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Cole

Name: Cole Harkin
Age: Unknown (Deceased)
Portrayed by: Dean Wray

Cole Harkin (Dean Wray) was a former sheriff's deputy and a survivor of John Wakefield's 2001 rampage. He was horrifically scarred during Wakefield's spree and became a recluse, obsessively tracking a Wakefield copycat who had been committed murders throughout the Pacific Northwest.

History[]

Just Following Orders[]

John Wakefield came to Harper's Island for the first time in the mid-1980s, seeking answers from his ex-girlfriend Sarah about the child they'd had and she'd given up four years earlier.

Wakefield was intercepted by Sarah's husband, Sheriff Charlie Mills, who ordered two of his deputies, including Harkin, to rough Wakefield up to "teach him a lesson". Wakefield fought back, however, injuring Harkin. This gave Charlie the pretext to charge Wakefield with Attempted Murder of a Police Officer, for which he was sentenced to life in prison.

Wakefield's Return[]

Main article: 2001 Wakefield Murders

Wakefield was released from prison on good behavior in 2001, having served only 17 years of his sentence. He returned to the island, seeking revenge on the Mills family, arriving on October 4 of that year.

Harkin and his colleague, Deputy Joshua Aiken, were called to respond to a disturbance at the Marina: a struggle between Wakefield and fisherman Harris Antonini. Antonini was dead by the time they arrived, however, and Wakefield proceeded to detonate explosives he'd rigged across the marina, setting the docks ablaze. Aiken was killed in the subsequent explosion and Harkin badly burnt.

In the immediate aftermath of the blast, Harkin's wounds were tended by dockhand Henry Dunn.

New Lease On Life[]

Harkin's wounds were treated at the Washington Pacific University Burn Center. During this time, his only visitors were Frank Dunn and his son J.D.; Harkin developed a fondness for the latter.

Harkin would return to the island by the end of year, with burn scars covering 40% of his body. His injuries saw him retire from law enforcement, and he subsequently became a nomadic recluse, returning to the island only sporadically, and in secret, for the next seven years.

On the Island[]

In Episode 5, Thomas Wellington and his daughter, Trish, are out on a bike ride when they are hit by one of Cole's rigged log traps. Paranoid about being attacked, he sends out his guard dogs scare them off. Thomas kills one of them. Cole is seen glaring at the two before walking back inside his house.

J.D. Dunn is revealed to have formed a friendship with him, and after being marked as a major suspect, takes refuge in his house. When held in police custody, he told Sherrif Mills Cole's location in order to prove his innocence. While on the trail to his house, Mills is badly wounded by one of Cole's traps (a swinging knife attached to a stick that hits him in the leg) and falls unconscious. Cole finds him and takes him into his cabin to heal him.

Death[]

1x08 - Cole's Death

Cole is killed by the arrow in the heart.

While at Cole's cabin, Mills and Cole have a long conversation where the latter confirms that J.D. is innocent, although Mills remains skeptical. Cole hands the Sherrif several files that prove to be crucial to the plot later on. He then walks outside, and is shot through the shoulder with an arrow by John Wakefield, pinning him to the wall. The next shot hits him in the chest, killing him instantly. As he dies, he drops his lantern, setting fire to himself and the cabin.


Trivia[]

  • Cole was revealed to have taken Lucy's dog, Gigi, as a pet. He seemed to have not done a very good job of it, as the dog was found to be severely malnourished.
  • Cole is one of several characters to be killed by long-distance weapons.
  • The traps on the island are all mostly set up by Cole himself, he even tells this to Charlie Mills in saying he doesn't want the wrong people coming for him, and is even seen at one, the traps shown are the pit traps, activated by Malcolm Ross and Lucy Daramour, the sneer traps, activated by Cal Vandeusen and Reverend Fain, the log trap, activated by Trish and Thomas Wellington, and the spear trap, activated by Charlie Mills.
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