HARPER'S ISLAND: The Whodunit Game

ANALYSIS:

So now the finger of blame is on Sheriff Charlie, eh?

Puh-leez.

Aside from the fact that he has an alibi for at least one murder (Cole's), are we now to believe that he made his way from the clinic to the Inn, carrying a big oxygen tank, and did away with both Beth and Katherine? That was NOT a fake wound, people. I saw it. I have no freakin' clue where he disappeared to, but I'm not buying that he's suddenly the killer.

The fact that Katherine's blood was still pooling meant that it had only happened minutes before. This would seem to exonerate Henry, Daniel, Jimmy, Chris, Abby, Shea, Trish and Madison (not to mention Cal and Chloe). The only ones left in the Inn were Shane and Maggie, and, judging by the look on his face, we can safely rule out Shane (plus, I ruled him out weeks ago).

Could the middle-aged frumpy wedding planner Maggie be the killer? Apart from being a rather largish woman, she's not exactly young. I supposed one could make the argument that she had the best opportunity of anyone to kill Beth and Katherine, although it's unlikely she could have fit into that crawlspace where Beth's torso was dumped.

Going back, she really doesn't have an alibi for any of the murders, but I just can't bring myself to believe that she's the killer. She may possess the requisite strength to pin a grown man to a tree, or hoist a body up into another tree, etc., but she's just been a secondary character since Day One. The only one of "The 25" that we've seen less than her (of those still living) is townie bartender Nikki, who we haven't seen at all in four episodes (save one flashback scene).

At this point, I'm still favoring the "Booth is alive and the killer" theory. What do you think, undeadmonkey?

The show has started over here. Aside from the terrible acting and awful script, I don't think I'm gonna stick with the show, just because I know it's going to be a typical whodunnit in that the answer will defy logic because they want us to keep guessing, and the end will uncover some ridiculous reason, a la Scooby Doo.

I image the killer will be more than one person, and at least one of them will be wealthy and/or female. Just a theory.

I watched last nights also and i wont post any spoilers but someone shows up and i dont like it. It means that theres more than one killer. So the alibi's are all out. honestly im confused and am just watching to finish now. I think the killer is either Henry or Booth. And is it just me or does Shane kind of look like wakefield's son?

I think Shane is too ignorant to be Wakefield's son. Next week they're going to paint Jimmy as Wakefield's son, which I don't buy either. When I do the synopsis, I'll explain who I now think Wakefield's child is.

Okay, I've let the last two episodes' synopses slide for a while, but since the finale is tomorrow, it's time to catch everybody (yes, both of you), up:

EPISODE TEN

Shea is tending to Madison, who says that Charlie (the man she says took her) was just playing a game for Abby. Shane shows Henry the now-deceased body of Katherine in the solarium. At the hotel bar, Daniel, Chris and Trish are musing about Charlie's motives for kidnapping Madison, and Chris ponders that if he found out Abby was Wakefield's daughter, it may have broken him. Abby hears this, a mere five feet away, and Jimmy stares angrily into space. He whispers to Abby not to let their talk bother her, and she responds that she can't believe that her dad is capable of all this. Henry comes back with Shane and he asks Jimmy if they can all get off the island on Jimmy's boat, and Jimmy answers yes, and he and Shane leave for the docks. Henry then tells everyone about Katherine. Chris double-takes, stating that she was alive only minutes before, and Henry confirms that the killer is still around, which is why they need to leave, picking up Cal, Chloe and Charlie at the clinic on the way.

In a seaplane nearing HI, two state cops (listed in Wikipedia as "Officer Tyra Coulter" and "Officer Darryl Riggins") talk about JD, HI, and marine life. They are coming to pick up JD, but I won't waste time talking about them, as they won't be alive for very long...

Henry and Abby rush into the clinic to find Cal and Chloe still there, but Charlie conspicuously missing, along with his very large and heavy oxygen tank. Cal doubts he could have gotten far.

At the dock, we see the sheriff - or rather, the SLEEVE of someone in a sheriff's shirt (obviously not Charlie) - walking on the docks. Mystery Man watches the state cops' plane land. Seeing him from a distance, they assume he is the sheriff. It's not until they exit the plane and attempt to tie the plane to the dock when they realize how wrong they are, as Mystery Man shoots both cops in the chest. They fall into the water, dead. NOBODY LEAVES!!

