HARPER'S ISLAND: The Whodunit Game

I agree. My guess is Booth or Malcolm. I think Chris will be in this thing for a while.

Is this on tonight?

looks like i was right about who would die, shryke was even more right. Although this episode kinda sucked, the guy that died didn't die from the murderer, i dont think. well i guess he kinda did because it was his money and gun. Richard was about to drown trish, but then saved her. He's definitely one of my bigger suspects, but i feel like he did that so that trish and herny wouldnt tell Shea and daddy wellington about katherine and richard.

Yeah, that's my guess as well.

Shame about Booth. I mean, to bleed to death from a stupid self-inflicted gunshot wound... at first, I thought it was an elaborate prank that the guys were pulling on Malcolm, but given that the premise is "at least one person dies each episode", I guess not. I am kinda disappointed, though... I thought "one person dies" meant "one person gets murdered", but I guess not.

So, Malcolm takes the money that they found in Hunter's boat, though he feels incredibly guilty. If he was the murderer, I don't think it would tear him up this much, so his odds just went down. As for Richard, he's a scoundrel, and there's no way that we've heard the last of this little tete-a-tete between him and the betrothed, but I think it's a red herring.

And none of the bodies have STILL been found (except Kelly... well, and Hunter, but the guys didn't identify his body before accidentally sinking his boat). That whole "tarot reading" scene was kind of lame, too. And does anyone think that someone OTHER than creepy kid Madison broke all of Trish's mom's china?

Not much else happened this week, other than Abby finding out that Jimmy likes to spend his free time being an errand boy for an elderly woman. Awww, how sweet. Seriously, there's no way this guy's halo can be THIS shiny.

The odds-board hasn't changed from last week (other than Booth, of course, who is now completely off). I want a nice juicy murder next week, not another klutzy accident! Gaaah!

I seriously cant see Jimmy as the murderer. no murderer would be chauffeuring an elderly lady to the grocery store. Although, I guess it would be shocking to have the nice guy be the killer.

Yea, i agree with you on this episode, I didnt much like it. Also I hope they dont go the route of killer is possessed with the spirit of wakefield.

Agreed. So who do you think is next?

I'm betting the next vicitim will swing back to the bride's side of the family, or perhaps one of the locals. The last two victims were men, so I'm betting it'll be a girl this time.

My money's on either Beth, Chloe or Nikki. Although if that two-timing tramp Katherine bought it, that would be awesome.

I think it'll be Katherine or Malcolm or Beth.

Wow, just caught up on eps 3 and 4...they weren't that great. And I feel kinda cheated with Booth's death...not just because he wasn't murdered but also because he wasn't even a good character plus, who dies within seconds from a gunshot to the leg that he didn't even know he had suffered? I'm thinking Chloe or Katherine will be next...But I'm hoping the money stuff is just a lark. I don't know...I thought the second episode was the best so far, I won't be able to keep up with it if tomorrow night's episode is as bad as 3 and 4 were.

Actually, I've been thinking... perhaps Booth's gunshot wound was not self-inflicted at all. I watched the scene where he shot himself over again a couple of times, and honestly, I don't think, the way he was standing and the way he was holding the gun when it went off, that the bullet that caused him to bleed out could have come from his gun.

Granted, this may be a long shot, but the way it happened, I expected him to shoot his own foot, or graze himself, or whatever. But for the bullet to sever his femoral artery, it would have had to enter his leg at a much more horizontal angle than he could have possibly managed on his own. Unless he was holding his leg out, and he wasn't.

Of course, I may be overthinking this. For this theory to hold water, that meant the shot had to come from someone hidden. And since we didn't hear a second shot, it had to have been with a silencer.

Either that, or Booth faked his death and HE is the killer. We don't know yet whether Malcolm left Booth in the woods, or buried him, or whatever. It'll be interesting to figure out.

But I agree with you, Ipki$$, I hope the story gets juicier again this week.

I was also thinking that maybe booth faked it and he and malcolm were in cahoots, mostly because he never told anyone about booth, and that scene where he was crying was so fake looking it didn't feel like he had just lost one of his best friends, but we'll see.

Just watched Episode 5, and though I won't reveal who got killed (yet) lest I spoil it for anyone who hasn't watched it yet, here are some things that we find out in this episode.

1. Booth is definitely dead. Malcolm buried him in a shallow grave in the woods, and promises to give half of the money they found to Booth's mother. I still remain unconvinced that he died of a self-inflicted wound. Malcolm spins a story that either Booth took the money and scarpered, or someone killed him for it. Henry, Sully and Daniel don't know what to believe.

2. The reason no one was looking for Lucy was that someone, somewhere, told someone else that she left. However, Trish and Daddy W caught a glimpse of what they thought was Gigi (Lucy's toy dog) wandering in the woods.

3. The priest that was killed at the beginning of Episode 2 has a name now: Rev. Fain (or something that sounds like that). His body is found by Sheriff Mills. Ben, Lucy, and Marty still have not been found. Hunter's body will probably never be found.

4. Trish tells Daddy W about Katherine and Charles.

5. Henry and JD have a falling out.

6. Abby finds something disturbing in her father's house.

7. The victim in this week's episode dies very publicly and very horribly. This, coupled with the sheriff's finding of the reverend's mutilated body, means the shit will REALLY hit the fan in the next episode (which won't be for another two weeks, which means either there will be one fewer episode than I thought, or they will bump the finale back one week).

I saw it on friday actually, just forget to mention. did not expect the person to die that did die. Henry will obviously think that JD did it because of what he said. Which could put an interesting twist on things, unless henry tells the sheriff and they just lock JD up. Then Jd either dies or someone els dies while he's locked up. I'm sure everyone one will stay and the wedding must go on. Up till now it hasn't really been a problem but i'm wondering how they'll get people to stay on the island now that they know they have a someone offing them 'one by one'. Also who was two-face with the rabid dog supposed to be?

Well, THIS was a surprise. Thomas Wellington, Trish's father and royal pain-in-the-ass to Henry since Day One, is now toast. And DAMN, what a way to go.


So, here's a brief synopsis:

One day to the wedding, and Trish is going out of her mind with the planning, so Henry convinces her to take an hour off. She elects to go bike-riding through the woods with Daddy W. Not long into the ride, Trish thinks she spots Lucy's dog Gigi in the woods. (Apparently she is under the impression that Lucy "left".) But they inadvertently hit another booby trap; a huge log comes swinging down on them, crashing into them and knocking them off their bikes, injuring them both; not severely, but enough. They argue about Henry, and though Thomas confides that he still doesn't trust him, he's finally come to grips with the fact that Trish loves him and that's that. During the walk back, they spot a mysterious figure in the woods. They ask him for help, but he lets their very PO'd German Shepherd on them, which eventually Thomas has to kill in self defense. After they leave, we get a glimpse of the stranger... his face is horribly scarred. And one note; Trish tells Thomas that his wife is diddling his son-in-law Richard; he is pissed, to say the least, claiming that he did love Katherine, which is why he married her, though there were other "complicating" factors involved (that we don't know of yet).

Sheriff Charlie catches Abby at Jimmy's house (sleeping on the couch), and invites them both to lunch. Charlie and Jimmy are apparently buds now. Abby visits her father's house later that day, and discovers in the attic that Charlie's obsession with Wakefield has only intensified in the last few years; several photos and newspaper clippings seem to indicate that there have been other, similar murders in the last few years in the Pacific Northwest, and the possibility may exist that Wakefield may have a relative. Abby tries to hide the fact that she found Charlie's "shrine", but not well enough. One important fact: Charlie has apparently had Shane under lock and key since he nearly ended JD's life, so that seems to give Shane a perfect alibi for the last two murders, assuming Charlie is being truthful.

Malcolm visits the shallow grave in the woods where he buried Booth, and tries to spin a story to Henry, Daniel and Chris that maybe he took the money and left. They're not buying it, but they seem to be convinced that whoever the money "belongs" to, may have done him in and taken it back. Malcolm is NOT doing a very good job at keeping it together, that's for sure.

