REVIEW

“Harper’s Island”

Seven years ago, John Wakefield killed six people on the small and isolated Harper’s Island. There is absolutely no way any person would ever go to the island … until now.

After letting time pass, everyone has gotten over their fear of the incident and is willing to take the trip for a weeklong wedding celebration. Too bad each of the guests are mysteriously dying off one by one, and everyone is a suspect.

This setup of the new CBS show “Harper’s Island” (Thursdays, 9:30 p.m.) is similar to that of a murder-mystery dinner. All the characters are introduced, given background stories, secrets, lies and dynamic feelings toward other characters.

In this one season, the show advertises that in each of the 13 episodes, someone will die. Using this concept, viewers have to keep watching to see who will live and die as the weeks go on.

One thing that is concerning, and possibly detrimental to the story, is how all the murders have been so perfectly executed that it is becoming borderline implausible for them to happen.

When some of the murders do not go according to plan, the drama intensifies making it more realistic for someone to survive the murderer, at least for a little bit.

As of right now, this young, fresh murder-mystery series is doing pretty well. The characters are interesting, the murder mystery is exciting and there is a constant feel of suspense that keeps audiences enthralled.

However, in order for this show to become a big player in the Thursday night lineup, it is going to need some big twists, intense suspects and intriguing side stories.

“Harper’s Island” has great potential to be a huge hit as long as the show steps up its game within the next few episodes.