(commercials)

In the woods, most of the survivors have reunited, except for Jimmy and Shane (who are refueling Jimmy's boat) and Charlie. Abby says she's going to look for her father, because she has to know what's going on; she'll start at his house.

Shane and Jimmy arrive at the dock to see the cops' plane, but no cops. Shane proffers the idea of just leaving, but Jimmy's not having it. Shane unties Jimmy's boat.

In Charlie's attic, Trish unearths something that Henry and Abby missed before; blueprints of the tunnel system that seem to be prevalent all over HI, including exits at the church and the Candlewick Inn. This is undoubtedly how the killer was able to slip in and out undetected, but Abby's still not buying that it's her father. But we see that her resolve is starting to crack.

Jimmy has moved the boat next to the dock's gas pump, but with the island's power out, the pump isn't working. Shane runs to the dock's emergency generator, but is surprised to see a very large, heavy oxygen tank tied to the generator. OH-OH...

The rest of the group near the docks.

Shane notices the two dead cops floating in the water nearby. Jimmy tells him to fire up the generator, and Shane does so (dumb-ass). A very nasty hiss begins, and Shane finally puts two and two together... he yells for Jimmy to get out of there, but then Jimmy's boat goes up in a giant fireball, which starts a chain reaction that takes out pretty much the rest of the dock. Abby screams Jimmy's name, and Henry has to restrain her from running towards the conflagration.

(commercials)

As if the situation wasn't tense enough, as soon as the group has picked themselves up off the ground, gunshots ring out and bullets start clanging off of nearby metal. We see Mystery Man, still wearing the sheriff's shirt, lining up the sights of his rifle on the diving-for-cover survivors. Fortunately, they are able to make it to The Cannery (Nikki's bar) with no fatalities, with only Henry suffering a flesh wound. Everyone is there: Shane, Cal, Chloe, Danny, Trish, Henry, Abby, Shea, Madison, Chris and Maggie. Henry barricades the door. Abby and Shane have an argument about what just happened, and Shane defends himself by saying he didn't realize it was a trap until too late. He further brings the mood down when he tells all that the state cops are now fish food. Further contemplation throws even more suspicion on Charlie, as they deduce it was his oxygen tank that was booby-trapped. Cal starts to tend to Henry's wound.

Later, Chris is helping himself to the nectar of the Cannery's many taps. Chris is now openly accusing Charlie of being the perpetrator, and Maggie mentions that Wakefield blew up the dock in the same way seven years before. Chloe then pipes up, saying that there is still another boat to be had, the one that she and Cal rented a few days before. Apparently it is moored on a private dock on the other side of HI. Meanwhile, local bartender Nikki has shown up (where the fuck has she been the last six episodes?), and the group fills her in. Maggie suggests that Nikki making it there unscathed means that the killer isn't interested in the locals, which means she's safe. Shane responds that Jimmy was local, so that theory is SOL.

In the kitchen, Abby is still quietly sobbing about Jimmy. Nikki consoles her, and tells her that Charlie has changed considerably since Abby was last there. "After it all happened, something broke," she says.

After much discussion, it is agreed that Chris and Cal will try to steal away in Nikki's truck, and Cal will sail the boat back and pick everyone up. (Yeah, that'll work...) Maggie then announces that she's leaving. Henry tries to talk her out of it, but Maggie is adamant. "This has nothing to do with me", she says, and strides out. We see her retreating figure out the window (and I keep waiting for her to get shot, or blown up, or something, but it doesn't happen).

Shane is drinking a shot of scotch in Jimmy's memory. Henry tries to console him, but Shane being Shane, he gets asshole-y within seconds. Henry asks Shane why he does that, treats everyone who isn't a local like shit, like being a native is such a great thing. Shane responds that HI sucks, but that everyone else sucks more for coming to HI to visit. (Best exchange: "Why would you want to get married here?!" Henry: "Believe me, I'm having second thoughts...")