JD bonds with young Madison, and the two share the commission of a prank, involving firecrackers.

A search is organized for Reverend Fain (the priest who got decapitated in Ep 2), but Henry's search of the church turns up naught but a dead animal carcass on the altar... along with a spent firecracker, leading him to the (perhaps truthful) notion that JD put it there. Later on, he confronts JD and tells him, quote, "We're done. I don't want to see you again". Before he leaves the room, though, JD tells Henry, "I have one more surprise for you. I think you're really going to like it." But we don't know what that is, yet.

So up to the climax of the film: the wedding rehearsal. Chris, Malcolm and Daniel are present as the groomsmen, and Shea and Beth are there for Trish. Madison, Katherine and Richard are also there. Chloe and Cal are conspicuously absent. Since the priest is MIA, Maggie the wedding planner talks the party through the details of the ceremony.

While this is going on, Charlie's deputy has found the Reverend's hearing aid in the woods; the two of them follow a path until they reach a foggy body of water, where a metal line is attached to a wooden stake in the ground. Charlie pulls the line in, and discovers the dismembered remains of Reverend Fain. He frantically telephones Abby, who turns off her cell phone.

Thomas walks Trish down the aisle, even giving Henry a congenial smile. Abby steps forward to do her practice "reading". Practice vows and "I do's" are said. Maggie then directs Thomas to come forward to "light the unity candle", and he does, standing right beside Trish and Henry. Maggie askes someone to turn off the chandelier lights, and Abby does so. The lights dim, but they hear a mechanical whirring sound, and look up to see that a spade blade has been inserted into the chandelier. It shoots down, catching Thomas right in the face. Fade to black.


So, I'm adjusting my odds board, removing those with apparent alibis for at least one of the murders (though they may go back on at some point).

Katherine: 6 to 1. This lady is damaged goods, I can just tell.

Richard: 7 to 1. Last ep, he said he didn't care if Henry told Thomas that he and Katherine were having an affair. Maybe because he knew Thomas would die?? He's certainly the most suspicious, after that abortive near-death-and-save attempt on Trish's life.

JD: 10 to 1. I thought he was a long shot to be the killer, but now I'm not so sure.

Danny: 15 to 1. Nothing negative about this guy, but there's gotta be something.

Jimmy: 15 to 1. Again, this guy's been nothing but nice. Is that all there is to him?

Nikki: 18 to 1. We didn't see her this episode, but I haven't forgotten about her.

Beth: 20 to 1. Just don't know.

Maggie: 25 to 1. Charlie called her a "pit bull", though that's probably just a code word for "overbearing". That would be unexpected, though.

Shea: 25 to 1. Still need a reason to suspect her.

Henry and/or Trish: 30 to 1. Come on. It can't be these two.

Madison: 40 to 1. Too small, too weak.

HAVE ALIBIS:
Shane - locked up for Hunter's and Thomas's murders
Sheriff Charlie - was on the island when Cousin Ben was murdered
Cal - caught in a trap during Lucy's murder
Malcolm, Christopher, Abby, Chloe - finding Cal at the time of Lucy's murder



So now what? Anyone could have set that booby trap up, and I wonder if the killer knew who would be standing underneath at the time (or just hoped he'd get lucky). The next episode isn't for another week and a half, so I'm left until then to stew. Will the wedding still go forward after Thomas's very public execution? The shit is approaching the fan at light-speed.

Thoughts?

Hunter and Thomas' deaths were both booby traps. Shane could of put them there before he got locked up. I think the other alibis are sound though.

I keep looking out for clues to see who the killer is before we actually find out and either there aren't any or i'm just stupid and there are some and i just keep second guessing myself.

Well, the trailers for future eps said "There have been clues", and they showed closeups of both the matchbook that the killer used to douse Lucy and the gun used to kill Hunter. They both had the emblem of the Candlewick Inn. Now, if these are bona fide "clues", that means that the killer is someone who had access to them.

This could implicate almost anybody, however, as most of the wedding party is staying there. This may exonerate the locals (Jimmy, Shane, Nikki, Charlie), because they still live on the island.

Okay, here is the synposis for tonight's episode (I'm going to type as I go):


Following the gruesome and public execution of Thomas Wellington, the wedding rehearsal erupts into chaos. Trish and Madison are screaming at the top of their lungs, with Henry and Shea respectively trying to calm them down. Everyone else is simply in shock, especially Katherine, who seems almost numb. Richard drapes his coat over the shattered skull of Thomas, as Charlie enters and tells everyone to go back to the Candlewick Inn and stay there. Abby receives a call on her cell - no voice, but simply someone playing a recording of "Ave Maria". Madison, still in shock, sees JD hiding behind a nearby tree, who gives her the "Shhh" sign. Madison nods.

(Opening titles, commercial)

Beth, Malcolm, Daniel and Chris are knocking back some drinks to calm themselves. They seem convinced the wedding will be postponed. They agree that this was no accident and that they should all leave the island immediately.

In the church, Charlie bellyaches that Richard's jacket has contaminated the crime scene (hmm....), and this murder explains why the reverend was killed, as the killer would need a lot of time to set this booby trap up. Not only that, the killer seemed to have access to the wedding plans, meaning that Thomas was indeed the intended target, given that he was standing exactly where he was supposed to. The coroner says the spade was a Wakefield trademark.

Back at the Inn, Trish is still sobbing in Henry's lap. Abby knocks on the door, and Henry goes outside to speak with her. Trish notices with some contempt that Richard is tending to the welfare of Katherine, who has completely shut down emotionally. It's clear Trish suspects both of them.
Henry tells Abby about the fight that he had earlier that day with JD, and wonders if Thomas's murder was the "surprise" he mentioned.

It turns out that the reason Cal and Chloe weren't at the rehearsal was because they went sailing and were "becalmed", and know nothing of the day's goings-on. Going to the local bar, Cal discovers that the ring he was going to give to Chloe in Episode One that he lost in the water was found by a local, who gave it to HIS GF as a proposal. Bummer.

JD surprises Abby in her hotel room. He confesses that his "surprise" was going to be a Roman candle in the unity candle. He's scared that he will get the blame for Thomas's murder. He tells Abby flat out that he didn't kill Thomas, and that he thinks he saw Wakefield outside the church. He begs Abby to help him, who seems reluctant to trust him.

In the other room, Trish can't take it any more. He tells Shea, in front of all, that Richard is sleeping with Katherine. At that moment, Charlie comes in and says that he has questions for all of them... starting with Richard. (Ooh, busted...)

In the bar, Cal makes a plea to get his ring back. The local is less than impressed, and Cal skulks away. He tells Chloe that the local now has the ring that was meant for her, and she vows to get it back.

It has begun to rain, and Abby is following JD through the woods, who says he has proof that Wakefield is alive, as he followed the man he saw outside the church. He leads her to what looks like a man way up in a tree, tied to a length of rope. Drawing a knife, he cuts the rope, and the body of Uncle Marty falls to the ground - in two separate halves.

(commercials)

Shea is still reeling from Trish's bombshell. She says that she never suspected a thing, as she and Richard had never had any problems. She comments that it's like being married to "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". Trish tells her that their father only found out this morning about the affair. In the other room, Richard confesses that he'd beeing working for Thomas for 13 years, married to Shea for 12 years, and had been seeing Katherine for six weeks. He also says that he hated Thomas, and this was kind of he way of getting back at him, to humiliate him. But he most emphatically did not kill him, and his alibi is that he was with Madison. Charlie asks if he knows anything about the Wakefield murders, and Richard give a fairly noncommital "just the basics" answer.

Abby and JD return to the Inn only to run into Henry, and they tell him about Marty. Henry flies into a rage, attacking JD and accusing him of killing him. JD firmly believes that Wakefield has returned. Abby tells the brothers that there's something she needs to show them.

At the bar, Chloe's dastardly plan is put into action. She goes up to the guy who found the ring, dancing with his fiance, and full-on slaps him. She accuses him of running out on her, and even goes so far as to tell her she's pregnant with his baby. Incensed, the GF hits him as well, takes off the ring and flings it across the room. Cal and Chloe quickly pick it up and beat a hasty retreat. Ooh, burn!

