
Please, please, please tell me you’re watching Harper’s Island, or that you’re at least planning to devote the rest of this afternoon watching full episodes on the show’s special YouTube page. The show—in which a killer murders one member of a wedding party every week, Agatha Christie-style—is terrible in just the right ways, meaning it’s technical ineptitude, shoddy writing, and absolutely interchangeable characters result in trashy brilliance.
Watching Saturday’s episode, I literally didn’t recognize the name of the lead character, so when they said she was in trouble, I thought, “Who’s that? Do we know her?” There’s something so satisfying about entertainment that requires such low levels of commitment.
I’ve got a few theories about why I love this show, and I’ve just written about them for NPR’s blog “Monkey See.” Go check out my musings, then let me know what you think about the show! (And if you’re not watching… again… please do. You’ll thank me.)






7 responses so far ↓
1 ferretrick // May 4, 2009 at 1:11 pm
I love it too, after I got over my disappointment (I love Agatha Christie, Ten Little Indians is one of my favorite novels, and I had hoped that this would actually be artistically good, not just so bad its good). You are right-the characters are so interchangeable, its hard to keep track of (or care) about their fate. Hell, no one has even noticed the girl who got set on fire is missing. If the characters don’t even care about each other, why should we care? But for couch potato guilty pleasure, this is awesome.
2 Erin W // May 4, 2009 at 1:18 pm
I’m watching this show, and blogging about it, too (although the switch to Saturday has me behind on this week’s episode). I think the fact that nobody seems to notice that the wedding party is getting alarmingly small just heightens the wonderful unreality of the show. It’s perfect for a weekend or almost-weekend night.
3 Mark Blankenship // May 4, 2009 at 7:28 pm
@Ferretrick I know! A bridesmaid was immolated, and no one has realized it. Didn’t they notice that there was an extra pink hoodie?
4 Roommate Joe // May 4, 2009 at 7:30 pm
Even less believable than missing the extra pink hoodie is the fact that all the boys wore their black hoodies. All night. At a bar. With none of the women around. I’m sorry, I still can’t get past that. ARE THERE NO MEN ON HARPER’S ISLAND??
5 Fraulein N // May 4, 2009 at 8:01 pm
I stumbled onto this show purely by accident (why else would I be watching CBS?) and it’s so delightfully horrible I kept thinking it was a dream or something.
6 Collin H // May 4, 2009 at 9:20 pm
Oh awesome! Not only is the show absolutely amazing (must… buy… dvds!), but its got Brandon jay McLaren in it! He was in Power Ranegrs: SPD and Yeti: Curse of the Snow Demon. It’s a triple play of utter crap that I love!
7 ferretrick // May 4, 2009 at 9:43 pm
“ARE THERE NO MEN ON HARPER’S ISLAND??”
They already killed off Harry Hamlin, so…no.
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