Starring: Christopher Gorham, Elaine Cassidy, Katie Cassidy
Created By: Craig R. Baxley
Grade: C+

Harper’s Island is a romantic thriller series premiering on CBS. It is meant to be a 13-part murder mystery, challenging the viewer to figure out who will become a victim and when. The premiere episode is innocent enough, but throughout hints that there might be reason to be fearful.

We are brought to Harper’s Island since the rich and beautiful, Trish (Katie Cassidy) is getting married to the slightly lower class, but still very sweet and wholesome, Henry (Gorham). He questions if his new father-in-law will approves of him and with his lifelong best friend, Abby (Elaine Cassidy), back in town and his trouble making dysfunctional brother being around, but still very distant, his mind is pretty preoccupied. He tries to be there for Abby who only came back in town to be at Henry’s wedding. Seven years ago there were a number of murders that took place there, where many victims were hung by the trees; including her mother. Abby left and never came back until now. She lets herself be brought back to that moment and everything she feared about this place since then. Abby really does want to get her mind off of this and support Henry on his big day so she helps out with his brother.

The wedding is the center of the first episode, which is where the romance comes in. There are a number of relationships and chemistry between those who are single. There is hinting at a love interest with Abby and Henry as well as between Abby and her ex-boyfriend who she left after the murders. We get the idea that he never really got over her and now has the chance to get back in to her life. Plot wise, the episode follows these points most directly. It shows us these characters and as it goes on towards the end it hints at the crime and thriller aspects that the series will most likely build on more as the show goes on.

The wedding itself brings all of the guests on this remote island, away from the rest of civilization. So the wedding being on this island itself is a good set up for the suspense that will follow. Thus far, the relationships and the characters didn’t particularly grab me all that much. Without a doubt the most interesting is Abby. She is also the one that we learn the most about. We know that she has witnessed death, which has become her personal tragedy. She is at the place where all that began. Even with that killer in jail there might be another one amongst her. Abby is also the most lively person, showing more than one side of her personality unlike many of the other characters. It seems that she will be focused on as the main character, which might help us care about what happens. However, I’m not quite as sure if that will make up for a lack of concern for many of the characters as we wouldn’t be given a reason to care what became of them. Whether they live or die really wouldn’t have an effect either way at this point, aside from adding some excitement and building the suspense. The interest would be more in terms of whether the darkness will be brought closer to Abby as the one who is most directly linked to the deaths of the past. The pilot of Harper’s Island didn’t particularly grab me, but with more character development, heightened horror elements, and deaths the murder victim by week concept could have potential.