On the stoop of the hotel, Beth leaves her fifth voice message for (the still unfound) Lucy. She's beginning to worry terribly. Malcolm approaches her and attempts to console her, saying she's probably fine, just like Booth. Is Mal puttin' the moves on her? I think he is!

Charlie interviews Madison in front of Shea and Trish. Madison basically corrobroates Richard's alibi, but as soon as Charlie leaves the room, she tells her mother that he just told the sheriff what Daddy told her to. OMG, Richard IS the killer!!!

In Charlie's attic, Abby shows JD and Henry the Wakefield Wall, all of the info that he's collected over the years. They surmise that Charlie beleives that a copycat killer that has been murdering in the Pacific Northwest for the past few years has come to Harper's Island, perhaps even a relative of Wakefield's... or even Wakefield himself.

(commercials)

The trio return to the Inn and find Charlie on his way there too. They tell him about Marty, and confront him about the stuff in his attic. Charlie professes that Wakefield is dead. Abby shows a photograph of someone resembling Wakefield from the attic, and Charlie says he's been tracking a copycat. Abby doesn't believe him. JD says that the only way to prove that Wakefield is indeed dead is to dig up his grave. Charlie refuses to let that happen, and JD gets in Charlie's face. Charlie grabs JD and frogmarches him inside the hotel, locking him in the kitchen's walk-in fridge. Charlie asks JD's whereabouts at the time of the rehearsal, and confronts him about Kelly's death, which JD denies. Charlies tells Abby he's getting her off the island tomorrow.

Trish confronts Katherine in her room, telling her that she seemed "upset" over Thomas's death. She admits her mistake with Richard, but denies any involvement in his murder. Trish asks her why Richard lied about his alibi, and Katherine says she has no idea, because he wasn't with her either. (Richard IS the killer!!!)

Abby then goes to Henry and they decide to dig Wakefield's grave up themselves.

Chloe and Cal, blissfully unaware of the day's events, finally return to the inn, and Beth and the groomsmen fill them in. Chloe, who is a serial killer enthusiast, mentions that the spade that killed Thomas was stolen from the island's Maritime Museum the day of the scavenger hunt (Episode 2, I believe). Daniel comes in and says that the sheriff has issued an order that no one is to leave the island until he gets their statements.

Charlie is now interviewing Katherine. She says Richard often fantasized about Thomas's death, taking over the company, blah blah blah, but never made any actual threats. Trish then tells Katherine to show Charlie the newspaper articles that she found in Richard's briefcase. Seems it was Richard that was supposed to pick up those articles on the Wakefield murders at the local paper. "I know the basics", my ass. (Richard IS the killer!!) Trish is convinced as much, but Charlie askes her and Katherine to keep that theory quiet for now.

JD is stacking canned goods in the fridge when Madison unlocks the door. She says she stole Maggie's keys from the draw she keeps it in because "nobody pays attention to kids". JD leaves, and Madison kicks the stack of cans over, laughing creepily.

Night falls. In the woods, Abby and Henry are indeed digging up Wakefield's grave. They are several feet deep when their shovels hit wood. They are about to open it when Charlie comes upon them, but surprises them by saying he's not going to stop them. They open the coffin, and find that there is indeed a skeleton inside.

(commercials)

Whether it's Wakefield's skeleton or not is unknown, but it seems to satisfy both Abby and Henry that Wakefield is dead. Charlie isn't sure whether a copycat is at work or whether JD is somehow involved. He seems convinced that the murderer is pretending to be Wakefield to hide the true motive. Charlie the apologizes to Abby for sending her away, saying that he didn't want her to see him after the death of her mother, a weak and broken man. He asks her forgiveness, and she gives it. Awww. He tells both Abby and Henry that he'll send everyone home in the morning, but JD has to be brought in. JD, hiding behind some nearby trees, hotfoots it out of there.

Cal and Chloe have a discussion about their relationship. Cal promises that he will propose to Chloe someday soon, but that it wouldn't be right to do it on the day Trish's father is murdered.

Outside, Richard is on the phone with his attorney. He says he hasn't been charged with anything yet, but when the sheriff comes back, he will be referring him to his attorney's office. He stops outside Madison's window, and watches her play solitaire.... right before a six-foot harpoon is shot through his back and out through his chest. He chokes out his daughter's name once before the killer tugs on the harpoon, pulling Richard out of sight. Madison squints through the window like she saw something, but all she sees is her own reflection. Daddy is gone. Damn. I know that kid is creepy, but to lose her dad and grandpa in the same day? That's rough.

(Did I have any of you going? No?)

JD runs through the woods, coming to a cabin. He knocks on the door, and the Scarred Man lets him in. They KNOW each other! Interesting!

(closing credits)

Next week: Abby and Jimmy get romantic again. The news about Booth comes out, I would imagine, as Daniel full-on punches Malcolm in the face. Abby meets the Scarred Man. JD is hunted by Charlie, and tells Henry, "You're gonna feel pretty stupid when I'm locked up and someone else gets killed."



Well, SHIT.

One more prime suspect dead, two more alibied. We are running low on suspects, people. Redoing the board:


Katherine: 5 to 1. I wonder if we're going to learn about her sordid past.

JD: 6 to 1. Who is this new friend of his?

Danny: 15 to 1. No new developments.

Jimmy: 15 to 1. No new developments.

Nikki: 18 to 1. Barely appeared in this episode. No new developments.

Beth: 20 to 1. Is either innocent or a damn good actress.

Maggie: 25 to 1. No new developments.

Shea: 25 to 1. I'd suspect her for killing Richard, but all the others? Nah.

Henry and/or Trish: 35 to 1. I swear, if it's one of these two, I'll eat my hat.



HAVE ALIBIS:
Shane - okay, he may have been a possible hook for Hunter and Thomas, but there's no way he could have killed Richard if he is indeed still locked up in Charlie's jail
Madison - was in her room when Richard was murdered
Sheriff Charlie - was on the island when Cousin Ben was murdered
Cal - caught in a trap during Lucy's murder
Malcolm, Christopher, Abby, Chloe - finding Cal at the time of Lucy's murder



Any thoughts? Does anyone care anymore?

suspects are running low. I dont know how a harpoon gun really works, but for some reason i dont think a girl would be able to pull richard like so. unless they were on a truck or something. What if its jimmy? he's a fisherman. Whose the scarred guy?

EPISODE SEVEN SYNOPSIS:

Sheriff Charlie arrives to search the rooms at the Candlewick Inn for evidence. It seems today is the day that most of the wedding party will be leaving the island by boat. Chris, Daniel, and Beth don't seem to care about the search as long as it helps find the killer, but Malcolm is understandably antsy, given that he still has the bag full of money that was found on Hunter's boat (the money that cost Booth his life, it would seem). He goes up to pack it, and drops it out of his room window into some bushes, just as Beth knocks on the door. She tells Mal that she appreciates him giving her a shoulder to lean on the night before. Mal splutters out a few awkward comments of gratitude, before she leaves. Hmmm... these two are getting close! Does that mean one of them is next to die? (I'm typing as I'm watching this, I really have no idea how the episode will play out.)

Downstairs, Madison is wondering where Richard is, and whether he's gone because of what he made her tell the sheriff, or even whether he's gone because he killed Thomas. Shea shushes her. Elsewhere, Henry tells a still emotionally-distraught Trish that she'll be leaving today, but he'd be happy to stay behind to make arrangements for the transportation of Thomas's body once it's been released. She gives a rather vacant "okay" to this, though it's clear she's beyond caring right now.

Jimmy shows up at the Candlewick to say goodbye to Abby, who presumably is leaving again and not returning. They both seem regretful that something always seems to come between them, and then... ooh! Flashback!

7 Years Ago (presumably before the Wakefield killing spree), we see Abby and Nikki strolling the streets of HI, talking about Abby "hooking up" with Jimmy on an upcoming camping trip. This may be their last chance to be alone before she goes off to college, and they are both surprised when Jimmy comes up behind them and surprises them. Abby shoos Nikki away, and plants a big 'ol one on Jimmy.

