History Series / HarpersIsland

* ContemptibleCover: On Netflix, the cover image used for the show features only Danny and Sully. Who are most definitely ''not'' the main characters.

* {{Webisode}}: Harpers Globe is a series of small videos made to show some of the weird goings on before and during the official episodes. It also showed that [[spoiler: it was very likely that most if not all the island locals were killed too.]]

* BiggerBad: [[spoiler: Subverted. For most of the series, John Wakefield is this, as he's assumed to be dead but his legacy still remains. Then it's revealed that he's actually alive and in a BigBadDuumvirate with Henry]].

* BlackDudeDiesFirst: [[Administrivia/NotASubversion Averted]].

** Also [[spoiler: the two state troopers, who have about five minutes of established personality before being shot in the chest.]]

* CurbStompBattle: Though she boasted about being a fearless badass in early episodes, [[spoiler: Nicki is impaled by Wakefield almost immediately after he enters the room, she doesnt even have time to fire her gun.]]

* GambitRoulette: [[spoiler:Henry's entire scheme to kill off ''everyone'' that could prevent him and Abby from being together on Harper's Island, forever. For a start, the whole plan could have been ruined if Abby simply hadn't accepted the invitation to the wedding.]]

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Some hints are given to viewers who are perceptive enough to pick up on them, such as [[spoiler: Henry's poor anger management skills and even cousin Ben's murder (he was killed on the boat the party used to get to the island, which killer John Wakefield was most definitely ''not'' on, proving he must have had an accomplice who arrived along with everyone else. (Henry)]]

* InfantImmortality: [[spoiler: The writers felt they couldn't kill off Madison on a network show -- or everyone she knew, so they saved her mother too.]]

* GambitRoulette: [[spoiler:Henry's entire scheme to kill off ''everyone'' that could prevent him and Abby from being together on Harper's Island, forever. For a start, the whole plan could have been ruined if Abby hadn't accepted the invitation to his and Trish's wedding.]]

* InfantImmortality: [[spoiler: The writers felt they could not call off Madison on a network show- or everyone she knew, so saved her mother too.]]

* RichBitch: Lucy, complete with accessory dog.
** Although averted somewhat in that she is actually a nice person who gives Trish good advice.

** [[spoiler: The girl who got set on fire in the second episode,]] there apparently was going to be a scene explaining why no one seemed to care that she just up and vanished without any warning, which would have actually made sense, but they apparently cut it.
*** If you pay attention Beth has several conversations with Malcolm where [[spoiler: she's worried about her not answering her phone, he mentions everyone thinks she's on the mainland with a guy and will be back for the wedding, much like Uncle Marty.]]

** The director, when asked how Cousin Ben could have been harnessed to a boat propeller with no one noticing, he admitted it's just easier to accept it than try to explain it.
** Also how on earth [[spoiler:Henry managed to carry Jimmy and Abby to the island house, which is by his account "miles away from anyone", before legions of police arrived on the helicopter]].
* {{Yandere}}: [[spoiler:Henry. I mean, come on, the whole plot is because of this. Also Wakefield, proving that it runs in the family.]]

* BoringInvincibleHero: If you watch the show, when guessing who will make it to the end pick the most cliche people. [[spoiler: Did you guess Abby the FinalGirl, her SatelliteLoveInterest, the child with InfantImmortality and her mother? Congratulations!]]

* BloodSplatteredWeddingDress: [[spoiler:Trish is murdered in her wedding dress: stabbed by her fiancé, no less. Indeed, she seems to have put on the dress for the sole reason to make this trope happen since, y'know, she's on the run from a vicious serial killer.]]

** Matt Barr can't quite keep Texas out of Sully's voice.

* YouRemindMeOfX: When [[spoiler: Wakefield first]] appears to Abby, just after hanging [[spoiler: her father, he]] says "You look so much like your mother". [[spoiler:Given that he dated and fathered a child on Sarah Mills,]] this is incredibly creepy.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Some hints are given to viewers who are perceptive enough to pick up on them, such as [[spoiler: Henry's poor anger management skills and even cousin Ben's murder (he was killed on the boat the party used to get to the island, which killer John Wakefield was most definitely ''not'' on, proving he must of had an accomplice who arrived along with everyone else. (Henry)]]

* SpoiledSweet: Trish Wellington comes from a wealthy family, but despite her socialite status, she falls in love with the guy who cleaned her dad's boat, and she seems to be a genuinely nice person.

