(S01E18) "Surprisingly perceptive for a bunch of clowns with pitchforks." - The Devil
I think my favorite part of the opening scene was the look on Tony's face when he saw Sam avoid the washing machine. It was the disappointed look most people get when a politician they voted for gets caught taking payoffs. The look that says, "I pretty much knew it but I never had the proof."
When Ken Marino and Michael Ian Black were added to the cast I had mixed feelings. While I really enjoy Marino, I was never a big fan of Black. Luckily for me, that problem was solved by the devil himself. Not only is Marino hilarious in his role, his character has allowed Reaper to explore elements of the show that would have seemed forced otherwise.
One of the things I hated about being an actor was, because the kinds of roles I played (fat mechanic, fat cowboy, fat Elvis), I would generally have to dress up in some ill-fitting outfit, while people around me got to wear the sweetest wardrobe. It occurred to me that the wardrobe has to be one of the greatest parts about getting to play the devil. Ray Wise gets to wear the sharpest suits on The CW and he looks damn good doing it.
So I guess now we understand what it was about Gladys that Sock found so alluring. He is attracted to horned women (BTW, that should be pronounced with two syllables, horn-ed). It makes perfect sense. Forbidden fruit is always a turn-on and what's more forbidden than copulating with a spawn of hell? Why do you think Mary Cheney always seems so jovial? (copyright, Jay Leno's Political Jokes for Kids, 2005)
If anyone had a doubt that Sam was the Devil's son, their game of catch should have convinced them. Is there any more iconic father/son ritual than a game of catch? The line about the Devil working for the Yankees was a brilliant throwaway.
About every three episodes, Sam does something that really bugs me. Instead of just surprising the soul and sending them back, he will sometimes wait just long enough for them to figure out who he is and escape. In this case, I don't see why he didn't just walk in and throw the baseball at the fortune teller right away. Sure, she might not have been the soul, but what's the worst that could happen? Sam and Sock get arrested for assault with a deadly horsehide? They've been through worse.
I always love it when a comedy or fantasy show steps over the line with a touch of realism. Buffy did this often, the best example being when Buffy came home to find her mother dead on the couch. Watching Sam's dad get buried alive was not only disturbing but it let us see how he and his friends deal with real tragedy. Of course, seeing Mrs. Oliver dig him up was even better.
I don't know how it happened, but this season finale answered no questions whatsoever and still made me want more. I can't wait for next season.















Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-21-2008 @ 9:14AM
Keith McDuffee said...
I was *really* bugged by Sam's lack of emotion for his father being killed. Andi says she's sorry, and Sam just shrugs and says "it's OK." Then he goes out and has a blast with his buds, lighting fireworks and laughing. No tears at all. I could understand this if Sam's father was abusive, but this was a hard pill to swallow and made me very afraid for next season.
I don't believe Sam is The Devil's son, though I think it's possible he's The Devil's grandson.
Also, to end the season with absolutely no answers being given felt like a big eff-you from the writers, should the show have not been picked up for next season. Imagine if we didn't have a new season to look forward to, and we had *zero* insight into Sam's contract or Sam's father's "secret?" Maybe they hoped that, with no answers, rabid fans would put pressure on the network for its return. I hope the writers reward us faithful viewers early next season with some concrete answers, because if they don't, they might lose me.
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5-21-2008 @ 9:56AM
Brad Linder said...
I agree, this episode kind of killed any Buffy comparisons for me. This series has always been a bit lighter and more focused on the comedy than Buffy, where comedy was a way to deal with tragedy. But when I thought Sam's "father" was dead, I couldn't have cared less. And neither could Sam... If you can't make me care when a character dies, it means you haven't hooked me into the world you've created.
5-21-2008 @ 2:36PM
Liz said...
I agree. And it seemed weird that he just accepted his dad was dead and went home. He never tried to save him or go dig him out or anything. I guess they were trying to make the show not too dark/sad/emotional since its supposed to be funny, but that part of the episode really did bug me.
Also we got no answers, and frankly Sam didn't do anything this episode at all. It was more about the side characters. Would have been fine for a normal episode but for the season finale it sucked.
5-24-2008 @ 1:43AM
nickmagoo said...
you may not have found it real, but when my father died when i was younger i didn't cry. i was cold and fairly emotionless through the entire ordeal (funeral home, wake, burial, etc).
5-21-2008 @ 10:53AM
Chas Winterbottom said...
Yeah, overall it was a solid episode, but the way they handled the death of Sam's father was totally off. Nobody really seemed to care.
It was like, "dude your Dad's dead"
"Yeah...no big deal...let's blow some stuff up and laugh it off".
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5-21-2008 @ 11:32AM
MXS said...
When the devil called the lottery "the idiot tax", it had to be the best line of the show and maybe the season.
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5-21-2008 @ 12:29PM
NANDO said...
So is Sam's father a demon?
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5-21-2008 @ 12:50PM
kevjohn said...
The fat mechanic! I KNEW I knew you from somewhere!
I think Sam's talk with The Devil is what shook him out of the deep grieving phase that he would have been in over his father's death. Ol' Scratch's calming, even, nice-but-evil demeanor just let Sam know (rightly) that it's nothing shocking; it's going to happen to all of us. Well, maybe not exactly like Sam's dad went out. heh
SuperSock really made this episode for me. The "demon of the week" wasn't that great, nothing much happened with Andi or Ben, and Sam's search for The Truth didn't really play out as well as it could have. But the more comedic aspects of the episode made it a worthwhile watch. SuperSock's exploits and the demons' building project were great. I was never really a Buffy fan, so I can't attest to whether Reaper compares favorably to that show or not. But I know tuning into this show guarantees me an hour of good times each week. I'll be looking forward to the 13 hours of good times next season will be bringing me.