In the present, Charlie is searching JD's room when Henry comes in. He finds a stash of firecrackers, asking Henry when he was planning to tell him that he was the one that put the dead raccoon in the church. Henry says he was just trying to keep JD out of trouble. Charlie finds some meds in the bathroom, presumably anti-psychotics (interesting...), which Henry says JD doesn't like taking because it "makes him foggy". Charlie also finds a cell phone, which they determine belonged to Uncle Marty. (This was the phone used to send Henry a text message pertaining to Marty's absence AFTER he'd been killed.) Charlie surmises that they may have just found their killer.

(commercials)

While the hotel staff is un-decorating the place, Abby watches as Henry has a distant conversation with Trish. She dismisses him, and Henry comes over and tells Abby about Marty's phone. Abby doesn't believe that JD is the killer, even if her father does. Henry worries that Trish will blame him in some way for this, given that it may have been his brother that killer her father. Abby reassures Henry that Trish won't do that. Henry retorts that it may be too late, and seems close to tears.

It seems the sheriff has brought in a pair of bloodhounds to track JD down. Henry begs to come along, promising that he won't get in Charlie's way and may be useful to "talk JD down", if need be. Charlie assents. They give the pooches a whiff of JD's shoes, and tallyho!

Abby knocks on Trish's door with a tray of food, reasoning that she probably hadn't eaten in the last day. Trish sobs that when Abby knocked, she thought for a second that it was her father. She muses ironically that this was the moment that Thomas was supposed to be walking her down the aisle. She then says that she doesn't care that JD is Henry's brother, and that "they kill him". Abby says she felt the same way when her mom was killed. And then... FLASHBACK! Abby is packing a bag, telling her as-yet-unkilled Mom that she's just going camping with Nikki, but Mom knows all about Jimmy. (She's one smart cookie!) She sees why Abby likes him, but cautions against dating "a boy like that". Abby retorts that Mom played it safe by marrying Charlie. Mom responds that Charlie "treats them well". Abby replies, "Is that all you want? What about love and passion?" Mom smiles and says that Charlie is passionate... about hating Jimmy. They both grin. Abby tells Trish to "talk" to her dad. "It will help."

Abby leaves for her camping trip. Mom tells her to be back before breakfast, and Dad needn't find out about Jimmy. She walks away, running into Jimmy almost immediately. They walk into the woods, talking about the future of their relationship. They agree that Trish and Henry are the perfect couple, and, as they near the water, a HUGE explosion occurs nearby.

(commercials)

The hounds and their handlers are continuing the search for JD. Slightly behind them, Henry confesses that he regrets not being able to control JD better since their folks died; "something in him broke", he says, referencing his attire, his tats, etc. But he had to go back to school, leaving Uncle "not exactly the paternal type" Marty to look after JD. Charlie tells Henry not to blame himself.

At the Inn, Malcolm has to talk his way around a groundskeeper to get his bag-'o'-money back. He takes it back to his room (jeez, what a clod), and transfers the money to his backpack. Bag in hand, he opens the door, only to find Chris and Daniel, who are convinced that Mal has... wait for it... Chris's beloved blow-up doll, and to open his backpack and prove it. (BUSTED!!) Mal resists, but Chris rips the bag off his shoulder and is shocked to find the missing money. Mal stammers that he can explain, and Dan asks him to start by telling him where Booth is. (Oh, DAMN...)

Abby and Trish are at HI's morgue, so Trish can say a proper goodbye. The coroner cautions Abby that Trish should think twice about viewing Thomas, given the state of his corpse. Trish begins to have second thoughts, but decides to do it anyway. They enter the room where Thomas's body is, thankfully covered with a sheet. Trish says, "Hi, Daddy", and.... FLASHBACK! Abby and Jimmy run down to the pier to see what happened. Henry is there with Charlie. Henry is tending to a horribly-burned man wearing a deputy badge, who just HAPPENS to be the Scarred Man from the last two episodes. (Well, that answers THAT question.) Charlie surmises that a propane tank exploded, and tells Jimmy and Abby to get home ASAP.

Malcolm outlays the whole terrible story to Daniel and Chris. He blubs that he "tried everything", and that "he needed the money". Daniel, incensed, punches Mal in the face, stating unequivocally that NOW they're going to the sheriff, and then they're going to get Booth's body. Beaten and sobbing, Malcolm agrees.

Henry and Charlie are still discussing JD. Apparently JD had once attempted suicide; he had a suicide pact with a girl he knew from high school, but Henry got home in time to stop JD from dying. (The girl wasn't so lucky.) After that, Henry and Marty send JD to a psych ward for over a year. Henry states ominously, "He never forgave us."

At the morgue, Trish apparently was able to say her goodbye, and tells Abby that she is grateful for her being there for her. Trish then ponders that things will never be the same with Henry again. Abby tells the coroner to take Trish back to the Inn, while she makes a trip to Charlie's house to pick up some things. At Charlie's house, she gets the key from under a nearby planter, and then... FLASHBACK! Abby returns home to find her mother missing, the back door forced open, and some breakables...well, broken. The phone rings, and a frantic Charlie tells Abby to lock all the doors and stay inside, while he finds Mom. She locks the doors, and then hears from frantic cries for help nearby. Back in the present, having retrieved a few things from her dad's place, she replaces the key under the planter, and stands up, to find the Scarred Man standing scarily over her.

(commercials)

Hey! It speaks! Scarred Man tells Abby that his name is Cole Harkin, one of Charlie's former deputies. Abby remembers him from the explosion, which apparently was set by Wakefield as a diversion to begin his spree. Cole tells Abby not only that JD isn't the killer, but that Charlie is "not to be trusted". He also says that when Wakefield came to HI the first time, it was to get revenge on Charlie. Abby doesn't believe him, but Cole responds by telling her that she should ask Charlie directly what happened, and then he leaves.

Abby walks into the woods, searching for her mom. But what she sees is not her mother, but a man, being dragged by a rope tied around his wrists, begging for his life. Another man (presumably Wakefield, though we don't see his face), armed with the head-spade that killed Thomas, bludgeons the man to death while Abby watches. She gasps, and the man hears her. He skulks toward her hiding place when Jimmy rolls up in his truck, yelling at the man to get his attention. The man turns to Jimmy, as Jimmy hauls ass in his truck, while Abby beats feet in the other direction.

Charlie apologetically tells Henry that once JD is in custody, he'll be turned over to the state police. Up ahead, the handlers yell that the dogs have picked up JD's scent. Sure enough, we then see JD rushing pell-mell through the woods, not far ahead of the dogs. Henry, ignoring Charlie's warning, runs ahead just as JD breaks from the woods and onto the pier. Henry tackles JD and tells him it's over. JD, rather calmly, tells Henry that he's "going to feel stupid when he's locked up and someone else gets killed."

Henry and Charlie return to the Inn, and Henry tells a severely pissed-off Abby that they got JD. Abby tells Charlie that they need to speak in private. Henry excuses himself, and Abby asks her father flat-out if he's lying about Wakefield, and if her mother died because of him. And then, FLASHBACK! (Abby's retreat through the woods takes her to the infamous Wakefield Hanging Tree, where she finds three dead people hanging, including her mother. She is joined almost immediately by Charlie.) Abby tells her dad about Cole, and that Wakefield's murders were about him. Charlie corrects Abby with the revelation that it wasn't about him, but her mother. Apparently Mom and Wakefield used to date back in Seattle, and that she came to HI when things "got bad". Wakefield apparently tracked her to HI, and Charlie had to "protect her". (Abby pleads with Charlie not to send her away. He doesn't answer, instead pouring himself a drink. Outraged, she tells Charlie that if he really loved her mother, he would have saved her. Charlie, equally outraged, says that maybe Mom got what she deserved. (Ouch.) Abby runs away crying, and Charlie instantly regrets his last words.) Charlie explains that when Wakefield came the first time, it was to take her mom away, and that he instructed his deputies (Cole being one of them) to "teach him a lesson". Wakefield retaliated, and Charlie had him put away for attempted murder of a police officer, and THAT's why Wakefield came back to HI seven years before. Abby chastens her father for not telling her, but he says that he would rather Abby hate him than soil her mother's memory.