* BlackDudeDiesFirst: [[NotASubversion Averted]].

** [[spoiler: And then Henry kills his father, making Henry The BigBad.]]

* [[spoiler:ChildhoodMarriagePromise]]: [[spoiler:Abby effectively makes one of these to Henry when she is nine and he is eleven. Sixteen years later he tries to hold her to this... by luring her to the island and murdering all third parties. Very romantic.]]

* DeathBySex: [[spoiler: Chloe and Cal die fairly shortly after their last make-out session.]]

* FreudianExcuse: [[spoiler:Henry's whole reason for going psycho is that he was given up for adoption by his mother... a.k.a. Abby's mother.]]
** [[spoiler:While this is what sends him completely over the edge, Henry mentions that he had homicidal urges (and that he admired Wakefield) before he discovered Wakefield was his father and Abby's mother his mother.]]
* GenreBlind: Shane; doesn't he know how the {{Jerkass}} in a slasher movie always ends up?
** [[spoiler:He does now.]]
* GenreSavvy: Danny.
-->'''Abby:''' [[LetsSplitUpGang We should split up]].\\
'''Danny:''' Ain't no version of this that ends good.
** ...and then they do it anyway. D'oh!

* [[spoiler: InfantImmortality]]: [[spoiler: The writers felt they could not call off Madison on a network show- or everyone she knew, so saved her mother too.]]

* [[spoiler:KillTheOnesYouLove]]: [[spoiler:Wakefield's philosophy regarding Sarah Mills and his instructions to Henry regarding Abby.]]

* NotQuiteDead: [[spoiler:Wakefield]]

* ObnoxiousInLaws: Thomas Wellington is quite your typical wealthy man who disapproves of his future son-in-law. [[spoiler: Going so far as to hire Trish's old flame to try and break up the wedding.]] But in the episode Thwack, he shows to give in and be happy for his daughter.

* OddFriendship: Madison and JD share a penchant for nasty pranks, but they do seem to genuinely care about one another as well.

* OverprotectiveDad: Mr. Wellington.
** [[spoiler:Subverted when Mr. Wellington's gut feelings about something being wrong with Henry turn out to be true.]]

* SpannerInTheWorks: [[spoiler:Jimmy]]'s uncanny knack of surviving NoOneCouldSurviveThat situations.

* StalkerWithACrush: Hunter Jennings appears to be one, but he's really just a jerk out for money.
** [[spoiler: Uh, Henry anyone?]]

* TemptingFate: [[spoiler:Maggie the wedding planner]]: "He's after ''you'', it has nothing to do with me!" [=*urk*=]

*** [[spoiler: It has now.]]

* WeHardlyKnewYe: Cousin Ben will not be forgotten for all he supplied to the show... when we can think of what exactly that was, we'll stop forgetting him.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: A lot of weird stuff that happened in the beginning wasn't ever clearly explained. Like, who broke all the fine china? Who left the various animal carcasses lying around? Why was Madison so creepy and prophetic in the first two episodes and then suddenly an innocent normal kid again?

* WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief: The director, when asked how Cousin Ben could have been harnessed to a boat propeller with no one noticing, he admitted it's just easier to accept it than try to explain it.

** The sounds made in deaths in the episodes, according to TheOtherWiki.

* TenLittleMurderVictims: ''In bikinis'', to correct ''RadioTimes'' reviewer Alison Graham's description of the show as "Poirot in bikinis" (Poirot's not in that novel)

** To be fair, their investigation of the tunnels was an attempt to save a friend, not the impulse of curiosity. In addition, nobody was killed while in the tunnels. Their friend's corpse was there though.

** [[spoiler: And then Henry kills his fatherm making Henry The BigBad.]]

* HeroicSacrifice / RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:Shane, of all people, faces off against Wakefield to give the others time to escape. Also Sully, a former DirtyCoward who refuses a chance to escape the island and stays in order to defend his remaining friends.]]

* ForTheEvulz: [[spoiler: Henry planted the money on the boat for the Malcolm to find. Just to see what they would do before he would eventually kill them anyways. To top it all off, the money was going to be for Malcolm anyways.]]

** [[spoiler: And then Henry kills his father making Henry The BigBad.]]