In the pool room, Abby gently grills Madison about her father, basically looking for more proof. But Shea enters and objects to the interrogation, like Abby is guilty by heredity. While they're arguing, however, Madison looks up, and tells them that there's someone on the roof of the bar. Shane considers blowing a hole in the roof, but Daniel talks him out of it. A moment later, Chloe screams as Maggie's dead body, hanging by the neck from a noose, is thrown down and lands dangling in front of the main window. (Dumb bitch...) Victim #18. (I'm not counting Jimmy at this time, because if we didn't SEE him die, then he didn't. Period)

(commercials)

Night has fallen, and the group is making Molotov cocktails from the bar's liquor bottles. Their plan is to create a distraction so Cal and Chris can get to Nikki's truck. Chloe apologizes to Cal for bringing him to HI, and Cal (being the sweetheart he is), tries to console her, joking that this was actually the SECOND-worst wedding he'd ever attended, the prize going to his mum's 4th go-round, to an Irish clogger. (Okay, that was funny. I think I love Cal and Chloe, they are TOO cute.) Chloe tells him to stop joking and pretending to be brave. Cal assures her that he's terrified, but even more terrified of losing her. He even gives her the ring he bought for her, and tells her that when he gets back, he's going to propose.

Showtime. Henry takes a few cautious paces outside the front door, Danny lights the first bomb, and Henry throws it into the parking lot. Before long, a nearby pickup is on fire. No sign of trouble. Chris watches wistfully as Chloe kisses Cal for luck, and, not to be outdone, plants a big one on Nikki's lips. (What a player.) Nikki is cool with the smooch, but tells Chris to bring her car back in one piece.

Cal and Chris break for the car, but Cal, forgetting he's in bloddy AMERICA, heads for the driver's side door as well as Chris. Realizing his mistake too late, Cal turns and gets shot in the shoulder. Chris grabs him and shoves him into the back seat. A hail of gunfire, and Chris is able to start the car and drive away. Yay. The celebration is short-lived, however, as a couple miles down the road, Chris notices that Cal is bleeding profusely. They're only recourse is to go back to the clinic.

Back in the bar, Trish tries to console Madison, who has finally wised up to the fact that her daddy is dead, which Trish confirms.

In the clinic, Cal is not looking well. But he tells Chris that he will talk him through the procedure for bullet removal. Oh, dear...

Hours pass, and Chloe worries that there's been no word from her beau. Meanwhile, Danny notices that the sheriff's car has pulled up in the parking lot, headlights blazing. Henry notices something on the hood, and Trish sees that it is a body. The truck stops suddenly, and the body rolls off the hood and onto the ground: it's Jimmy.

(commercials)

The boys covering her, Abby dashes out to Jimmy's body. She feels his neck for a pulse, and is relieved to note that he is still alive. (Told ya.) Shane and Henry pick him up and taking him inside. They put him on the pool table, and the latest round of Charlie-bashing begins. Trish wonders why he let Jimmy live. The answer to that comes immediately, when they notice that there is a room key from the Candlewick pressed into Jimmy's palm... a key to Abby's room. The message seems clear - Abby needs to go back to her hotel room to confront her father. Henry objects, but Abby decides to go, alone, saying this is between her and her dad, and only she can end this. She takes off, walking. No further shots ring out.

After a brisk walk, we see Abby arriving at the Candlewick. She slows her pace as she strides down the corridor towards her room. She gingerly pushes the door open, and what do you know? There's Charlie, standing stock-still in front of the window. Abby gasps, "It IS you." Charlie asks if Jimmy is okay. Abby confirms he is, and Charlie mutters, "Thank God, he kept his end of the deal." Charlie then relates that John Wakefield is not only alive, but has returned to HI. He took Charlie from the clinic, and apparently agreed to keep Jimmy alive in order to lure Abby to the Inn.

Charlie confesses that he'd being lying for years about killing Wakefield. He says he shot him seven years ago, but never found his body, so he buried some other poor stiff so the island could have closure. Abby asks why she should believe him, and Charlie responds that this whole thing is a trap. Charlie tells Abby to leave. Abby refuses, and approaches her father, but he warns her back.

Back at the bar, Madison confesses to Trish that she lied about being taken by Charlie. It was her "new friend", a person she ostensibly met on her first day at HI. This man apparently told Madison specifically to lie to Abby, and the price for her refusal was to have her mother "disappear" the same way her father did. Trish asks her who her "new friend" is.

At the Inn, Charlie maintains that Wakefield is alive, but Abby isn't buying it, saying her father is obsessed, especially when he found out that his wife had a child with Wakefield. She then screams at him, "Am I Wakefield's child?!" and Charlie retorts, "NO!!" Apparently, the local gossip is indeed false, and Abby is Charlie's daughter after all. That's when she notices that Charlie's hands are tied to a rope, and there is a walkie-talkie on a nearby dresser, where their entire conversation is being relayed to Mystery Man, who is outside in the sheriff's truck.