Shea finds Trish packing in her room. She tells Trish that Richard is still missing, and Trish tells Shea that she's calling off the wedding. Not only that, it seems the entire relationship is now kaput, given that Trish "can no longer look at Henry" without seeing her father's brutal murder. In another room, Madison is fiddling with a necklace or something when someone unseen slips an envelope under the door. She opens it, smiles, and leaves.

Elsewhere, Malcolm has entered what I'm guessing is the hotel's furnace room. Wistfully, he opens the furnace door, unzips his backpack and starts throwing the money into the flames. He watches it burn, and then... someone grabs him from behind. We hear Malcolm's choked cries, a clang of steel, and then see Malcolm's bloody hand gripping the furnace door. A few more clangs, a few more cries, and then... silence.

Well, CRAP. Interesting that this week's murder was not the final scene. And darned if that doesn't alibi JD, eh?

(commercials)

Abby and Trish are having another heart-to-heart on Trish's porch. She confesses that it was the wrong decision to shut everyone out of her life because of what Wakefield did, and then says that she always thought that Henry and Trish belonged together. She gives Trish an old photograph that she picked up at her dad's house, one of (I think) Henry and Trish when they were both children. Trish smiles, and Abby tells her not to make the same mistake she did by shutting Henry out. And then, FLASHBACK! (Abby is boarding a boat at Charlie's behest. She's going to live with her grandma, which Charlie is convinced is the best thing to do. Abby, notably perturbed, hates the decision, and climbs aboard without even saying goodbye. The boat pulls away, just as Jimmy runs up, calling her name... but it's too late, she's gone.)

Abby goes down to the docks, where Jimmy is cleaning fish. She tells him that she's sorry she never called or wrote him, and then relates the story of how he saved her life from Wakefield on the day her mom died. Jimmy says that he knew she was there, but never mentioned it because he didn't want Abby to feel that she owed him anything. She wonders what would have happened had she stayed, and Jimmy surmises that they "probably would have done a lot of camping". Awww. It's the perfect moment. Abby kisses her fish-smelling ex, who gratefully returns it.

At the Inn, Madison softly walks through an empty corridor, envelope in hand. Apparently she is under the impression that it is an invitation somewhere sent by her father, as she calls out "Daddy?" She enters a room with a door half-open, and... the door slams shut behind her.

(fade to black)


NEXT WEEK: The hunt is on for Madison, who is "missing". The wedding party prepares to leave the island, but a phone call from a captive Madison assures them that if they leave, she'll be killed. Chris asks why her life is more important than theirs, and Chloe dooms that they're all getting picked off one by one. Meanwhile, Charlie trips a booby trap in the woods, getting severely wounded in the leg.

ANALYSIS:

Well, given that this was only Episode Seven of Thirteen, I wondered how the killer was going to stop the majority of his remaining potential victims from fleeing, but now I guess we know.

Richard's body has not been found, and Malcolm is not missed yet, but that may change. And now that Malcolm is dead, I guess Booth will never be found. Poor Booth.

I'm not going to re-do the odds board, because now I think I know who the killer is.

It's Henry.

Yeah, I know, you scoff, but my wife proffered this idea, and when I think about it, the pieces are starting to fit. Think about this:

1. He knows the island and its history, he presumably knows how to set traps, and possesses the requisite strength that the killer has.

2. Hunter was killed with a gun from the Candlewick Inn. We know that Henry knows how to use it, as we saw him having a skeet-shooting duel against Thomas in Episode Three. And only a handful of people even knew that Hunter was ON the island in the first place, right? The only others that did, I think, were Thomas (dead), Marty (dead) and Trish. Beth and Shea found out, but only because Trish told them. Hunter arrived in secret, invited by Thomas, so killing him had to have been a spur-of-the-moment decision. The booby trap could have only been set by someone who could anticipate the outcome between Hunter, Thomas and Trish. In other words, Henry. And besides, had Hunter lived, he could have made things very uncomfortable for Henry in an investigation; therefore, he had to die.

3. He argued against taking the money from Hunter's boat, but did a very quick about-face. (Was it Henry's idea to go fishing that morning, or was it someone else's?) The money proved a useful prop for sowing dissension, though he couldn't have anticipated Booth's accidental death.

4. He's been very convincing about putting the blame on JD. Perhaps TOO good. And INSISTING to come with Charlie on the manhunt? Pretty hinky...

5. He's done nothing overtly suspicious, which makes me suspect him. It's still too early in the show (just over half-way) to suspect him of wrongdoing, and everyone who's had a finger pointed against them has either been exonerated, killed, or both.

The one thing I don't have is motive. Not a whiff. But then, if we had that, we'd suspect him, wouldn't we?

One would think that his alibi for all these murders would be that he was with Trish, but we don't really know that for certain, do we? Needless to say, I think that if Henry IS the killer, Trish is not a part of it.

And there was actually one death for which he DOES have an alibi: Booth's. When Booth died, Henry was at the bar having his bachelor party, which means that my suspicions that Booth did NOT die from a self-inflicted wound are unfounded.

If it is Henry, he's killed three members of Trish's family, Trish's ex-boyfriend, one of Trish's friends, a local girl, a priest, one of his own buddies, and a member of his own family. And pinned it all on his brother. Damn, that's COLD.

Of course, when news of Madison's abduction and ultimatum comes out, JD will and should be cleared. But we'll see where things go from here.

Thoughts?

EPISODE EIGHT SYNOPSIS

Get ready for some drama, because there is a LOT of it...


Morning on Harper's Island. At the Candlewick Inn, everyone is leaving, including a few rather perturbed guests who had nothing to do with Trish and Henry's wedding. Even the staff is leaving, after they've tidied up one last time. Shea is rather frantically searching for Madison, who has gone missing (and we know why). She searches a few rooms, but to no avail.

Outside, Trish shows Henry the picture that Abby gave her of the two of them as kids, and Henry smiles. Trish says that she wishes that he was leaving with her. Aww, how sweet. He says he'll see to the arrangements for Thomas, and they hug. Passing by, Chris muses how much it must suck for them, given that this was supposed to be their wedding day. Beth is glad they're leaving. Chloe is just glad that the killer has been found, and Chris replies that he used to know JD when he wasn't like how he is now, and that JD and Henry were really close.

In the sheriff's jail, Charlie is preparing JD for his transfer to state authorities. In the next cell, Shane (remember him? the jerk that almost killed JD? Guess he HAS been in lockup for the past few days.) smart-assedly tells Charlie to beware of JD, because he's probably JD's next victim - and wonders when he's going to be released, given that the wedding is now off. In the office, JD maintains his innocence. Charlie asks about his connection to Cole Harkin, and why he sent him after Abby. JD says that Harkin did that on his own, and if he wants to find him, check out his hunting cabin in the woods.

As the guests are boarding the transport to the marina, Jimmy comes to say goodbye to Abby. Abby asks him to come with, but he tells her that now is not the time. She kisses him. Shea comes down the steps and tells Trish and Henry that she's searched for Madison everywhere, but can't find her. Richard, of course, is still missing, and Katherine wonders if he could have taken her and left (of course, we know better). Henry tells Shea that the boat will wait for them, and they they'll all help search for her. He asks what's left of the wedding party to join in the search, and Cal is the first to volunteer, followed by Chloe, Beth and Daniel. Chris, refusing to be out macho-ed by Cal, grudgingly agrees.

Back in the cells, Shane is venting at JD. He says that if JD had succeeded in killing himself way back when, none of this would have happened. He even manages to grab hold of JD's neck through the bars before one of Charlie's deputies interrupts him. Shane lets JD go, and.... the lights go out. A few moments later, a shotgun blast hits the deputy in the back, and he falls dead, dropping the keys to the cells within arm's reach of JD. Another shotgun blast, a few moments of silence, and the lights come back on. JD grabs the keys, releases himself, checks the deputy for signs of life (without success) and drops the keys. Shane asks JD to release him too, telling him that he'll only look more guilty if he runs. JD declines. Shane threatens to kill him if he ever sees him again, and JD is off.

