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ok REAPER gets it's own thread...

Ok, Lindy loves this show as do others here...

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Premierewatch: 'Reaper'

After watching the CW's Reaper premiere, I tried to, but couldn't quite recall what I got for my 21st birthday -- but I'm fairly certain it wasn't a job moonlighting as the devil's bounty hunter or eternal damnation.

Spoilers await you in the afterlife and for the remainder of this blog post.

For poor Sam Oliver (Bret Harrison), this is the rather bitter icing on the rancid birthday cake that his day's been. His parents were acting all weepy and morose that morning, a pack of dogs have been stalking him at his job at The Workbench, he's been moving things with his mind and the snazzily attired devil (Ray Wise) has been popping up everywhere.

You see, way back when, Pa Oliver was sick, so he and the little woman made a pact with the devil for a cure. In exchange, they had to give up their firstborn to the devil on the child's 21st birthday. The resulting guilt has been why his parents have always coddled Sam, letting him be a slacker who quit college after a month because it "made him sleepy." Instead, they've transfered all their parental pressure onto his younger brother Kyle, who can't seem to live up to their expectations and resents Sam for the unequal treatment.

And now the devil wants his due, which means Sam will begin his service on Earth to track down souls that have escaped from Hell and return them to their fiery fate.

Amidst all this upheaval, at least Sam's best friend Sock (Tyler Labine) is his reliably obnoxious self -- whether he's hitting a dog with a car door, field testing his pal's newfound telekinesis or insulting his ex-girlfriend. Yes, Sock is highly annoying, but I gotta say, he's loyal. Not everyone -- even in the name of friendship -- would willingly volunteer to confront evil souls shooting fire.

With a little sleuthing -- prompted by the devil himself -- Sam realizes that the soul he's trying to capture belonged to a man who set fire to a series of buildings 50 years ago. Now that he's escaped from Hell, he's repeating the pattern, which leads the two buddies to track him down to his final target location. Equipped with a Workbench arsenal and the soul-sucking Dirt Devil, the guys snag the soul and cart it to the local Hellhole, the DMV, for transport to the underworld.

Now, if only the devil will leave Sam's not-yet-girlfriend Andi (Missy Peregrym) alone ...

A few thoughts/highlights:

- How great is Ray Wise? He's like the smarmy used car salesmen of Satans. My favorite scene: When he does a little dance just before cutting into chicken fried steak.
- Line: "It's not just about ham. It's about self respect."
- Andi needs more stuff to do other than be pretty and understanding. She runs the risk of becoming bland.
- It's interesting that it's the supposedly evil devil who gives Sam a pep talk and the means to finally become a responsible adult who sees things through.
- Did you notice the production the elementary school was putting on? The Hobbit: The Musical. Sweet.
- That death by Zamboni was really fake, but highly disturbing.

well last night's season end brought a new person into play...GOD...

Yes, the devil is not the only player in town anymore, setting up what could be a better 2nd season with more questions than just Escaped soul of the week....

The below rewcap does not touch on that, but other thoughts and reviews do.

I mean what is up with Sams parents???

dear old dad was buried alive, yet when Mom digs up the body, dad, asks, what took you so long..

The you have Steve making it into heavan which puts God into the picture saying that even Demons can be saved...

Reaper: Cancun (season finale)

"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.

'Reaper' goes digging in the dirt

One can only imagine the frustration Reaper fans would have had if this had been the final episode of the series, not season. Because in the last ten minutes, the show laid out the ground work for a second season that sounds in every way superior to the first. Now, that's not me hatin' on this season of the show; far from it. In terms of overall quality, I'd rank it in the Top Ten of shows currently on the air. When Reaper breaks out its "A" game, it's Top Five. And tonight, while imperfect, Reaper still brought its "A" game.

Let's start with what happened tonight before dwelling on the show's future. Tony and his demon ilk decided that Sam was the son of the Devil after using the time-tested "Falling Washing Machine Technique," which I believe is mentioned in the Book of Leviticus. That moment not only confirmed Tony's suspicions, but also harkened back to the pilot episode, when Sam started exhibiting strange and unusual powers on his birthday. Tony's inability to Maytag Sam into nothingness confirmed his suspicion and initiated a plot to entrap Sam inside a mystic cage.

So on one side, you had Tony, but on the other? Steve, looking very well for one crushed by a building! Thank God Steve appeared to Sam and not Sock; otherwise, we would have been subjected to sixty-seven "I see gay people!" jokes throughout tonight's episode. Steve cryptically tells Sam to "ask about Cancun," because, "Tell Tony I'm in heaven before he buries you alive" would have ended the show before the second commercial break.

