I’ve got a confession to make. I knew this episode was airing Thursday night in Canada, while we in the U.S. had to wait until Saturday night to wrap things up. So, I followed along with someone on Twitter while they basically live-tweeted what was going on. I know, I suck. Deb will say this later too.
So, I knew who the second killer was a couple of days ago, so I was able to watch this episode with different eyes. With that in mind, I’ve got a list of reasons why the reveal of the second killer was incredibly confusing and lame.
For those who’ve continued on, in case you’re here to find out, the second killer was Henry. With that out of the way, here’s my aforementioned list:
– Why kill everyone? Henry could have had Abby without going through all of this. She sure appeared almost jealous of Trish in the first episode. Maybe he wanted the more adventurous way to her heart?
– He’s Abby’s half-sister. DUDE! It’s not like you couldn’t get anyone else! You had a smoking hot rich chick ready to marry you!
– He wasn’t even sure Abby was going to show up to the wedding. That was sure a gamble for both Henry and Wakefield, wasn’t it?
– J.D. must have known Henry killed him — he was gutted, not hit from behind. He could have hinted it was Henry to Abby when she found him, not give him that cryptic message — “It’s all about you, Abby” — that we now know the meaning behind.
– Why invite so many people to the wedding? Why set up the wedding at all for that matter? Was it all about body count for Henry and Wakefield? Besides that, why hone in on the Wellington family?
– You mean there was nothing at all significant about the red eyes?
I’m sure there are more inconsistencies and big ol’ WTF issues if I went back and watched the series all over again. I said early on that Henry was a very possible suspect, though it was a bit of a stretch that he was able to sneak away and do in the priest. I know many people suspected Henry from the get-go, so bravo to all of you.
Overall, I enjoyed this series and I applaud CBS for taking a chance with this kind of storytelling and allowing it to complete its run. I’d love them even more if they’d do something like this again.
Why, oh why, would you cast the most obvious actor for the killer and have him actually be the killer? CBS, you outsmarted us all. Yes, us, who thought that it was far too lame and obvious for Henry to actually be the killer. You fooled us.
It could have been so cool if the murder of the Wellingtons and the money were tied in somehow, I mean, in a way that wasn’t a throwaway tie-in. I don’t care if Uncle Marty was going to invest in Malcolm’s brewery; I want intrigue and conspiracy. For incest to be the main motive, well, that’s just disappointing.
If I were to have written the ending, I would have had more people be … how shall I say this? … smart. Sully could have caught on a little faster to Henry’s confession and somehow he and Danny could have joined forces and defeated the killers. I wouldn’t have had Henry be the son, I would have made it Booth or Richard or someone fake dead, because I see myself as more of an Agatha Christie type, a little bit clever.
I feel robbed of a satisfying ending, and I’m with Keith — what’s with the body count? It doesn’t fit the motive and it just isn’t thoughtful or clever enough.
All in all, though, I had fun and would watch a series like this again. I love that it had a definitive ending; there’s so much good that can come of that and I’m sure they’ve learned to get a little more clever next time. Some smart people actually watch TV, you know. And those people must have enjoyed the ending videos as much as I did — it was actually fitting.
What did you all think of the ending of Harper’s Island?
Clacked by Keith McDuffee 
on Jul 11, 2009 @ 23:19 EST5EDT
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I am very happy with the way the show ended. It was a surprise and it was heart-wrenching.
About the incest thing, it has also been discussed on twitter. I don’t think this was at all driven by sexual feelings for Abby. It was about that boy that wanted to live happily ever after with his best friend- playing on the beach without anyone to interfere.
I watched last night, so I have had a day to consider the finale and I watched again tonight.
Most of the killings were done by Wakefield and the rest by Henry. Their motivations were very different, though both of them were crazy! Henry though was a sociopath. He could live a ‘regular’ life and then do his crazy killing stuff. That is what made the story so interesting to me. To the end, he played both roles.
At first, I was upset that Henry was the killer, but by the end of the finale it made sense and definitely was suspenseful as the reveal of why he was doing it came out.
Probably have more to say- but that’s all for now.
I wanted to believe like you did that it was not incestuous, but when Henry got mad at Abby and Jimmy kissing at the end, I got a very different vibe.
I agree with cjcubs; Henry’s feelings for Abby seemed obsessive and possessive, but not incestuous. I actually think it’s pre-sexual, an idealized childlike state. He was angry with the kiss both because it meant Abby loved Jimmy more than him, and because it changed her into a sexual being which didn’t fit his long-held mental image of her.
I noted that when pretending to be normal, Henry had no problem hugging or roughhousing or discussing adult subjects with her. After the switch is flipped and they’re “together,” he’s very polite, solicitous, and avoids physical contact as much as he can, which is why I didn’t think the incest angle fit. Also, the writers missed a perfect scene to sell the creepiness if they wanted to by giving the two young, unrelated best friends a chaste, parting kiss when they are alone down at the shoreline in the flashback.