Charlie tells Abby that it's too late for him, and that she needs to make a new life with Jimmy, who loves her. He begs her to leave and not watch him die. This is what Wakefield does: uses their loved ones against them. He tells her to finish Wakefield, something he couldn't do. He chokes out, "I love you so much..." and then we hear a screech of tires. Charlie's body is pulled backward, through the window, and is gone.

Abby runs outside and finds her father's truck parked nearby, and there, hanging from a tree, just like her mother, is Charlie, dead. Victim #19. Abby sobs, and Mystery Man comes up behind her. She spins around, and sure enough, there is John Wakefield, alive and in the flesh. He snatches the gun from her hand, smiles, and says, "You look just like your mother."

(fade to black)

Episode 11 tomorrow.

Wow, this show is still on the air? Or are they just burning off the last episodes?

This was only intended to be a thirteen-part story. They will finish the run, and that will be the end of it.

I had a whole host of theories about who the killer is/was during the show's run, and I can now tell you the following facts:

1. I thought that Booth's death was hinky, and that he either faked it or was killed by someone else. Neither are true. Booth is dead.
2. My theory was that Shea was Wakefield's kid and not Abby, given how creepy Madison is... They're making it look like it's Jimmy, but that automatically means it isn't.
3. I still can't help but wonder what the money was for. Uncle Marty brought it, and he was killed early on. The money was then placed by the killer on Hunter's boat, right before his death. Henry and his buddies found it, and Malcolm absconded with it, but was in the process of burning it when HE was killed. What was the money FOR?! It's driving me nuts!

It's obvious that Wakefield has an accomplice, and it's someone who is still alive. That someone is probably Wakefield's kid. If it's not Abby, that means it must either be Trish, Shea, or Henry. (No way it can be Cal, Chloe, Nikki, Danny or Chris.)

I'll find out tomorrow night!

EPISODE ELEVEN


Abby stands face to face with Wakefield, the man who has now murdered both her parents. She asks him why he's doing this. Wakefield just wryly grins and says, "You don't know?" Any further conversation is cut off, however, when Henry and Daniel, both toting shotguns, come running up, and Wakefield hotfoots it in the othe direction. Henry comes up to Abby, and is shocked to see Charlie dead. Abby whispers that it was Wakefield who did it, and she tries to grab Henry's gun so she can chase after him. Henry stops her, saying that is what he wants. She screams and sobs, and Henry hugs her.

Back at the Cannery (where Maggie's body is STILL hanging outside the window), Nikki is tending to Jimmy, who is still unconscious. Chloe is still staring out the window, looking for a sign from Cal or Chris. Chloe wonders how Jimmy survived the explosion, and Shane comments that Jimmy was always lucky.

At the clinic, Chris is helping Cal back into Nikki's car, having helped removed the bullet from Cal's shoulder. Chris admits he did a piss-poor job, given that Cal passed out before he could tell Chris what to do, so all he did was keep stitching until the bleeding stopped. Cal smiles, impressed, and they resume their journey to the other boat.

Chris and Danny load Charlie's body into his truck. Danny wonders, like many of us, how the hell one guy could kill so many people. Abby whispers that Wakefield murdered Charlie the same way as her mother, and yes, Charlie, not Wakefield, was her father.

In the bar, Madison is relaying the story of how she make Wakefield on her first day on the Island. Wakefield is the one that told her about the murders seven years before, and was actually very nice to her. Then she asks Shea flat out, "Is Daddy dead?" and Trish finally admits that he is. Then Madison asks shamefully if Abby is going to die because she lied. Shea, near tears, tells her that Abby will be fine.

Abby, searching for keys in her father's car, comes across a picture of her in the sun-visor. Incensed, she grabs her father's shotgun and cocks it. Then she tells Henry matter-of-factly that she will kill Wakefield herself.

(commercials)

Henry, Danny and Abby are walking back to the Cannery. Danny wonders that if this whole thing was about getting revenge on Charlie, whether Wakefield might be done killing. (Boy, is THAT wishful thinking...)

