (Henry W. Dunn), Katie Cassidy (Trish Wellington), Cameron Richardson (Chloe Carter), Adam Campbell (Cal Vandeusen), Jim Beaver (Sheriff Charlie Mills), C.J Thomason (Jimmy Mance), Matt Barr (Christopher "Sully" Sullivan), Gina Holden (Shea Allen), Cassandra Sawtell (Madison Allen), Claudette Mink (Katherine Wellington), Ben Cotton (Shane), Brandon Jay McLaren (Danny Brooks) & Callum Keith Rennie (John Wakefield)