(S01E01) "My mom and dad sold my soul to the Devil and now I'm his indentured servant. How crazy is that?" Reaper is a show that would be easy for the casual fan to dismiss. To start, it's on The CW. While the network has been responsible for a lot of good television, just being on the network is a strike against a show for many viewers. Adding to that is the premise. When you try and tell somebody, "It's about a guy who finds out on his 21st birthday that his parents sold his soul to the devil." you can see their interest start to wane right before your eyes. "Wait, wait, there's more..." All in all, it's a tough sell. And that's a unfortunate, because it just might be the best new show of the season.
It's not unlike Buffy The Vampire Slayer in that regard. I can still remember the look I got from my roommate when I told her that we were going to watch Buffy the night it premiered. But some of the best television often comes from some of the strangest places. You can certainly draw parallels to other shows as well. I couldn't help but think of Fox's short-lived Brimstone when the Devil started talking about escapees from hell. Perhaps what Ezekial Stone really needed was for someone to turn on a light or two and give the guy a wisecracking sidekick.
Anyway... on with the show. The cat was let out of the bag a long time ago by the promotions department over at CW. So, it's a credit to the show that even though we all knew what was going to happen for the first half of the episode, it was still well worth watching. We kicked things off by learning just how bleak Sam's situation is. He's a guy with a considerable lack of direction and ambition. He went to college, but it made him tired. To his credit, he does question the path he is on when he asks Sock about the possibility that they will still be working at The Work Bench in five years, but he doesn't seem to be able to do anything about it.
As Sam's big day progressed, things just got weirder and weirder. It all built up nicely with the shopping cart, his pre-occupation with the fire on the television, the dogs, and the air-conditioner incident. By the time the Devil made that first appearance in the car, he was in a place where he could accept the absurdity of it all as being real. It was a perfect introduction for the Devil too, as he played the A/C thing off as doing Sam a favor.
I think that was my favorite part of this opening episode, the almost life-coach like relationship between Sam and the Devil. It's interesting to watch as he pushes Sam along the path, pumping him up when he needs it, and making with the threats when encouragement isn't enough. The big twist to the story ends up not being that his parents sold his soul to the Devil, but that the Devil was just the person he needed to get some direction in his life, as we see in the closing scenes. He finally feels like a grown up, like he has responsibility. Sure, the Devil has his own ends to pursue, but in a twisted way, Sam is better for it.
I'm also a huge fan of the Sam and Sock dynamic. Bret Harrison and the scene stealing Tyler Labine are a great team. Sam's reaction to Ben getting hurt in the initial go at the arsonist was understandable. But clearly, as much as this was something that he wanted to do on his own, to protect everyone else, it was going to have to be a team effort. And that team is what is really going to make the show good moving forward.
In this first case, tracking down and capturing the arsonist, we get a good look at what it's going to entail. It's not going to be the most skilled operation, and it's not going to be done with the greatest of precision, but sheer will and persistence is going to deliver results, along with more than a few laughs. I was actually quite impressed with the effects once the battles got underway as well. That is one of the difficulties faced when battling demons and things of that sort. So far, it looks like the show is up to the task.
The one part of the show I don't have a solid bead on so far is Andi. I get it, Missy Peregrym is gorgeous, and Andi brings that object of desire/confusion into Sam's life. I'm just not sure which way that's headed. It's something that we have seen a number of times and is probably the aspect of the show that offers the most potential for a stumbling block. That's not to imply that anything is wildly wrong with the show at this point, just that there are questions and possibilities down that road. It stands out because I think they got the rest of it so right. Sam and the Devil, Sam and Sock, and even the supporting characters in the family and at The Work Bench all feel solid, after just one episode. It's clearly a show that is put together very well.
Which leads us to the big question. How is this one going to do? In a perfect world, it would get spectacular ratings and there would be talk show appearances, magazine covers, all the trappings of bigtime TV success. But we're living in the real world, where things are a little different. I think the initial buzz is going to get it off to a good start. While being on CW brings its own set of problems, and will limit the ratings the show can ultimately aspire to, the silver lining is that the bar for success is lowered. The network doesn't exactly have a truckload of hit shows out back, so Reaper has a real shot at putting it's mark on the new season. I'm certainly looking forward to more.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
9-26-2007 @ 1:58AM
Max said...
When I read that his soul was sold to the devil and he was now his servant I thought; Isn't this The Collector?
However, I haven't watched it so I can't really form a conclusion about it.
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9-26-2007 @ 2:04AM
Tele-Toby said...
Damn! Here I've now got DVR, I wanted to see this show and I forgot to program it in. Any chance the CW will repeat it on the weekend like its forebears used to do with their shows?
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9-26-2007 @ 2:19AM
Brett said...
Toby, look for a repeat Thursday night at 9PM.
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9-26-2007 @ 2:58AM
stummies said...
I also liked the show. It's too early to tell if I'll be sticking with it through the season, but I'll definitely be tuning in next week at least.
I agree that the show being on the CW is definitely a strike against it. Many one watch the CW on principle, assuming that all of its shows are meant for tweens/teens. Too bad, because this show has a lot of depth (unlike the CW's one-dimensional Gossip Girl).
And Sock was the best part of the show :)
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9-26-2007 @ 3:00AM
stummies said...
Oops, I meant to say many *won't* watch the CW on principle... I clearly shouldn't be up this late.
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9-26-2007 @ 3:32AM
Ryan said...
I'm one of those that don't watch shows on the CW on principle. That being said, I needed to see Reaper to make up my own mind.
And damnit to hell. I really liked it. It's only second to Chuck as my favorite new show of the season so far.
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9-26-2007 @ 4:27AM
MrC said...