(commercials)

Maggie (the wedding planner, remember her?) leads Shea and Trish into the room that she gave Richard (presumably after Shea threw him out of her room), and the bed had not been slept in, the shower unused. Shea fears that Richard took Madison and left. Trish says that Richard may have been a bad husband, but he loved his daughter. Shea retorts that he would have lost custody of her, but Trish isn't buying that he kidnapped her.

Charlie drives for a while, eventually stops and gets out of the car. He is presumably making his way to Harkin's cabin. He stops when he hears a rustle in the bushes, his feet mere inches from an unseen tripwire... and then Gigi, dead Lucy's toy dog, emerge from the undergrowth. The dog looks like utter hell. Charlie beckons it closer, and trips the booby trap... and a branch whips around and drives a foot-long wooden stake right through Charlie's left leg. Ouch. Charlie roars in pain.

The search for Madison continues. Henry, Abby and Katherine are searching outside, while Cal, Chloe, Trish and Shea are searching inside. The foursome goes down to the basement to see if Madison could be "playing one of her little games". They eventually come to the incinerator room where Malcolm was killed. They all gag at the smell, and see with horror the bloody handprint left on the incinerator door. Shea panicks, and Cal uses his coat to throw the still-hot switch to turn the furnace off. Opening the door, Cal uses a shovel to pick through the ashes and finds a human skull (Malcolm's, obviously). Being a doctor, he reassures Shea that the skull can't be Madison's because it's too big.

Elsewhere, Chris, Beth and Daniel have entered Malcolm's room, and noticed that he left his bag behind. They then move to the hotel's kitchens, and Chris worries that if Malcolm cut and ran, they'll never find Booth's body.

Henry, Abby and Katherine have come across an empty playground. No Madison. Henry thanks Abby for giving the photograph to Trish, and says that he has one of Henry's entire family that she wants to give him, which he graciously accepts. They movie to an inland lake, where Henry finds a rope leading out into the water, and the trunk of a huge tree. Going knee-deep into the water, he moves to the far side of the tree, and... there's Richard's body, roped to the tree several feet off the ground, and still with the harpoon through his chest. Katherine screams, and just then Abby's phone rings. It's Madison, who tells her, quote, "if anyone leaves the island, I'll die," unquote.

(commercials)

Rushing back to the hotel, Abby tells Katherine that they'll call her father, and he will find her. At that moment, both she and Henry realize that their cell phones have gone dead. Running into the lobby, they try the hotel's land-lines, but those are dead too. (Hmmm...) Abby says they should find Charlie. Henry suggests that they should instead call the mainland, because this situation has gotten too big for just Charlie to handle. They agree to reunite everybody and formulate a plan.

Later on, the entire group has reconvened in the hotel lounge. Trish wonders why Madison would call Abby and not someone else. Cal wonders how she made the call in the first place, if JD is locked up. Daniel suggests that maybe JD isn't the killer after all. Chris offers the theory that this seems to be a Wellington matter, given that the victims have been from Trish's family: Thomas, Richard, and now Madison. Henry tells them that's not likely, and reveals that she and Abby found Uncle Marty the day before. Chris has had enough, and wants to leave. Shea tearily begs him to stay, and Chris asks why Madison's life is more important than all of theirs, and Trish full-on slaps him across the face.

In the woods, Charlie has succeeded in pulling the stake from his leg, but is rapidly losing consciousness. Just before he blacks out, a figure approaches.

Chloe has gone into detective mode, making a list of victims, including all the people that have "disappeared", including Trish's cousin Ben (remember him? Victim #1 from the first five minutes?), Lucy and the priest, as well as possibly Malcolm and Booth. Daniel doesn't believe that this is all connected, but Chloe is convinced they are. "We're all sitting ducks, getting picked off one by one". Trish tells her to shut it, but Chloe responds that she's just saying what they're all thinking. And then.... the lights in the entire hotel go out. (OH, SHIT, that can't be good...)

A bit later, Maggie has returned, stating that she wouldn't have sent the staff home if she'd known there would still be people staying. She grudgingly opens the cabinet where the rifles are kept, and Chris distributes them to himself, Daniel and Henry (but not Cal, who objects to the "scared rabbit" mentality). Maggie checks the fuses, which are fine, which means they have to try to start the back-up generator. They hear a noise, and nearly shoot Jimmy, who has come to find Abby when she didn't leave on the boat, which has apparently gone without them. (That can't be good either...)

(commercials)

Chris says that it doesn't matter now what they do, now that the boat's gone. He and Chloe offer to pay Jimmy to take them away on his boat. Henry says they can't leave until they find Madison. Abby suggests they use the CB radio at the sheriff's station. Henry tells Abby to go there with Jimmy to radio for help, while he and Daniel have a look at the hote's ancient generator.

In the woods, Charlie awakens to find his leg haphazardly bandaged and himself lying on a couch in Harkin's cabin. Cole tells Charlie that he's been back on HI for weeks now, and that JD and he have been working together to try to find the killer, same as Charlie's been doing. Charlie is pissed that Cole went to Abby and not him, but Cole points out that Abby's involved whether he likes it or not. He then shows Charlie a diary that Wakefield apparently wrote in the 17 years he spent in prison.

At the generator, Daniel wonders if what's been going on isn't karma for taking the money off Hunter's boat, but Henry tells him "the world doesn't work that way". After unsuccessully trying to start the generator, they get the idea to try to jump-start it using the battery of a truck... and lo and behold, it works, as the hotel's lights come back on.

Meanwhile, Jimmy and Abby enter a darkened sheriff's station to find the radio shot to hell (that was the second shotgun blast), the deputy dead, and Shane screaming for release. He tells them that JD escaped, and they let him out of his cell. Abby asks Shane where her father is, and Shane replies that he knows where Charlie was headed.

Henry and Daniel reenter the hotel to find Trish, Shea and Katherine in the kitchen, but Cal, Chloe, Beth and Chris have buggered off. Henry reassures Shea that they're not going anywhere. Daniel offers to come with him, but Henry tells him to stay and protect the girls. He kisses Trish, and leaves.

Charlie leafs through Wakefield's diary, and asks Cole where he got it. He replies that he "tracked it down a while back", amd that the reason he came to see JD was because it was JD and his father, not Charlie, who visited him in the hospital after Wakefield crippled him. He then reaffirms JD's innocence, as well as his own, despite Charlie's not-so-subtle accusations. Cole theorizes that this whole thing started when Abby came home. and Charlie tells him that he has to get her off the island. Cole places the diary in a satchel, and says he has to get Charlie some help or he's going to lose his leg. He exits the cabin with the satchel and a lantern. His new adopted dog, Gigi, barks at something unseen in the woods, and... an arrow shoots out of the darkness, piercing Cole through the shoulder and pinning him to the cabin wall. He drops the lantern, starting a fire. He yells Charlie's name, who sees Cole's predicament through the window just as another arrow flies through the window, narrowly missing him. He painfully falls off the bed, crawling a few agonizing feet before stopping. A third arrow hits Cole square in the chest, and that does the trick. He drops the satchel into the rapidly-growing fire.

(commercials)

Charlie manages to crawl his way to the table where Cole set his firearm. He points it at the door, just as Jimmy and Abby come through it. (Jimmy to the rescue, AGAIN!!) Charlie gasps to Abby to retrieve the bag with Wakefield's diary in it before it burns up. Circumventing Cole's now-flaming body, she manages to rescue the satchel. Jimmy begs Charlie to let him take him to the clinic, but Charlie tells Jimmy instead to take him to the marina. He helps Charlie up, and off they go.

