Harper’s Island is a 13 episode mystery/horror series that aired on CBS last season. Harper’s Island is a lot of fun and mixes different genres with deft skill. It’s a soap opera mixed with the mystery and slasher genres. The gore may not be enough for hardcore horror fans (it was on network TV after all) but it doesn’t skimp on blood and action. Viewers should find themselves getting hooked on the mystery of discovering the identity of the killer almost immediately. Harper’s Island isn’t perfect (it drags at times), but it should appeal to both younger and older fans and the ending is a genuine shocker.

The 13-episode series is about young sweethearts who plan an elaborate wedding, but their wedding plans are interrupted by a killer who is picking off wedding guests one by one. Anytime the series starts to get a bit slow, another murder is right around the corner. (Note: some of the death scenes are pretty graphic for network television.)

The series looks terrific and the DVD includes a lot of nifty extras. There are four substantial “making of” featurettes which cover the casting and making of the series, and there are commentaries on four episodes with various members of the cast and crew. There are also some deleted and extended scenes included on the DVD set.

Harper’s Island is a nifty bit of self-contained storytelling. Viewers will want to quickly watch all the episodes and find out the identity of the killer. The show has a lot of strong episodes early on, then it drags a tad in the middle, before rebounding nicely in the final few episodes. Fans of shows as varied as Dallas and American Gothic will want to give Harper’s Island a look.

DVD Grade: B

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