I really enjoyed watching this, but I think the weirdness with Andi was caused, at least partially, because the lovely Ms Peregrym
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9-26-2007 @ 4:31AM
Tele-Toby said...
Thanks, Brett! I'll be programming the "divver" when I get home from work!
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9-26-2007 @ 4:33AM
MrC said...
I really enjoyed watching this, but I think the weirdness with Andi was caused, at least partially, because the lovely Ms Peregrym was a last minute cast change.
The version of the pilot floating on the intarwebs had the also lovely Nikki Reed as Andi. I don't know why she didn't make the final cut.
The fact that all of the Andi scenes in the pilot were weird-ass blue screen stuff inserted over other shots from the pilot or obviously shot at a different time (Sam has different hair style and more stubble, for example at the hospital meeting) was a little annoying. I'm assuming the full production episodes don't suffer this anomaly
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9-26-2007 @ 8:33AM
KateGee said...
Max, I thought it sounded like The Collector as well but it's completely different in tone. This is a comedy. Closer to Ghostbusters than anything.
I didn't really like Nikki Reed in the original pilot - she just didn't fit well - so I'm glad they switched her out.
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9-26-2007 @ 9:18AM
OnlyRumors said...
I thoroughly enjoyed this show, and I totally loved Bret Harrison. It's a shame that every great show he's in (i.e. The Loop and Grounded For Life) is unjustly cancelled. I think he has great comedic chops!
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9-26-2007 @ 9:25AM
KMF said...
Maaaaannnnnn! I'm one of those unfortunate people whose area does not have a CW affiliate so I couldn't watch it if I wanted to. Bummer. It sounds good.
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9-26-2007 @ 10:26AM
Cody said...
Holy crap, I didn't know Missy Peregrym was in it! She wasn't in the version I saw. Now I have to go hunt down this version!
It's a good show, I'll stay tuned. The Sock character seems like he is about to get on my nerves but then does something really funny to redeem himself like chase dogs with a leaf blower.
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9-26-2007 @ 11:04AM
George said...
I'm concerned that Reaper will suffer because it's a bit too similar to 'Chuck' -- geeky, directionless guy with annoying sidekick and eccentric co-workers is saddled with a massive obligation by someone close to him. Despite the lingering presence of a new "boss" who doesn't have his best interests at heart, he tackles an assortment of new problems head-on and begins to grow, flourish and perhaps even get some play as he faces up to this new, unwanted responsibility.
But then, that's the plot of at least half of the 18-to-35-skewing shows I've seen in the last 30-odd years.
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9-26-2007 @ 11:09AM
Ryan said...
Well it's not like Chuck and Reaper are fighting in the same time slot. They're not even on the same night. I really like them both though.
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9-26-2007 @ 11:33AM
Oreo said...
I have been saying for weeks, best new show of the Fall season.
I think it will suffer because it's on at the same time as House. i wish they waited a year to show it so they could team it up with Supernatural after Smallville ends.
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9-26-2007 @ 2:15PM
Thomas said...
This show has a depressing message. It's saying that your life - your soul, are not your own, they can be sold and given away against your will. We may as well all kill ourselves.
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9-26-2007 @ 2:19PM
lovelain said...
i didn't really have much along the lines of expectations for this show (and by that i don't mean i didn't think it was going to be good..i mean literally i was just gonna check it out and didn't know what to expect). it's not one that i've been anticipating all summer (like the new nbc shows). i figured it's sci-fi and i kinda wanted to check out most, if not all, of the new ones in that genre plus kevin smith directing was a big plus.
i have to say i was very pleasantly surprised. i really wasn't sure since, as some have mentioned the cw bias, i've never watched anything on there and based on what little bits i've seen it seems to be a pretty second-rate channel overall. this show was really good, though.
it was actually what i was hoping chuck would be. i'm still gonna stick it out w/ chuck for awhile longer, but the comedy in reaper was MUCH less cliche. the best friend guy hitting the dog w/ the car door was hilarious (reaper). a character being dubbed "captain awesome" is dumb (chuck). like i said, chuck is gonna get @ least a few more chances w/ me, but so far i'm not that impressed.
i loved sam wise (i think that's his name?); he was awesome as the devil--which is really part of what made me watch the show. laura palmer's dad!?! i'm gonna watch! i was surprised and definitely satisifed w/ the quality of the effects (the arsonist). i season pass-ed it last night after i watched. good stuff.
now please, please, PLEASE don't get canceled.
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9-26-2007 @ 2:29PM
La-Di-Dah said...
this show is indeed very funny. i love the relationship between sam and sock, and i love his "team" and the fact that he told his 2 friends right away. the devil - also very funny. and lastly, i love the consistent atmosphere on the show, because it just doesn't pretend to take itself too seriously. no sir.
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9-26-2007 @ 2:40PM
lovelain said...
man, i just wrote a fairly lengthy comment and tv squad just ate it 'cause it was not there when i posted. :(
hm, well i really enjoyed this show. i didn't have any expectations, but wanted to check it out since kevin smith directed, it's sci-fi, and laura palmer's dad is the devil.
re: the comparisons to chuck. yeah, i see the two as being pretty similar (obviously, save for the main supernatural element in each show). i watched the chuck pilot last week on unbox and had a fairly lukewarm reaction to it. i think it's got potential, but wasn't all that funny. i'm gonna give that one a few episodes, though, of course.
reaper, for me, was what i had hoped chuck would be: quirky and actually funny. the best friend was a little cliche @ some points, but not too bad. the effects seemed pretty good (the arsonist). i kinda liked missy peregrym being in there (candice to me, which is why i enjoyed seeing her).
a great start, overall, and i'm excited for more. now please, please, PLEASE don't get canceled!
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