Now, you could argue that the Steve stuff was heavy-handed, ham-fisted, and semi-sorta kinda not in the least well executed, but his appearance served several purposes. For one, it finally brought Tony's long-simmering rage over Steve's death to the forefront, with his palpable anger at Sam's insistence upon seeing him. Secondarily, it offered the chance of actual redemption in the Reaper universe. With Steve safely embraced by God, it offers hope not only to Tony but the entire Reaper universe that hell isn't the only option available. And thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, it showed that God's taking an active interest in what's happening in this particular next of Earth's woods.

And here's where the show opened up from a comic nihilism into something for more forgiving and far more epic: a literal battle between God and the Devil over the fate not only of Sam, but the entire world, for that matter. This battle has always been implicit in the show, merely through the Devil's presence. But while God is not absent in this particular universe, He sure seemed apathetic up until this point, largely allowing the Devil to do his thing. With Steve's reappearance, God served notice that this time of acquiesence is over.

It also serves notice that the show's ready to move "soul of the week" stories and focus on larger mythological issues. We've got God and Satan ready to duke it out over the soul of a Work Bench employee. We have demons convinced that Sam is the son of the Devil. And we have perhaps literally demonic parents with agendas of their own. Any one of these three narrative threads would produce an excellent Season 2, and yet Reaper presents us with an overabundance of awesome.

Personally, the latter story line intrigues me the most, as there's always been the hint of something not quite right with his folks. But these two figures were put on the back burner throughout most of the year, only truly coming back into focus in this hour. I want to know what they discussed inside the chalk circle. I want to know the deal they made with the Devil. And I want to know why Sam's paying the price for that deal. These are all compelling issues that need not get bogged down by complex theology or a string of "demon attempts to kill the Son of Satan" episodes.

The key to this "Father, Son, and the HOLY CRAP" storyline lies in the tarot reading delivered by this week's escaped soul, Madam Ozara. The Emperor card represented a conflict with Sam's father. The Ace of Swords, inverted, showed a lie between the two. The Death card, again inverted, centered on Sam's birth. And finally, a series of Devil cards obscured the truth surrounding the events in the first few cards. I'm not Tarot expert, and I think it's less important to quibble about what the cards actually mean in real readings and focus on what the show wants them to mean.

Season 2 might turn Sam into a Luke Skywalker figure, aware of his supposed destiny yet constantly working to fight fate. Sam's got two possible dads, and both seem to have more than a little Darth Vader in them. We'll perhaps eventually learn if Sam's unusual powers are a blessing or a curse. Finding out the truth about his past might be the only way to save his future.

I'd be remiss to not leave you one last time with a bevy of choice Reaper quotes, as we'll be sadly bereft of the show's wit for a few months at least.

"Oh, he is evil like none have known before!"
"A unicorn fighting a werewolf...it's the ultimate battle!"
"Also, I never told you this...I never learned to read."
"I scout for the Yankees in my off-time."
"Did you eat like sixteen Pixy Stix?"
stupid mime on the hangman
"You know how good you feel when you wear your bike pants?"

That's all the Sock goodness you're going to get in this final recap, as his succubus storyline can be summed up thusly: he's horny, and she's horn-y. Completely forgettable as a subplot, and took up time that can be better spent in Season 2 filled with any of the plotlines outlined above. I have faith that with a direction well-established, and one full season under its belt, Reaper can take what works well, excise what doesn't, and give us even more of what many of us already love next year.

Reaper: Season 1, Episode 18

Cancun

So, there you have it. A season finale that set up more questions and answered none of the ones we had going in. Which you pretty much had to figure was going to happen, because why would Reaper wrap up the “Is he Satan’s son or not?�?question in a two-story arc when it’s clearly the juiciest development we’ve had so far? (Not that they didn’t try to imply that Sam was devil spawn repeatedly tonight. My favorite moment was when Sam and Satan shared a father-son catch, because the devil is a scout for the Yankees.) No, it was a smart move to keep us guessing going into season two while adding another enticing cliffhanger: What is up with Sam’s so-called parents?