At the Cannery, Shane is sitting by the couch where Jimmy is lying, still unconscious. Nikki says that even despite the marina explosion, the power outage and the state cops not reporting back, it will probably be a few days before anyone from the mainland will notice something's amiss, and in the meantime, the bar's generator won't last that long. Chloe gets upset at Trish for bringing them here. Madison, staring out the windows, screams, "He's here!" And, bold as brass, John Wakefield kicks in the door of the bar, brandishing a very long boarding knife.

Nikki rushes for the shotgun she keeps under the bar, and is able to get it out, but John intercepts her. He grabs the barrel of the gun, and the shot goes harmlessly into the ceiling, which gives enough time for him to shove his nasty blade right into her gut. He pulls her body over the bar and onto the floor, but she's dead. Victim #20. Shane ushers the rest of the ladies to the restroom area, pulling his own knife out. Wakefield, seeing Shane's miniscule weapon, smiles. (It would have been hilarious if he had said with an Aussie accent, "That's not a noif...") Trish grabs Nikki's shotgun and runs to the ladies room with the others, leaving Shane to fend for himself. In the ladies' room, Trish breaks out the window, and the others start climbing out.

Shane tells John that he's not scared of him, and the fight begins. Shane slashes a few times but misses, and John slashes a couple of times and wound Shane. Shane actually clocks John in the face, but John grabs Shane's arm, twists it, and darn near cuts it off. Shane, in a panic, slashes a few more times, and John sticks his machete right through Shane's body and out his back.

(I said I would cheer when Shane got killed, but now I'm having second thoughts. Damn.)

In the ladies' room, only Trish and Shea are left. Trish, armed with a shotgun, tells Shea to go. She does, and Trish turns her attention to the door. She hears someone turning the knob, and unleashes two shots right through the door. Unfortunately, this empties the gun, and John kicks the door in. Trish gasps, and it looks like this is the end for the bride-to-be, but Shane, near death, comes up from behind John and distracts him long enough for Trish to escape. John, pissed off, moves in to finish Shane off. Victim #21. The girls run out of the parking lot, and Trish says she knows a place they can hide.

Cal and Chris have finally reached the distant dock, and oops! No boat! (Come on, you're surprised?) Cal blames himself for getting shot, but Chris tells him it's cool, since he owed him one anyway, as the bullet would have hit him. The boat could have been gone for days. Cal says that he just wants to get Chloe off the island, and Chris smirks that he just wants to get Chloe, and they both laugh.

Henry, Danny and Abby have reached the Cannery, and are dismayed to see the door wide open and music blasting. They enter to see Shane's body, strung up and hanging from an oar tied to the ceiling.

(commercials)

Further search of the bar reveals nothing else but Nikki's body. Danny finally admits that Wakefield is nowhere near done killing. Abby says that it's interesting that Wakefield chose to pick his victims off one by one, but once Charlie was dead, he gave up all pretense of remaining hidden. He wanted Abby to see him. But why? He could have killed Abby, and everyone would still have thought Charlie was the killer. Henry surmises that maybe Wakefield wants people to know now that he's back. Danny, glum, says that he doesn't know how much more he can take.

Meanwhile, the rest of the girls now now taken refuge in Charlie's attic. Chloe and Shea are shocked at all of the Wakefield photos. Madison says that he was nice to her, but now she's seen what he truly is. Trish locates another piece of the blueprints, showing that HI's tunnel system goes everywhere on the island. Just then, the girls are shocked to hear the church's bells start pealing. Chloe thinks it could be Henry or Cal. Trish tells Madison to stay in the attic with Shea, while she and Chloe check things out.

At the bar, Henry hears it too, and wonders if it could be Trish. They head for the church, and notice that Charlie's deputy's car is in front of it. Danny thinks it might be him ringing the bell, but Henry then wonders why the ringing stopped. They are about to enter when Chloe and Trish run up. Henry and Trish embrace, and she tells them that Shane gave his life so they could escape. Abby asks if Jimmy was with her, and Trish says they left him in the bar. They all wonder who rang the bell.

They enter the darkened church, but don't see anyone. Danny decides to light a candle, as they "could all use a prayer right now". (Ain't THAT the truth.) Abby tells them about her father's death, and Trish apologizes for accusing him. Chloe screams, and they run to one of the back pews, where they find Deputy Lillis, dead with his throat cut. Victim #22. (So much for HI's law enforcement.) Then, the group hear a truck pull up... but it's not Wakefield, it's Cal and Chris. Chris tells them there's no boat, and Cal wonders where Chloe is. They all turn around, and, lo, Chloe has vanished, just like that.

