Harper's Island/Headscratchers

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


  • No, seriously, who broke the fine china set? ... and why?
    • This Troper is pretty sure it was Madison, to be malicious.
      • She looked like she was being honest when she said she wasn't the one who did it though.
  • Did the stripper survive?
    • Yes, when the FBI spoke to Shea in the middle of episode 13, they said there were a couple of islanders who survived.
    • I like to imagine that she went on to have many exciting adventures with the old lady Jimmy helped out with her groceries.
  • Why were Kelly's eyes dyed red?
    • Not sure, but I think it was to lead Sheriff Mills to the red-eyed figurine and the newspapers articles beneath it.
  • So they explained what the money was for, but why did Marty have a gun?
    • It's possible he was just shady like that.
    • Probably for protection... though it didn't help him much.
  • Right - would the killer's plan have worked?
    • Considering all of the townsfolk evacuated, and anyone left there was be presumed dead. With Jimmy being coerced into signing a confession, and Abby trapped on the island, it seemed pretty concrete.
  • How did the killer manage to kidnap Chloe out of that church, when she was standing less than five feet away from the group, without anyone seeing anything?
    • Not sure about the kidnapping itself - perhaps Chloe went off to investigate as she was the curious type. Regarding objects appearing in front of the doors, could it be Henry buying his father a bit more time?
  • Why don't they just shoot Wakefield? I mean, come on, they have goddamn shotguns, he has a knife, and the guy just comes to taunt or ramble expositions to them more times that I bother to count. Half of the cast would've stayed alive if they would had just pulled the trigger instead of dicking around.
    • Almost none of them have any real history with guns, besides Henry and possibly Trish. Plus Shotguns don't have a really long range, and those that would have been good at guns sort of have the handicap of being terrified, hungry, stressed, and exhausted from being awake for several days straight. Movies make learning how to aim a gun properly for newbies look way too easy. Not to mention they had a very small amount of bullets and they all ran out of ammo quick.
      • And whenever they tried, they missed terribly.
  • So, was JD Henry's actual brother, or was only Henry adopted?
    • JD was either 21 or 23 (continuity issue), making him younger than Abby (25) so he couldn't be the child of Sarah Mills or John Wakefield. It's often the case that, after a supposedly infertile couple adopt a child and stop trying to conceive, they conceive naturally anyway. So this probably happened to the Dunns.
    • Or he could be adopted too from a different pair of biological parents and not be blood related to anyone in the show.
    • Considering Uncle Marty was seen chugging a few pills in the first episode, and JD has a lot of problems solved through heavy medication, it actually would have made more sense if Henry actually had been blood related to them. Crazy runs in their family it seems.
  • Doesn't it seem like we could have avoided this if Henry just told Abby how he felt?
    • Crazy people don't really think logically.
    • Also, that wouldn't have gotten him what he wanted: Henry didn't just want Abby; he wanted the two of them together on Harper's Island with no one else around.
  • Where was Richard the morning before the rehearsal and why did he lie about it? He apparently wasn't with Madison, and Catherine seemed to be telling the truth when she said he wasn't with her. Since he wasn't busy setting up the murder, what was he doing?

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