It appears from that last scene the whole buried alive bit on the part of Sam’s dad was an act. Are Sam’s parents demons? Or is the dad a demon married to a mortal woman? It sort of makes sense, seeing as how Sam’s dad knew exactly where to find Sam right before he was about to buried. And he is a bit icky, no? But �?I don’t know. I’m sticking with last week’s theory, when I suggested that this whole “Devil is Sam’s dad�?thing is a red herring meant to distract the demon revolutionaries and manipulate Sam. After all, if the devil knew that Sam’s dad “died,�?he must have also known under what circumstances. (And that he really wasn't dead.) Plus, there are obvious benefits for Satan if Sam believes he’s daddy. Maybe the devil is using Sam’s parents as pawns to keep up the ruse.

But �?there are plenty of holes in that, too. I really loved this episode until that last scene. Call me dense but I don’t get it all. Obviously there is information we don’t know yet, but something isn’t making sense here. What is up with Sam’s so-called parents? I worry that this final scene, while a good cliffhanger, is too big a stretch. One commenter last week oh-so-snarkily mocked the idea that a show that about a demon hunter has to be logical. No, smarty, it doesn’t have to be logical according to the rules of our world. But every fantasy story establishes a certain set of rules that pertains to the world where it all takes place, and those rules need to be followed in order for the audience to be able to accept what’s happening. Reaper is still establishing these rules but hasn’t always been good about following those that are in place.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Reaper has earned the benefit of the doubt, at least until the next time it hits the skids. For all the ripping I’ve done of the writers for being pokey and directionless at times, the last two weeks (and, before that, three out of the previous five) have rocked pretty hard. Turning the tables on Sam this episode, and setting up a new dynamic next season where demons will also be hunting him, was another smooth move. Honestly, for all your TV Clubbers that have defended the episodes I hated, can you really argue that these recent episodes devoted to the show’s mythology and larger story don’t make the jokier, shallower episodes that dominated the season’s middle section look friggin�?weak in comparison? Look, don’t admit you’re wrong now. I’ll accept your silence as a tacit admission of my superiority on this matter.

So, it’s going to be a while before Reaper comes back, but we have a lot to chew on. What do you guys think?

Grade: A-

This recap goes into what I was talking about in an earlier post.

How God works into the show and adds more of a Good vs Evil to it....

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Reaper: Cancun

(S01E18) Another one bites the dust. Of course I’m not talking about Reaper, just another escaped soul. Because as we now now, The CW has indeed renewed this great little show for a second season. Because they’re not that bright they only went with a mid-season plan, ordering only 13 episodes, but it could have been a lot worse so I won’t complain. In fact, I’m incredibly happy that this was only a season finale, because the show is great, has even been getter better & better with time, and from what we can see from where we stand, next season is shaping up to be a really good one as well.

We still had many plots open, the very first of which being Tony and his demon buddies finding out about Sam’s secret, a secret even he didn’t know about : the real identity of his father. Like most of us have for a little while now, they thought Sam was no other than the son of the Devil himself !

But they had to be sure, hence the well-known “dropping a washing machine�?test that took place in this episode, revealing that Sam had some special powers of his own. Which was also a nice echo to the pilot : if recently Sam has only fought demons and all kinds of escaped soul using the appropriate vessel, back in the pilot he seemed to have some powers on his own.

But we hadn’t heard from that ever since, and I was wondering if this had been simply dropped since the pilot, and here was our answer. No, Sam is special, for more than one reason, and he does have some super-powers, even though he’s not fully aware of it and cannot really use or control them.

When Sam had the washing machine hanging in the air so he could move away before letting it crash down, Tony & co knew. It was hard to believe, he looked like such a nice innocent kid, but the proof was there. When he put a sticker to sell it for half the price, there was no doubt left : �?EM>Oh, he is evil like none have known before!�?/P>

But as the episode moved on, things got a bit more confused and it left us not actually sure of what the truth really was. Yes, there is something fishy when it comes to Sam, his birth and his biological parents. Yes, his parents are hiding things, and his father did took out all pages from the contract that referred to the identity of Sam’s actual father. And yes, even the Devil admitted something was going on, as well as refusing to give Sam the truth.

All that said, Sam being the son of the Devil might be just a little too easy. It now seems obvious that things are a bit more complicated than that, and that Sam might not be destined to rule in Hell and alienate the human race. Maybe, he could head the other way and save everyone, freeing the world from Evil. Because this episode also introduced something new to the show : the element of good.

Sure, Sam is a nice guy and he wants to do good. Still, he sends people back to Hell for the Devil, he’s clearly not working for the good team. And while we’ve seen a few people willing to take over the Devil, it should be pointed out that, one, they are demons, and two, who knows they don’t intend to simply take over because all they really want is power ?

