Day 4 – The Big Finale!
This is another marvelous show from the mind of Bryan Fuller. It lasted two seasons (a measly 29 episodes) on Showtime and then was mysteriously cancelled (as an original program, it did well enough for the pay network that there was no real reason to kill DLM in its prime). The dark humor and uber-sarcastic tones make for some fantastic dialogue, which works well with this superb cast of characters. You can actually catch this show in syndication on a few networks, but censoring the potty-mouthed leading lady just isn’t right – trust me, get the DVD’s.
And how to sum it up? Well, have you ever had one of those horrible days where a toilet from an old space station falls to Earth and splatters you? Well, that’s how we’re introduced to George Lass, our protagonist. But when she walks away from the incident, and is recruited to be a “Grim Reaper” – well, that’s where the fun begins.
So, do these Grim Reapers wear the flowing robe and carry a rather large scythe, you ask? No, they actually look quite normal and meet at Der Waffle House for their assignments of souls to reap - often over a delicious breakfast. So what’s the drawback? I mean, you get to keep “living”, even though your previous body is dead and buried. Well, the only problem is that you’re no longer recognized by anyone from your previous life. Oh, and you may have to collect souls after some pretty grisly endings. And the bureaucracy of Reaping doesn’t allow much (or any) paycheck, so you might have to get a second job. Other than that, it’s a pretty sweet gig, though.
And who are the players? Well, you already know about George (Fuller does love his brusque women – she is an extremely intelligent underachiever who died at a temp job). She is survived by her mother Joy and sister Reggie (equally messed up in their own ways, we get glimpses of them as George spies on her former life), as well as her father (separated from the clan). Then there’s Delores Herbig (George’s former boss from the temp agency, who continues to play a role). But the characters of interest, of course, are the other Reapers. Rube (played by the inimitable Mandy Patinkin) leads the bunch, and has a mysterious past. Roxy is a tough-gal Meter Maid. Mason is the screw-up comic relief. And Betty, who plays the big sister role to George for the first few episodes, but is later replaced by Daisy (a former Hollywood B-lister with loose morals who may have died on the set of “Gone With The Wind”).
As a whole, these characters help George through her “Is this really my afterlife?” stages of grief – from denial to eventual (if begrudgingly so) acceptance. But the roles of each personality in the cast eventually becomes much larger than that, as everyone’s back story is slowly filled in. The only drawback to the series is that the final story arc of the show is that it wasn’t exceptionally final – the writers had expected to tie up loose ends in a third season that never happened. Luckily for you (assuming you’re a new viewer), there is a new DVD movie in the works that should be released by year end. Most of the cast members are back, and hopefully we can gain a sense of closure – or better yet a new beginning…
That’s all for now, folks. Hope you had fun this week!
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