Plot: What’s it about?
Last spring I remember seeing teasers for a show called “Harpers Island”. With the onslaught of reality TV, I wasn’t sure if it was a scripted drama or some new knock off of “Survivor”. Well, when the show become closer to airing, it promised “at least one death a week” or something to that effect, so I figured no matter how desperate reality TV show contestants are for attention ? they probably wouldn’t subject themselves to death for a cheap fifteen minutes of fame. And as it turns out, “Harper’s Island” was definitely a scripted drama that met with mixed reviews. I recently read where the show won’t be renewed for a second year. Now, was there really a need to mention that? I mean a show that promises “a new death each week” will eventually run out of cast members, wouldn’t you think? And without giving away the ending, there are some members alive at the end of the season, albeit not that many. So I think it kind of went without saying that the show wouldn’t be renewed. But I digress?
“Harper’s Island” is fairly simple in plot, style and substance. And we meet the main cast of characters (don’t get too attached to any one person, by the way) as they’re on, you guessed it, Harper’s Island celebrating a wedding. The bride and groom have invited their friends from childhood back to the mysterious island where many have gone onto bigger and better things, while some have remained. But the strangest thing starts to happen when members of the wedding start to, well, die. In somewhat of a PG-rated version of “Friday the 13th”, the twenty-somethings are taken out in very different ways. Be it hung upside down or literally forced to jump to their deaths. Who’s doing all of the killings and more importantly why? Granted “Harper’s Island” wasn’t quite as spooky as the trailers made it out to be, but it really wasn’t that bad of a concept for a show. I actually enjoyed it and it’s good to have it on DVD so soon after its airing (the show ended in June). Recommended for fans of the show.
Video: How does it look?
“Harper’s Island” is shown in a 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen that’s pretty true to the original airing. I watched the episodes in HD on the over the air broadcasts and while this DVD set doesn’t quite match those in HD, it does come pretty close. The entire palette is muted and has a washed out effect, then again the series takes place in the Pacific Northwest and sunshine isn’t exactly happening all the time. There’s a lot of shots in the forest and at night, lending to a rather dark and bleak mood. There are a few spots that seem a bit soft, but overall it’s faithful to the show and looks pretty darn good.
Audio: How does it sound?
A Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is included and for a television show, it does have some pretty good moments. Dialogue is at the heart of the series and it all sounds good, coming out of the center channel. The surrounds aren’t quite as active as I thought they would be, but they do kick in from time to time. The meat of the soundtrack is in the front channels, which provide most of the ambiance. Like the video, this serves its purpose and does a fine job at doing so.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Paramount has packed on an additional disc with some supplements and the die-hard fan (pardon the pun) will get a kick out of these supplements. We start off with commentaries on four episodes by select members of the cast and crew. Their insights aren’t exactly the best I’ve heard, but there is some information to be gleamed from these tracks. There are some deleted scenes and the Harper’s Globe webisodes as well. The main draw here are the four featurettes that focus on the casting of the show, an EPK “Making of?” and one that essentially gives away who the killer is. So if you don’t want the season spoiled, save these until after you’re done viewing the show. Lastly, there are some teaser trailers from CBS for the show.