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5-21-2008 @ 1:08PM
Jables said...
The son of the Devil seems to be such a huge plot point so early in this series. I think pushing that proverbial envelope next season only to find he's the son of God would be a pleasant surpise. Just sayin'.
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5-21-2008 @ 2:39PM
bc said...
It occurred to me that the Devil can take different forms. Maybe he only looks like Jerry only when he wants to, and looks like someone else at other times. Or maybe Jerry isn't the Devil, but the Devil wants certain people to think he is. And are Sam's "parents" sleeper agents for forces working against the Devil?
As for Sam, not everyone shows grief by rending their garments and tearing out their hair. He now knows that his "father" has been lying about something fundamental, even if he's not sure about what, so a certain ambivalence along with shock isn't unexpected.
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5-21-2008 @ 2:45PM
edgore said...
"Why do you think Mary Cheney always seems so jovial? (copyright, Jay Leno's Political Jokes for Kids, 2005)"
I am going to assume that you mean Lynn Cheney...or are you actually suggesting that Dick sleeps with his daughter?
Totally agree with the above commens about the emotional side of this show just not being there for me. I really don't care about any of the characters, though I don't stop watching it, hoping that it will become good becasue I love the premise and Ray Wise.
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5-21-2008 @ 4:35PM
jmps said...
I had the same thought as Keith, that Sam is actually the Devil's grandson. I think that, just as they teased that this season, they may try something similar with the grandson angle next. The twist might be that he is Sam's maternal grandfather, rather than his paternal.
Either way, it makes sense. The Devil's own child rejects him, and makes a deal to live a normal life, with the deal including giving up their firstborn to the devil.
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5-21-2008 @ 8:43PM
Keith McDuffee said...
Another point I forgot to make earlier... I think they made a huge mistake writing off the Succubus so quickly. My first thought when we saw Sock's new "powers," and the fact that he was perfectly fine having years shaved off his life for brief stints of it, had me thinking this was a new direction they were taking his character. Imagine him dating the Succubus and, whenever Sam needed extra help, he got kissed and cleaned house. So many possibilities there.
I guess it's possible they'll bring her back, though, and this is just what they're planning to do.
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5-22-2008 @ 4:33AM
MERVE-THE-PERVE said...
When Sock tried to pimp out the succubus to Ben was the greatest Sock moment for me. I don't know why she didn't go for it. I thought she just needed to kiss anybody? I'd rather see Sock & Josie keep breaking up and getting back together. Sock loves playing those games and maybe Josie does too. Maybe its the thrill of the chase.
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5-23-2008 @ 11:08AM
Brian Haggerty said...
When every week Sam is sending someone back to hell how much gravity can mortal death mean? When you know there is an afterlife and are going to be reunited you aren't going to freak out as much.
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6-02-2008 @ 10:30PM
MosquitoControl said...
As soon as they went into "proving" Sam was the Devil's son in the beginning I knew it was wrong. Sam never had powers before. Then, when Steve's face showed up, bam, Steve is protecting Sam. Later, when you saw the white suit on the monitor - guardian angel.
So, is he the grandson? I don't know, that doesn't seem right. Neither does son. I half expected to learn Sock was his son, until I noticed how frickin' close Sam's dad's hair is to Sock's.
I'm intrigued. Although I feel I knew where they were going with this one, I don't know where they are going next season. Sam being marked feels too limiting. I really liked how, after making him seem marked by Tony a few episodes back, they changed it within seconds of the next episode starting.
Further reason to really like Tony, who had better be back next season.
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6-03-2008 @ 9:22AM
MosquitoControl72 said...
Actually, in retrospect, I'd say this was easily the worst episode of the season.
None of the new developments were satisfying. Tony changed, not for the better. Sam's father is now dead to everyone but his wife, which should make things pretty damn awkward. Sock is going to die a few years sooner (in 3 years is a good estimate, given his beer-cereal habit.)
And I really do not think the CW has the balls to make its main protagonist the spawn of the Devil. I don't see good things coming to them if they go down that road.
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6-19-2008 @ 2:17AM
April said...
I am sure that the Devil can appear anyway he want to appear. I sincerely doubt that he looked like that at the dawn of mankind. No early man would trust someone that had all of their teeth at that age, lol.
But seriously, I kinda feel like Sam's mother knowing for sure that Sam's 'father' would be alive and need to be dug out was kinda a give away. To the whole father's identity question.
Who would live through being hit in the head by a demon with a shovel? maybe the devil
Who would survive being buried under a ton of loose dirt but unable to escape a demon snare? maybe the devil
Who can change his appearance to look like anyone? maybe the devil
Who have we never seen with Sam's dad? maybe the devil
I think, and this is just an idea, that Sam's dad is the devil, and more importantly the devil is Sam's dad. In other words Jerry and Mr. Oliver are one in the same. The only puzzling question then is why talk in a circle with your wife. I'm kinda thinking it might be because the circle prevents other demons from overhearing you are the devil leading a double life as Jerry-version and Mr. Oliver-version. As for Sam's brother, I suggest adopted for the sake of pretense.
Anyways that is just an idea, feel free to point out how that won't work.
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