Pilot Review: Reaper

Reaper (CW)
Premieres September 25 at 9pm

This show is by far The CW's best new offering. Bret Harrison, fresh off "The Loop", stars as another character named Sam, who finds out on his 21st birthday that his parents sold his soul to the devil. Harrison's antics were a bit stronger on "The Loop", but he is more than ably supported by nonstop comic relief Tyler Labine, whose nature fits in better here than it did on 2005's "Invasion". Leading lady Nikki Reed has since been replaced by the not-so-great Missy Peregrym, which puzzles me since I think Reed did a fine job in the role. Ray Wise is perfectly cast as the devil, and his scenes are all great. The tone of the show is a bit uneven with the serious nature of the fugitive's crimes versus sidekick Sock's continuous jokes. The audience sure laughed at this one a lot though.

How will it work as a series? I think the CW is the right network for it, and it should develop a reliable young audience.
How long will it last? At least the season, I think, and probably longer than that.

Pilot grade: B