I think Henry went wrong long before he met Wakefield. He fixated on Abby’s words for the rest of his life and wanted to create a hidden world with just the two of them, forever, where they could regress to being children again. That’s exactly why everyone else both of them loved had to die, as others would threaten the primacy of their relationship.
While I found other aspects of the finale disappointing, particularly the survival of Madison and Jimmy, I had no problems with the Henry story. Actually, I would have preferred the dark ending where Abby fails in the end and lives a long life in captivity with Henry, while everyone else dies.
*POST AUTHOR*
I thought it seemed pretty insestuous in intent when Henry said “nobody needs to know” when Abby said “but you’re my brother!”
At that point, I thought Abby was still doing the math, which didn’t surprise me given how dim she’s been, and hadn’t processed it all the way to the expectation of incest yet. Even if she had taken it that way, however, I feel that would be only her conclusion, not Henry’s, and she’s really not in the same position as the audience to judge his motivations, as she was only in a few of psycho Henry’s scenes before being knocked out, and she hasn’t been watching the same significant flashbacks we have.
It’s perfectly natural to assume “Sociopath wants to keep me locked up in his house? Must be as a sex slave” instead of “Wants to live together as real brother and sister in a state of childlike innocence.” Not to argue that there’s anything that prevents that from being Henry’s intent — it’s just not the read I got from the actor, and my interpretation could fit just as well.
I gave up all hope a coupla eps ago. Still, I tuned in.
I had to laugh at the above– I agree, you have to arrange an elaborate fake wedding and kill a bunch of people when you could have just freakin ASKED Abby to hang out?????
Stupid.
I was hoping the “final twist” would be that at the end, Wakefield would tell Henry that in fact he wasn’t his father, that it was all a lie, just to get Henry to do his dirty work. And that Henry had thrown it all away for nothing.
I had such high hopes for the series. Stupid.
The money thing was massively anti-climactic.
Eh. Well, hopefully we’ll meet again when the next “CBS Mystery Event” airs. Until then, keep the faith. :)
Oh wow, having Wakefield tell the 2nd killer that he was really not the father… that would have been an awesome twist.
Then again, having the plot actually make some sense would have been good too. I feel more than a bit robbed at the lack of motive for Henry’s role in the killings.
Argggh, I started thinking Henry was the killer a few eps ago and hoped I was wrong, because that meant Trish would get deep-sixed….which sucked…..
You did have to suspend disbelief to enjoy the series, but I managed to do it until the finale. Henry should have been either more evil or more whacko to be believable as a killer, and he was neither….
I was totally disappointed. First of all, could Henry’s reveal of himself as the second killer have been more boring? It was almost said as an aside. The least they could have done was built up the suspense a bit. Then, Henry kills people that have been in his life for years simply because daddy told him to, and so he could be with his half-sister? Totally lame. Also, how did Jimmy get the piece of metal he had in his mouth to unlock his cuffs? Why wasn’t there anyone else on the island when Henry took Abby to the bungalow? With all those killed identified (as told by the cops to Shea and Madison), the place should have been swarming with cops. I enjoyed the series right up until these last two episodes. I almost feel like I was cheated with a lame reason for the killings and the fact that my least favorite character, Jimmy, managed to escape.
*POST AUTHOR*
Abby slipped it to him when she kissed him.
Pretty much the only cool thing about the finale.
Honestly I know it’s a critics job to cut up a show as much as possible but i found this show truly unique. The finale did leave something to be desired but only because the rest of the episodes were so captivating and exciting. With all that being said, I am somewhat confused with why Henry would choose Aby over Trish. I mean honestly? Open your eyes. Also all my favorite character died and 3 out of the 4 that did survive were my least favorite.
We both said we enjoyed it, which we did, and that we’d be looking forward to another — more clever! — mystery event. We’ve said in past reviews too how unique it was and that we loved the whole 13-episode series idea. We give credit where credit is due on all our reviews! :-)
i’ve been wondering why they would want to marry at that island since the first episode, and i had a good laugh when the cute blonde Chloe (my favorite character, heartbreaking death) yelled at Trish outright about this very point. i think it was such an obvious clue that it was Henry. i’m still disappointed that it was Wakefield and his son though. how predictable. i really wish the killings were more about the Wellingtons than the island, or maybe even a link between the Wellingtons and the island.
that said, i was impressed with the last twenty minutes of drastic change in the show’s narrative. i think it ended pretty well in revealing Henry’s motive. He was a psycho who enjoyed killing random people just like his dad, and he just loved being with Abby on the island. But the lamest part is why he and his dad chose this elaborate way to get her back to the island. oh well, it was a fun ride, very bumpy but fun, if only it was better…like not having Wakefield at all.