But so far we had no sign of good. God had been referenced, even by the Devil himself, but despite what it may look like Sam isn’t actually fighting for the good guys, and the good guys were really nowhere to be seen. This episode changed that, when Steve showed up. Steve is the other half of the couple of gay demons we met a while ago, Steve died while trying to take over the Devil.

And now, it appears that despite whatever everyone - starting with Tony - thought, Steve actually made it back to Heaven, he’s an angel again. For the first time ever, we have seen the Good on the show ! I’m sure one could argue that was somehow the Devil’s doing, but I don’t think so, I think this opens up a lot more possibilities for the future of the show, as Sam might find an alternative for his future : instead of working with the Devil, he could work for God; instead of being doomed rot in Hell with no possible hope for redemption, maybe there could be a way to save his soul.

Of course, things are never so simple. Because even if the Devil himself came to Sam to offer his condolences after his father passed away, turns out he did not! Sam isn’t aware of it yet, but his mom got there and dug him up, still alive and well. So clearly, his father isn’t all that human after all. I’m guessing the mother probably isn’t all that human either. Now since no one could really know about his “death�? his father can just show up again as if nothing happened, and as far as the world is concerned it’s all fine.

But for Sam, and us, some things will have to be explained. Why didn’t he die ? Who is he, who are they ?? Maybe Sam isn’t the son of the Devil after all, but the son of God, and the Devil is only trying to corrupt him. Maybe, his parents are angels who got trapped into a deal with the Devil, somehow. I don’t know.

Again, if this episode did anything it’s open a lot of new exiting possibilities for next season, and that’s great. That said, I am not one to think that serialized is necessarily better, or even always good. While I enjoyed the past episodes being more about the on-going conspiracy against the Devil, and the deal with Sam’s father, and I had no problem seeing the monster/soul of the week down to a secondary plot line, I also think that this should become a habit either.

From time to time, it’s great. I wouldn’t mind episodes were there’d be no soul of the week at all in fact. But, we need some bad-ass souls as well, and it can’t be as easy as looking up ads in the paper, showing up for a consult, and throwing a baseball at a car. Sure, Sock was helped by a demon’s kiss-powered force, but the fact remains : lately all souls have been really easy to deal with, to catch and send back to Hell.

While the serialized plot have to continue all along, and having a few bad demons trying to kill Sam just because of who he might be the son of, while all of that is fine, the soul of the week also have to remain (a) strong (element). It doesn’t have to be only one soul, it doesn’t even have to be a soul in fact, it can alternate between escaped souls and just angry demons, but I think it needs to become a bit more difficult for Sam, and more important in each episodes. Easy comparison: much like the way Buffy evolved during season 2 and 3.

I also want to ask you something : when this episode was done, I don’t thin they knew really whether or not this would be a season or a series finale, and I think it showed, didn’t it ? Because we had answers and resolutions of many plots. Nothing final, no, but we found out more about the contract, about who Sam’s father might be, something Sam was also let on in, and if you remove that very last scene with Sam’s mom digging up her husband, I think you have what would have aired as a series finale : A show ending with the guys enjoying some fireworks.

They knew Sam might be the son of the Devil, they knew things would get tougher and harder, they knew it was only the beginning of the journey, but they were all in it together and willing to do what’s best. And for now, that was enjoying some fireworks. I couldn’t help but feeling that this might have been done with that idea in mind, the very last scene being shot only to add more and end with somewhat of a cliffhanger, should another season follow�?and thank God that will be the case!

Another great, strong episode, filled with lots of humor as usual, ending a really good season of a show that is already pretty good, and yet has a lot of potential to grow into something even better. And I can’t wait to see how this will turn out!

Reaper: Bret Harrison Hints About Season 2

Reaper, the brainchild of Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas, has recently wrapped up its pilot season with the episode called “Cancun.�?nbsp; Of course, fans will have to wait awhile before the supernatural comedy returns for another 13-episode run as part of The CW's mid-season schedule. Meanwhile, Bret Harrison has hinted on what fans should expect for season 2.

According to TV.com's interview with lead star Harrison, fans can expect the new season to be packed with action.

“Well, [in the finale], there's a last ditch effort to basically take down the devil. There's a hook in the end which I think is really cool. [In season two], we'll see Sam's pissed off a lot of demons, he's pissed off a lot of people in the underworld, and there are these demons that are going to be coming after him. Which I think is cool, and you have that kind of Matrix or The Terminator theme going on,�?Harrison, who plays protagonist Sam Oliver, told TV.com.