At the marina, Chris's plan is obviously to steal a boat, and take Beth, Chloe and Cal off the island with him. He finds one with a not-so-well-hidden key, and starts the motor. They prepare to cast off, but Cal hangs back. He says he can't just leave, and that he couldn't live with himself if Madison got hurt because he left. He begs them to stay, and Chloe agrees. (I gotta tell you, I like this guy. He's a fop, but he's really grown on me. Chloe got himself a good guy.) Chris begs Beth to come with him, but before she can respond, Cal sees someone sprinting along a nearby pier. Cal says, "It's JD."

Jimmy's truck pulls up on the Marina. Charlie begs Jimmy to take Abby and get to the mainland. Abby says she's not leaving this time. Charlie begs, but Abby is adamant. Chris runs up and tell them that JD has escaped. Jimmy tells Abby to stay with Charlie, but Abby won't have it. Charlie retrieves the shotgun from the back seat and gives it to her.

Searching the docks, Jimmy tells Abby to stay put while he searches in another direction. Abby moves forward, hearing a weak cry of pain down the other way. Gun in hand, she follows the sound, and is shocked to find JD, lying on his back on a pallet, pale as a sheet and bleeding profusely from a belly wound. Abby asks JD who did this to him. And as someone walks unseen up behind her, JD gurgles, "It's you, Abby. It's all about you." And then he dies. And Abby turns around to see... Henry, bawling his eyes out and his hands and clothes covered in blood.

(fade to black)

Next week: Charlie's in bad shape. Abby announces "whoever it is, wants me." Jimmy states, "Well, they can't have you." Aww. More searching, more guns, more paranoia. Should be fun!

ANALYSIS (Episode Eight synopsis is on the previous page):

Eight episodes, thirteen dead. Obviously this is not an equal-opportunity killer, as only two of the thirteen have been women, and the last EIGHT have been men. Maybe the killer is some bonkers right-wing Feminazi...

Seriously, though, I just don't know anymore. I have been going on the assumption that the killer was one of "The 25", the 25 main characters listed on the show's homepage. I was under the impression that the killer HAD to be one of them, and it was just a matter of eliminating the suspects one by one. Could I have been mistaken?

Because honestly, I am finding is harder and harder to believe that ALL of this has been perpetrated by just one individual. The events of this episode seem to exonerate Henry, for the following reasons:

1. He left the hotel, went to the sheriff's station, killed the deputy, shot up the radio (allowing JD to escape), returned to the hotel without anyone noticing, rejoined the search for Madison, found Richard's body, reunited the group, re-started the generator, went to Cole's cabin, killed him without being seen, and then went to the marina and killed his own brother? That seems a little much, doesn't it?

2. If he killed JD, the last scene really painted a big red circle around him, didn't it? Yet there are still several episodes left, which makes me wonder if I've been wrong about this whole thing.

Is it just ONE person? It is even one of "The 25"? I just don't know any more. As of this episode, everyone left seems to have a rock-solid alibi for at least one of the murders, so the odds boards seems irrelevant now. I just hope that whoever the killer is, it doesn't end up contravening events that have already transpired.

At this point, the best theory I can come up with now is this: Booth is not only not dead, but is the killer. Yeah, it's ridiculous, but I've just visited the HI website below, which has a page on it showing three "death" scenes: Richard's, Thomas's, and Booth's. While I SUPPOSE it's possible that Booth could have shot himself and bled to death in a matter of minutes, the whole thing just felt terribly fake to me. If Booth is/was the killer, that would make him extremely intelligent. It would have been an easy matter to strap a blood-pack to his leg and shoot himself in it, then play dead for Malcolm's benefit. Malcolm, not being the brightest bulb in the bunch, then "buried" Booth in a shallow grave, which, if he was disciplined enough, he could have theoretically survived. He then dug himself to freedom, replaced all the dirt before Malcolm's return in the morning, and then killed Malcolm before he could lead Chris and Daniel to where he was buried. Now, for all intents and purposes, Booth is "dead", and buried in a place where he may never be found. Which gives him the perfect opportunity to kill everyone, unseen and unnoticed, because nobody is looking for him.

Yeah, this theory is straight out of left field, but if anyone's got a better one, I'm all ears.


Here is the link to watching full episodes, assuming anybody (besides me) still gives a shit:

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/harpers_island/video/

More next week. Any comments would be welcome. Ipki$$, undeadmonkey, you still watching??

I need to watch last weeks still, (dont worry, i didnt read your post) ill probably catch up today or tomorrow

Finally saw it. I'm finding it hard to believe that it's just one killer. didnt someone use a bow and arrow before? I cant remember

Not quite. Richard was killed with a harpoon-shooter on a line.

EPISODE NINE SYNOPSIS:

At the Candlewick Inn, Trish is looking out the window looking for some sign of the others. Daniel is pacing the floor, and Shea is moaning that she can't believe that they would endanger Madison by leaving. Katherine enters and notes that the phones are still out. A knock on the door, and Daniel lets in Chris and Beth, who have returned.

At the clinic, Cal is tending to Charlie, who is not in good shape. Cal remarks that Charlie is the first living patient he's worked on in a while (he's a forensic pathologist, so it would seem). He asks Abby and Chloe to help by being his nurses. Charlie murmurs to Abby to keep Harkin's book safe, though it was partially burnt. The door then opens, and Jimmy and Henry bring JD's lifeless body into the clinic. Henry's eyes are red; dude's been crying, a lot. Jimmy notes a page on the floor, picks it up and gives it to Henry, stating that it must have fallen from JD's pocket.

Shea is reading Chris the riot act for deserting her and Madison. Chris informs Trish about JD, and Trish reasons that if JD was killed, maybe he wasn't the murderer after all. (Well, DUH.) Just then, blinding headlights and a very loud radio signal the arrival of a truck, but when Chris and Daniel, rifles in hand, investigate, they find the truck empty... that is, until Shane sneaks up behind them and puts a gun of his own to Chris's head.

(commercials)

After a short Mexican standoff, Shane tells the two men that he's looking for JD. Chris explains that he's dead, but Shane's not buying it. He disarms them and motions them to go back inside.

While Cal and Chloe tend to Charlie, Abby tells Jimmy that the state police will arrive in the morning to take her dad to the hospital. She comforts a still-in-shock Henry, who is distraught over JD's death. Abby asks him if JD said anything when Henry found him, and he says no. Abby then relates JD's last words to her, and wonder if JD truly blamed her. Henry dismisses that notion, and they hug. Henry then says he needs to get back to Trish. Abby offers to go with him, but he tells her to stay with her dad.

The women are understandably anxious as Shane leads Chris and Daniel into the room at gunpoint... that is, until Henry puts a rifle of his own to Shane's head. (Wow, he got there FAST!) Shane is disarmed, and Henry hugs Trish. He tells Shea that there's still no word on Madison, and that JD is dead.

At the clinic, Abby has started to read Wakefield's partially-burnt diary. Reading over her shoulder, Jimmy remembers the piece of paper that fell from JD's pocket, and tells Abby that he gave them to Henry. She proclaims that she needs to see them.

Maggie comes downstairs with the keys to the hotel, and informs the group that every door is locked except for the front door. Henry goes to question Shane, who is in the kitchen with Daniel. Shane, pleasant as always, not-so-subtly blames Henry for everything that's happened, up to and including possibly locking them all in with the killer.

A little later, Trish is tending to some deep scratches on Henry's arm. She asks how he got them, and he replies that he doesn't remember. Abby and Jimmy arrive, and she tells Henry that Charlie will probably be okay. Abby asks for the pages from JD's pocket, and he obliges. She reads about the affair Wakefield had with her mom, and then reads - with horror - the line "Sarah had my child", and wonders if she might be Wakefield's daughter. Everyone just stands agape, including Shane, listening from the other room.

(commercials)

Jimmy tells Abby that this revelation is meaningless. Chris, Daniel and Beth would seem to disagree, as Shane is quietly filling them in. Jimmy pulls Shane aside, and Shane tells Jimmy they should take Jimmy's boat and leave. Jimmy, it seems, finds Abby better company. Shane remarks that Abby will get Jimmy killed.