I completely agree with you tvjunkie for the most part. I was truly disappointed when it was revealed that Wakefield was alive. In saying that it was also very predictable that Wakefield’s child was the second killer. Sure it was an interesting twist to find out he had a child but they could have done so much more in my opinion. However it did become my favorite show. At least it was a break from straight up cop and detective shows which dominate tv nowadays. I’m hoping for a new plot and new characters. The show showed promise and i look forward to what the future holds for this type of show.
Yep, I agree with everyone else, it all fell apart in the finale.
I don’t think it was especially clear whether Henry wanted to be with Abby as her sister or as her creepy incest lover. The incest is certainly the weirder, more sociopathic killer motive, but I didn’t see anything in the dialogue to support it. Then again, the sister thing is a weak motive since he could have just told her and everyone else, and then lives happily ever after.
It didn’t seem to me that he had any cause to kill anyone other than Sheriff Mills who was the reason he was separated from his mother and sister. Why on earth would he turn on his best friends? Also, as others have said, if you can get a girl who’s that hot and rich to boot then you don’t go killing her. I just don’t think his motive was strong enough. To go to those lengths I would have expected some additional major traumas in his life other than finding out he was adopted and his father was a serial killer. Surely they could have come up with something a bit stronger?
I was bummed out that Trish died. I was looking forward to at least one more of her post crying scenes where her face is literally drenched. It might be a little weird, but Katie Cassidy makes crying look hot.
I have to wonder if JD knew it was Henry all along and could have prevented this. I can’t see any other reason why he was “helping” Cole Harkin track the copycat killer. Also, they never elaborated on who killed Mr. and Mrs. Dunn. I’m pretty sure either Wakefield or Henry did, and it would certainly have made sense.
I was a little annoyed that they let Madison and Shea survive just because they obviously didn’t want to murder a kid on the show.
He’s Abby’s half-sister.
Now THAT would have been a twist.
JD did say Henry’s name as he was dying, right before he showed up, covered in blood behind Abby.
Okay, so it wasn’t done as well as it could have been, BUT it held our interest, and answered questions we wanted answered. The problem was, they stretched it out too long; could have made it better with fewer episodes.
I don’t think Henry had sex in mind with Abbey…..don’t forget that he was a pure sociopath, and his mindset is not at all “normal.” He just wanted Abbey, plain and simple but he did like to kill so that accounts for all the murders.
some final thoughts: I loved this show till Maggie arrogantly and idiotically left the Cannery and then suspension of disbelief was impossible; couldn’t help but burst out laughing when she dropped from the roof.
I STILL am not clear on Henry’s motive for killing all those people. And I still have some questions: Why didn’t he just kidnap Abby and hold her hostage if he wanted to be with her instead of the elaborate charade of the wedding? Wouldn’t the sheriff have known about Henry’s paternity? I still want to know why the sheriff lied about killing Wakefield? Why hang the local girl and dye her eyes red? And we’re supposed to believe that Uncle Marty was carrying a valise full of loose cash to invest in Malcolm’s beer company(hadn’t he ever heard of a bank check?)???
I just wish they had taken a little bit more time to think it all through. For example, the Dunns seemed nice– what would have primed Henry as an adult to want to dump them, his old life, and all the friends who loved him to hook up with that sick, twisted freak Wakefield and kill, to return to some pre-pubescent bliss with Abby?? You don’t just become a sociopath at the age of 25; and if Henry were already that sick and twisted, there would have been evidence very early on, when they were kids– Abby would never have been his best friend.
Anyhow: It’s been fun, guys. Lookin forward to the next one.
This was a great series…loved it and I thought the ending was very good. Wanted to comment on what you are saying about Henry “picking” Abby over Trish. Yes, Trish was hotter and rich and really loved Henry, but Henry couldn’t have cared less. He was USING Trish to get Abby to come back to the island (for the wedding). He had very little feelings for her (although he must have had some, as he told Wakefield “she was harder than the others.”). He could’ve picked anyone to be his “fiance” because his only goal was to get Abby back to the island. And I think the reason for the body count was 1)Wakefield wanted to kill and did most of the murders for fun; 2)Henry wanted he and Abby to be the only two on the island. So in his mind, killing everyone was the only way to do it. He kept Jimmy alive to sign the confession, and was able to move himself, Abby, and Jimmy to the house before the authorities saw him. Yes, it is far-fetched, but that is what TV is supposed to be…
Also, he had been fixated on the idea of he and Abby being together alone on the island since he was a kid, long before he knew they were siblings. I think he just wanted to make Abby happy and that was the only way he knew how…
This was a great series.