In the first season finale, the demons created a trap for Sam, whom they believe to be the devil's son. Sam and his dad were eventually buried alive by the demons but then Tony, who has a change of heart when he realizes that demons can be forgiven by God, turned into his demon form and rescued Sam, leaving Sam's father alone in the pit to be killed by being buried alive. Sam confronted his mother, who tells him that nothing is being kept from him and that Sam should show her the place where her husband was buried so she can put some flowers over his grave.

As the season came to a close, it was shown that Sam's mother is digging her husband out of the place where he was buried and that he is alive. He then asked her what took her so long, leaving the surprising possibility that Sam's parents might be demons.

Fans will just have to wait for the second season to find out more. Reaper also stars Tyler Labine, Ray Wise, Rick Gonzalez, and Missy Peregrym, just to name a few.

Gary is hooked...... on the way home tonight he asked that we flag the reruns (if any) so he can see the whole season!

Reaper

In season two, Ben is going to take on a demon lover. [TV Guide]

We’re going to get some new females joining the cast in the coming season. The first one is Kristen, a beautiful Asian-American girl who is Sock’s new step-sister and who will drive Sock insane with her lack of clothing and insistence on practicing her massage techniques. The other new girl is Nina, a demon who falls for Ben (and has a stunningly beautiful human form) and ultimately starts having feelings for Sam (and could prove very helpful to him). [Kristin@E!Online]

Reaper

Sam will have a new friend who's a total sports nut next year. I hear he'll be a quirky sort of character who sold his soul to the Devil and spent three years in Hell. While serving that time, he successfully devised a plan to trick the Big D out of their deal and is now back on Earth trying to be the best human being he can. [Source: KorbiTV]

Reaper

Armie Hammer is joining the cast as Morgan, Sam’s half brother. Although it would seem he’s only concerned with spending time at the hottest clubs and dating super models, Morgan is secretly jealous of Sam, and has a darker agenda which will prove to be dangerous to Sam and the gang. [Michael Ausiello]

Reaper

The CW has confirmed Armie Hammer’s casting, saying, “His character is named Morgan, and he is exactly what you think the devil’s son would be like.

Reaper

Rick Gonzalez (Ben) has your scoop: “We’re revealing a little bit more of Sam’s past and we’re going to reveal Ben’s love life a little more. Of course, Ben is a very sensitive person, and he wants love, and I think he finds it. Oh, and Sock is going to be enticed by someone new in the household.�?

Reaper

Episode 2.01 - A New Hope [Airing 2009]: Sam must use a cattle prod as a vessell and when he can’t get close enough, he uses water as a conductor of the electricity. Sam sees one person left and the guy tells Sam that he was with the group that Sam just sucked up into the vessell but not really WITH them, so he isn’t supposed to be grabbed by Sam. Sam ignores him and zaps him but he doesn’t get sucked up into the vessell. He gets excited, saying he beat Sam’s boss, that the devil had owned his soul and now he was free. Sam asks how and the guy tells Sam to let him hold the cattle prod and when Sam gives it to him, the man hits Sam over the head with it.

GOOD NEWS, BADS NEWS......

Reaper is coming back�?in March!

One of the best shows on The CW cannot be seen lately, because its sophomore season has yet to premiere. I’m of course talking about Reaper, the show about Sam, who found that his parents sold his soul to the Devil himself, and now he’s got to track down escaped souls from Hell and send them back down there.

It’s a great show, a lot of fun (thanks to Sock) and it’s coming back�?The CW announced that the second season of Reaper will air on Tuesday nights at 9.00 starting March 17th. By that time Privileged, current occupant of the slot, will have end its 18-episode run (and hopefully got renewed for a second season) and Reaper will take over, having no other than 90210 as lead-in.

Needless to say that doesn’t sound at all like a good match, and considering that Smallville might be in its final season one has to wonder why they didn’t try to pair Reaper with Supernatural for instance. Plus, Tuesdays at 9.00 will have Reaper face no other than Fringe on Fox, boosted by American Idol one hour earlier�?/P>

Reaper

When Reaper returns to the CW on March 17, Sean Patrick Thomas (Save the Last Dance) makes his debut as Alan, a man who sold his soul to Ray Wise’s Devil but figured out a way to renege �?just as Sam dreams of doing. “Alan becomes the one-armed man for this season,�?series co-creator Michele Fazekas tells the Buzz. “Find him and figure out, how do you get out of your deal?�?

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