Chris, Daniel and Beth are in the kitchen, and Daniel states that they'll hunker down in there until the police arrive in the morning. Raised voices in the other room bring them back to the main hall, where Henry has taken umbrage with Shane's proclamation. Shane defends his position, stating that all the murders connect to her, and Chris seems to be sharing the same thoughts.

Katherine looks in on Shea, who is folding clothes in Madison's room. Shea is still distraught, but the conversation becomes unpleasant almost immediately (you knew THIS was coming), as Shea accuses Katherine of destroying her family. She chases Katherine from the room.

Jimmy goes outside to see Abby sulking on the steps. Abby is afraid their fears might be justified, but Jimmy couldn't care less about their opinions OR Abby's parentage. (Aww, what a sweetie!) She tells Jimmy about the two "Ave Maria" phone calls, and the newspaper clipping put on her mirror on the first night back. She says that whoever is doing this wants her. Jimmy states matter-of-factly that he can't have her.

At the clinic, Charlie is sleeping while Cal dresses his wound. Chloe, unable to contain herself any longer, pulls Cal into the next room and starts undressing. Time for some nookie!

Jimmy and Abby try to reenter the hotel, but Shane's locked the door, saying she can't come in. Henry attacks Shane from behind, and the smackdown is on. They throw each other around for a bit, and Chris and Daniel have to stop Henry from strangling Shane (who so, SO deserves it). Chris then notices that someone is conspicuously absent... Beth. (OH, CRAP...) Returning to the kitchen, they notice a trail of blood leading to a secret door. They open it, and it reveals a dark, downward-leading tunnel.

(commercials)

Maggie mentions that the hotel was built in Prohibition times, but she never knew the tunnels were there. Chris doesn't want to go down, but Daniel reasons that Beth might still be alive. Chris relents. Henry gives Trish his gun and tells her to keep the rest safe. Abby and Jimmy, it seems, are joining the search party.

Trish returns to the hall, where Shane offers his condolences for her father, and offers her a shot of whiskey from the bottle he's just cracked open. Katherine comes in an tells Trish that Shea is now missing. They go back to her room, and Shea is not there. Searching the place, Trish finds a tarot card from her bachelorette party under Shea's suitcase, specifically, "The Tower", which causes the psychic to freak out when she did a reading on Abby. Trish wants to look for her, but Shane and Katherine caution against it, saying that there's still a killer on the loose, and walking alone at night is not exactly smart. Trish just gives a non-commital, "Yeah, I guess you're right." (Three guesses what's coming...) Cut to Katherine and Shane at the bar, followed immediately by a slack-jawed Shane as he sees his headlights, hears his radio, and witnesses Trish speeding off in his truck.

In the tunnels, the trail of blood continues. It's beginning to look bad for Beth. Henry reasons that these tunnels are probably how the killer is getting in and out. Chris continues Shane's train of thought, that someone is imitating Wakefield, someone close to Abby. Abby gets googly-eyed and says, "Are you afraid of me?" (Okay, that was pretty cool. WTG, Abby!) Then things get complicated when the blood trail branches off into two directions. Chris and Daniel offer to take one way, while Henry, Abby and Jimmy take the other.

At the bar, Mr. Sensitivity is pouring Katherine a drink. He calls her a trophy wife, and then asks how much she's worth now. Unable to stand Shane's charms any more, she walks away. (I swear to God, I will CHEER when this douche bag gets offed!) Taking out a pocket knife, he starts carving his name in the bar. Maggie suddenly appears to chasten him, but Shane (actually logically) comments that it doesn't matter since no one will ever stay at that hotel any more.

In Shane's truck, Trish happens upon Shea, who is walking alone down the road. Trish figures Shea is going to talk to the psychic, but tells Shea that a psychic is not going to help find Madison now. Shea cries that she can't just stop looking. They hug, and they decide to go together.

Daniel is ribbing Chris for suddenly turning on Abby, a girl who Chris "has been trying to sleep with for years". Chris comments that he doesn't think Abby is evil, but that the coincidence of the murders starting right when she returned to HI is too great to ignore. Elsewhere, Abby is wondering if Charlie knew that she was Wakefield's daughter, reasoning that it would explain why he sent her away after her mom was killed. Henry comforts her, saying Charlie was and is just trying to protect her. Just then, the tunnel ends, save for a very narrow crawlspace. Chris and Daniel's tunnel ends similarly, with an identical crawlspace as well, only theirs has more blood on it. After some words (in separate locations), Abby and Daniel decide to crawl into the narrow space. Daniel craws a few yards before coming to a turn. He looks around the corner, and screams, as he beholds Beth's body... well, Beth's body from the waist up, anyway. The rest of her is missing. (Ewww....) He crawls backward and out as fast as he can. Abby, meanwhile, craws forward a few yards herself, and just then, a metal gate clangs shut behind her.

(commercials)

Henry crawls in to save her, but the gate won't budge. Jimmy offers to go get help, and tells Abby to stay put. Abby says she's going to keep looking for Beth. Henry echoes Jimmy's instructions, but Abby keeps crawling. She eventually exits the crawlspace and emerges into another tunnel. Gun and flashlight still in hand, she follows it. In the distance, she hears footsteps. She calls out Henry's and Jimmy's name, but there's no answer. Realizing she's in trouble, she ducks into another crawlspace. She starts crawling, but only gets a few feet before someone grabs her legs. Abby screams and struggles, but gets dragged backward. She kicks at her unseen assailant, and that seems to do the trick, as she is released. She crawls until she emerges into yet another tunnel, and fires a round from her shotgun down the crawlspace she just exited for good measure. Running down this new tunnel, she discovers an old wooden door that's slightly ajar. She ducks inside, and guess who? It's Madison, sleeping on a cot. She wakes and sleepily greets Abby, who tells her they're both leaving.

Henry and Jimmy have reunited with Chris and Daniel. Chris informs Henry that Beth is dead, and Henry states that Abby is trapped.

Abby and Madison are following the tunnel, and they come to a ladder leading upward. Through a closed manhole, they see the night sky. They begin climbing.

Jimmy and Henry, now back at the Inn, ask Shane - who has finished carving his name on the bar - if they can borrow his tools to free Abby. Shane bemusedly responds that the tools are in his truck, which Trish stole about a half-hour ago.

Driving along, Trish tells Shea that it appears sunrise is imminent, which will mean the arrival of the state police.

At the top of the ladder, Madison and Abby are unable to budge the manhole cover. They hear a vehicle coming. They yell for help, and Madison sticks her hand through the grating.

Up top, Trish drives right over the grating without stopping, but when Shea sees a child's hand sticking out of the ground in the rear-view, she yells to Trish to stop. They exit the truck, and the four girl are reunited. (YAY!!)

Meanwhile, at the HI Clinic and Motel, the sun peeks through the windows, waking Cal, who has just had a few of the best hours of his life, it would seem. A damper is put on his mood, however, when he realizes that Charlie has scarpered during the night, unhooking his blood pack. Also missing is a very large (and presumably quite heavy) oxygen tank. There is a LOT of blood on the bedsheet.

In the Candlewick kitchen, Henry grabs a pair of bolt-cutters just as he hears a truck pull up. Running to the window, he informs the group that Trish and Abby have returned, along with Shea and Madison. Trish says that Madison seems fine, and Henry tells Trish that her best friend is dead. They hug, as do Jimmy and Abby. Maggie asks Madison where she's been, but Madison clams up. Shea informs her that they're going to wait for the police.

Back inside, Shane calls out to Katherine that she's missing "the big reunion". Katherine is sitting on a couch, eyes closed. When he gets closer, he notices that she is not responding, and is very pallid... and then notices, with some alarms, that there is a large pool of blood forming on the linens. Shane recoils, as the camera pans to behind the couch, where we a pair of very large hedge trimmers sticking through the wickerwork and into poor Katherine's back. Victim #15.

Outside, Madison brightly asks Abby, "Did you like the game? He said you'd like it." Abby asks who she's talking about, and Madison responds, "The man who took me." Abby asks, "What man?" And Madison, unblinking, responds, "Your Dad, Abby. You know, the sheriff?" Abby goes pale.

(fade to black)