Oh, and Lady-Angst– HAHAHAH Yeah, that would have been the best twist. :)
So Henry is so crazy in love with Abby he dates Trish long enough to propose, sets up a wedding and kills off over 20 of their guests, including his best friends, just so Abby would come to the island? Couldn’t he ask her out first and see how that goes? Or maybe kill her dad to lure her back to the island or kidnap her? It was a pretty weak reason to kill all those people, considering there were about 100 other things he could have tried first. He could have at least tacked on another reason for killing everyone like Trish’s family looked down on him or something.
Also Henry liked Abby much more than brother and sister- he his jealousy, the regretful way he said ‘I can do the math’ when she says they’re related and how he tries to brush it off that no one else knows so it’s not that big a deal. Henry is way too hot to be a convincing serial killer, that last scene where she kills him was so sad.
All in all though it was a good idea and I’d love to see CBS do more of these, maybe on a 6 episode run.
Here’s why Henry had to stage the whole wedding stuff. He and psycho dad had different agendas.
Wakefield wants more revenge against Abby’s parents by killing the dad and terrorizing their daughter by killing all the people on the island and then saving her for last. He bonds w/ his love child by teaching him to kill, like some sons and dads like to fish together. (Whatever). Tries to get his son sold on the revenge deal himself to help him out and have some good father/son time.
Henry is all for revenge against those who lied to him, digs having his father’s approval when he kills people, has a gift for the kill that is apparently genetic, but knows he’s gonna screw his dad over in the end because his goal is ultimately to have Abby to himself and three’s a crowd.
Henry’s big wedding party is the only way to guilt-trip and peer-pressure Abby into going back into his and Wakefield’s trap and he makes her think there’s safety in numbers by being a big part of the wedding party trip.
While they are there, Henry and Wakefield are working together to accomplish their own goals. Henry kills his dad at the end because he has to choose and he chooses Abby. Plus he kills the last witness who knows he’ll be making a sex slave of his own sister. Apparently even a psycho-killer like Wakefield would be grossed out by that.
Henry wants Abby to be his friend, his sister, his lover/sex slave, and the only other person in their little world with him. He accomplished 4 goals killing everyone – getting pats on the back from his dad, getting revenge for lies, getting rid of the unwanted extra company, and eliminating witnesses who might disapprove of his incestuous lifestyle.
Good mystery but I did not care for the slasher-movie feel. I think you can have an intelligent thriller without glorifying murder in such a fashion. I pegged Henry from the get go. Too nice a guy.
skkeck…so well said!!! That is exactly what I was trying to say…you explained it quite nicely! Thanks for summing it up!
I agree, skkeck. That’s how I knew why Henry needed the whole wedding.
I personally loved the show. The last episode was also one of my favorites too.
Some people may not have liked it, but I was so happy to know that my favorite charater, Jimmy, was alive. I was so upset when JD died though. I get why JD had to die(he was working on finding the killer, and he showed that there was a killer), but I still loved him.
All, and all, I think the show was great! And I really wanna see another Harpers Island!
I called it too, knew it was Henry but was still disappointed. Henry’s reasons for killing everyone, even his friends since junior high, were just not good enough for me but I guess when you are bat-sh*t crazy, you don’t really need to make sense, right?
Still loved the show, it was edge of my seat enjoyable.
I kinda wanted Chloe to come back though, and save the day. How cool would that have been if she survived the fall since her death was her choice, not his?
As for the red ink in Kelly Seaver’s eyes, that was explained way back when Sheriff Mills went back to Kelly’s house after her autopsy. He found the little bear ornament with red ink painted onto its eyes sitting on top of the jewelery box with the hidden compartment and all the old Wakefield articles inside and a message to the Sheriff. The red ink was a trail of “breadcrumbs” so to speak to lead the Sheriff to that message.
I sighed when Wakefield showed back up, a couple of episodes before the finale. That ruined everything for me. By that point, the only accomplices that would have shocked me, would have been Trish, Sully, Danny, Shay or a character that we thought was already dead but wasn’t.
That being said, this made the subplot with Booth, for me, a complete waste of airtime.
I thought Henry’s motive was ridiculous. I actually thought Wakefield was an idiot as well. All he needed to do was kill Abby’s mother that first time around, not a bunch of other people. Back to Henry’s motive. It wouldn’t have been such a stupid reason to kill up everyone, if let’s say, we had seen evidence that Henry’s adoptive parents abused him in some fashion.
At the same time, I did enjoy watching this little mini-series. I think there could’ve been all kinds of possibilities to continue this on in some way, if the show had not made one mistake: that being that I think people would’ve tuned in more, if it had become clear sooner to other characters, that people were being killed. Watching the people that were still alive, running about in a panic was interesting TV. Too bad we didn’t see that earlier.