Plot
The television show is a horror thriller/mystery, described as Scream meets And Then There Were None.
The show takes place on Harper's Island, where John Wakefield went on a killing spree and murdered a number of people before supposedly being killed by the island sheriff, Charlie Mills. One of the victims was the sheriff's wife. After her death, Sheriff Mills sends their daughter, Abby, to live with family in LA and she hasn't returned since. After 7 years, Abby is finally returning to the island for her best friend Henry's wedding but now the killing starts again and everyone is a suspect. The guests manage to unlock secrets of the island and of Wakefield as the series progresses.
In addition to a web series based on the show, CBS's multimedia promotion includes a live online chat on a Fancast Forum each week with the "murder victim" from the Saturday night U.S. broadcast, where questions and comments from viewers trying to solve the mystery are encouraged, as well as providing a behind-the-scenes view from the series.
The titles for the episodes of Harper's Island are onomatopoeic, based on the sound made when the victim dies:
Whap: Cousin Ben's decapitation by the boat propeller and Uncle Marty being cut in half.
Crackle: Lucy burning to death.
Ka-Blam: Hunter opening the hood of the boat and the shotgun shooting his face off.
Bang: Booth accidentally shooting himself.
Thwack: The headspade falling from the chandelier and going through Thomas' head.
Sploosh: The harpoon pulling Richard back after going through him.
Thrack, Splat, Sizzle: Malcolm being hit; blood splatter; and Malcolm's hand touching the furnace.
Gurgle: J.D. bleeding to death after being cut open.
Seep: Katherine's blood seeping from the sheets of the couch after being stabbed in the back with pruning shears.
Snap: Sheriff Mills' neck snapping from a rope.
Splash: Cal hitting the water after being murdered and thrown off a bridge by John Wakefield; Chloe falling in the water after committing suicide instead of letting herself get caught upon witnessing Cal's death.
Gasp: Trish gasping for air after being stabbed.
Sigh: Henry sighing as he dies.
Read more about this topic: Harper's Island
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