(commercials)

A search of the church has proved fruitless, and Trish deduces that Wakefield must have just been there, right under their nose. She digs out the blueprints, and shows them that there is a secret entrance into the church as well. Just then, a door opens, and everyone raises their guns, but it's just Jimmy, none the worse for wear, and apparently having been spared by Wakefield TWICE (wonder why...) Abby rushes into his arms. Jimmy says he woke up in the Cannery to find only bodies, then checked the town, but everyone is gone. He asks how he got to the Cannery in the first place, and they tell him he was brought by Wakefield, who is very much alive. Jimmy wonders why he was spared.

In the corner, Cal has uncovered the secret entrance into the tunnel system, under some floorboards. Further perusal of the blueprints show four exits to the tunnels - the Inn's kitchen, the church, the storm drain where they rescued Abby and Madison, and a fourth one. Henry tells them to split up; Chris and Danny will seal off the Inn's entrance, Trish and Jimmy will block the storm drain, and Cal, Abby and he will try to find Chloe. Chris gives Cal a heartfelt good luck.

In the wilderness, we see Wakefield locking Chloe in some kind of grated sewer room. There are bars on all the tunnels, so she can't escape. She screams at Wakefield, saying they never did anything to him. He retorts, angrily, "I almost died for a woman like you." Suddenly defiant, she yells that her friends will find her, and kill him.

Chris and Danny are walking through the woods. Chris tells Danny that he admires Cal for being a lot stronger than he thought, but more than that, he admires Cal's complete devotion to Chloe, and wishes he had something like that in his life. (Oh, honestly, NOW?)

Abby is leading Cal and Henry through the tunnels. Cal wonders about Wakefield's motives. Abby doesn't know any more; she thought it was about her, or her father, but the murders haven't stopped. Henry wonders if it's revenge against the Wellingtons. Cal muses that maybe Wakefield kills just because he likes it.

At the Inn, Chris and Danny have successfully boarded up the secret door in the kitchen. Chris resolves in the future, he'll be a changed man, to be more open and less guarded. Danny says that he's not guarded, just scared. Just then, there comes a pounded from the other side of the door! But no, Wakefield has no way out there anymore. They shoot a few holes in the door, and the rattling stops, but as this episode will prove, bullets just seem to avoid Wakefield 100% of the time. Wakefield even shoves his machete through the bullet holes, narrowly missing Danny. Chris admits that okay, he IS scared. (Well, there's a breakthrough.) The duo realize that their friends are in there with Wakefield, and they have to go in after them. (Come ON! WTF?!)

In Charlie's attic, Shea scolds Madison for continuing to look at the Wakefield photos, but Madison professes that she's not doing that, because it turns out the sheriff had extensive files on "someone else we know". Shea looks through a file of police reports, and sees a familiar face (that we don't see yet, the dramatic reveal will come later).

Cal, Abby and Henry hear running water. Cal screams Chloe's name, but no answer. They follow the tunnel to what appears to be the fourth exit, a huge opening overlooking a fast-moving river. Cal keeps screaming Chloe's name, and...

...in her makeshift prison, Chloe hears him. Chloe screams his name, but no one hears but Wakefield, who stands over her and asks if Cal would die for her. Cold bastard.

(commercials)

Cal continues to call Chloe's name, and eventually, he hears her call back. The trio rush towards the voice, but run smack into Wakefield. Abby shoots but misses badly, and John takes off running. Abby and Henry rush after him, and Henry tells Cal to find Chloe and not to wait for them. Abby tells Henry that if he has a shot, take it, even if she's in the way. Henry refuses. (I know these two are best friends, but Henry seems to be very clingy to Abby all of a sudden, eh?) Abby then says to just stay out of her way. They continue through the woods, and come to a clearing where there appear to be some very large totems or wood carvings from trees. Abby says that she recognizes the place, as Jimmy used to bring her there.

Cal continues to track Chloe, and comes to a narrow concrete bridge crossing the river. The other side of the bridge is blocked by a padlocked chain-link gate. Finally, he locates her in a locked drain underneath the bridge. He shoots the lock off, and the pair are reunited. She sobs that she thought he was dead, and he tells her that he promises he would come back. Then he proposes. Yeah, just like that. She accepts, and they kiss. (Awwww....)

