So, you think you’ve got a weird relationship with your parents? Well, how about if you woke up on your 21st birthday to find out Mom and Dad sold your soul to the Devil before you were even born? Your Mom’s nagging suddenly doesn’t seem so bad, does it?
That’s the premise of Reaper, a freshman dramedy from the CW network. Early hype about the show stemmed from the Pilot episode, which was directed by Kevin Smith (of Clerks fame), who helped tweak the original script and is listed as a show consultant. His humor works well with the levity of the storylines and dialogue, and some of the characters could easily have been in his mockingly reverent religious piece Dogma. But the writers needed little direction with this increasingly fun romp spit from the bowels of Hell.
We follow Sam, the layaway soul in question, as he learns of his parents’ dark secret. Suddenly things make a little more sense, though – Ma and Pa always cut him a little too much slack, letting him skip college, get a dead-end job at the Work Bench (a kind of mash-up of Home Depot and Best Buy) and generally become a slacker layabout. It’s like they were guilty about something… Well at that 21st birthday marker, the Devil (played by the perfectly cast Ray Wise – who brings a wonderful blend of smarmy glibness and unimaginable evil to the mix) carjacks Sam to let him in on his new part-time gig. As it turns out, not all evil souls are content staying in Hell. As they escape, Sam will now get tasked to bring them back. He is equipped each time with a vessel to collect the soul – ranging from a Dirt Devil to a radio-controlled truck.
That’s a lot for one guy to handle. Enter the sidekicks: Sock (the goofball best friend and slacker mentor) and Ben (the most studious of the bunch, and a reverend’s son). These two (who conveniently work with Sam) are quickly let in on the secret, and end up as Sam’s backup and researchers. Since none of the trio really knows what they’re doing (and the Devil sure isn’t going to help), hilarity ensues. The gang is completed by Andi (a fellow Work Bench-er, and Sam’s from afar love interest), Sock’s ex-girlfriend Josie, and assorted family members, demons and annoying managers. Two of the most welcome recent additions are two gay "reformed" demons who live next to the main trio – played by two former members of the comedy troupe “The State” (Michael Ian Black and Ken Marino).
Does it all sound a bit silly? It is - but in the best of ways. Critics seem to be saying that the show has strayed from the original promise of the Pilot episode, getting a bit goofy. Well, I think that the show started with comedic overtones, and continues to improve. And the underlying mythology grows weekly – we know that there is something more to the deal for Sam’s soul that the Devil isn’t sharing, that Sam’s father is hiding something, that Sam may be dating the Devil’s daughter – and leaves you wanting more.
Current Status : 50/50. The CW liked the show enough to order a batch of post-strike episodes, which is more chance than a lot of shows got. But then again, The CW doesn’t have much in the way of scripted programming, so that could have influenced the decision. No word on a fall pickup yet.
What Can You Do? : Start watching the show! It’s pretty easy to jump onboard if you haven’t been watching – plenty of “Previously on…” recaps at the start of most episodes, with the new batch starting up on April 22. Plus, the CW offers some past shows streamed on their web site, or you can download episodes on iTunes. If these last few get a bump in viewership, things could look much more rosy for Sam and the crew – and we wouldn’t want to see rabid fans sending scythes to the network to get their point across…
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