They look up, and Christ, there's Wakefield, blocking their escape, and no sigh of Abby or Henry. Cal lets off a shot, but misses badly. (I swear, these people are the WORST shots...) Their only recourse to go to the bridge, as Cal's gun is now empty. The locked gate is unclimbable, so Cal helps Chloe try to climb around it. But here comes Wakefield, doing the slow, sure, killer's stroll, knowing they can't escape him. Cal sees John's rapid approach, and tells Chloe he loves her. Then, brandishing the rifle as a weapon, he has at John.

Remember, Cal is wounded, so this fight doesn't last long. Cal swings once, and John ducks. On the second swing, John grabs the muzzle of the gun, and pins Cal against the bridge's rail. Brandishing his machete, he slowly brings it down. Cal tries to grab John's other wrist, but either he is too weak, or Wakefield is too strong, and John plunges the blade right through Cal's neck. Chloe screams. Cal looks at Chloe one more time, then dies, and Wakefield picks his body up and throws it into the river. Victim #23. (Cue the sad music, U2 I think.)

Abby and Henry are now on top of a cliff overlooking the bridge, and they see the whole thing.

Chloe sees her beloved Cal floating down the river, sees there's no escape for her, and gives up the ghost. She steels herself, looks Wakefield right in the eye, and says, "You CAN'T have me." Then, she lets go, and plunges to her death. Victim #24.

Abby cries out, and John hears her. He looks up at the two of them, and slowly walks off the bridge.

Danny and Chris exit the tunnels at the cliff, but all is quiet.

In the attic, Shea continues to dig into Charlie's mountain of paperwork, and her flashlight illuminates a police report, which features a Seattle PD mugshot... of Jimmy.

Cut to the storm drain entrance, where (Evil?) Jimmy is sitting in a car with Trish, which is parked on top of the manhole to prevent escape. Trish is sleeping, and Jimmy, grimacing, tries to pry the gun from her sleeping grasp. She wakes with a start, and Jimmy tells her she shouldn't sleep with a loaded gun.

(fade to black)


FINALE PREVIEW highlights: Trish is changing, and Wakefield kicks the door in. Daniel fights with Wakefield in the sheriff's office. Jimmy and Abby run through the woods and into an armed Chris, who tells Abby to get out of the way. Chris starts the motor of a small motor boat, which seems to contain only Shea and Madison. Chris and Danny appear to have Wakefield, lying on the ground and bleeding, covered with their guns, and Abby clocks him in the face with her gun. Jimmy tells Abby he "needs to confess something". Madison screams, and it looks like we see two people (Jimmy and Henry?) going over a cliff.

ANALYSIS:

Shit. Shit. SHIT!!!

I must say I haven't cared about many of the characters, but I LOVED Cal and Chloe. I was hoping against hope that they would survive and get their "happily ever after", but I guess not. That sucks.

So, nine characters left: Wakefield, Trish, Henry, Abby, Jimmy, Shea, Madison, Danny and Chris. Who will survive?

Abby is the main character, has been since this thing started, so either she will live or she'll die killing Wakefield. Madison will probably live given her age, and I would imagine Shea will live too. I'm not sure who else, though.

Obviously, Wakefield's offspring will be revealed, and I am now convinced that it's Henry. I don't know how, or why, but if he is Wakefield's son, then that changes everything. It means the whole wedding was a farce, which means that Trish will be in for a very nasty (possibly fatal) surprise. They're playing it up as Jimmy, which is obviously a red herring. Either Jimmy will die and Abby will avenge him, or they'll both live. Danny and Chris might also survive, but I doubt it.

Here's how I see it playing out:

Henry is revealed to be Wakefield's son, and the shock and disbelief will cost Trish and at least one (if not both) of his two college buddy's lives. Abby kills Wakefield, and Jimmy will be forced to kill Henry, who, as it turns out, has been carrying a major torch for Abby, not Trish, since they were kids.

Of course, I've been wrong about just about everything up till now, so we'll see tonight!

did you finish the last episodes shryke? have to say i called it a few posts back, about who the killer was

You can now watch the whole series on Netflix instant viewing.

I'll get around to posting the synopsis of the last two episodes at some point... if only it hadn't ended so badly...