Finishing Up The Season: Reaper

The second chance that this show got gave it the opportunity to flesh out its main characters and craft a more definitive tone for this odd hybrid between slacker comedy and horror fare. Just when it was really getting the hang of things, it appears the plug has been pulled on the show. Though there are rumors of the series airing new episodes in syndication in the fall, it’s become increasingly clear in past years that, with only four real exceptions (“According to Jim,” “Jericho,” “Family Guy,” and “7th Heaven,” if I'm not forgetting anything), once a show is dead, it’s dead. While I didn’t completely love this show’s sophomore season, I would actually be excited if it got an eleventh-hour pickup for another shot at glory.

Season one was hindered not only by a lack of clearly chosen genre but also by the general laziness of its leads. Obviously they’re not supposed to be motivated people, but their lack of energy hurt the show by omitting interesting storylines. Ben’s green card marriage fell flat, Sock didn’t do much, and the constant whiny bickering between Sam and Andi was unbelievably irritating. Ray Wise carried the show on his devilish shoulders. This season, with Andi in the loop and all of the cast members stepping up their game, things were a lot whole more engaging.

The second season did get off to a shaky start with a tragic misfire, the introduction of Sock’s sister who he so desperately wanted to sleep with that it was unbearably painful for every episode until she disappeared without a trace. Her absence didn’t diminish the quality of the show at all, and left Sock to do what he does best: provide comic relief as a fifth wheel or just plain annoyance. His quest to design the perfect girl by taking pictures of different body parts of many girls is a great example of what Sock, and especially actor Tyler Labine, really knows how to do.

Labine wasn’t the only cast member pulling his own weight this year. Rick Gonzalez, who is actually quite talented, rebounded from that purposeless trip to jail last year with a surprisingly fun romance with a demon, played to perfection by the endearing Jenny Wade. Their relationship seemed ill-fated from the beginning, but somehow they made it work and it lasted through the end of the season. Nina is a great character, and her pleasant lackadaisical demeanor perfectly mixes with the attitudes of her boyfriend and proxy friends. She’s by far the best significant other on the show, miles ahead of Sam’s former flame/possible sister, Cady (portrayed by Jessica Stroup, currently hanging out in a different zip code on the same network).

Bret Harrison’s always been a good lead (he got this gig straight after his similar starring role in FOX’s “The Loop”), and he’s able to infuse Sam with the appropriate entertaining panicky jitters. This year, he tried to get out of his deal with the devil and his scenes with Ray Wise were simply terrific. I, along with many others, compared Sam to the hero of NBC’s “Chuck,” and the main difference between the two was that people actually liked and believed in Chuck. This year, Sam has proven that he wants to do what it takes and really try to save his soul.

The finale was quite interesting in the implications it has for the future of the series, which now of course doesn’t exist. Regardless, it’s still worth going over. Sam figures out how to challenge the devil but loses in the initial challenge. Andi takes one for the team and offers up her soul if Sam can’t beat the devil. With some help from Gladys, Sam figures out how to beat the devil, but he’s delayed and, in a shocking move, gets felled by the angelic Steve of all people. This adds the dimension of Andi now being in the same position as Sam, but additionally of placing them somewhere in the grander scheme of things that are good. It’s an intriguing notion, and I’m glad to see that they’re something bigger at work here – I just wish we could see more of it. “Chuck” got saved, and it sure deserved it more, but I wouldn’t mind following up more on this show.

Season finale: B
Season grade: B
Season MVP: Tyler Labine

Summing Up: Reaper

I still can't get a grip on what exactly this show is trying to achieve. It's just so out there in terms of where it goes with the subplots, most notably the gay demons and Ben's green card marriage/prison term. How can the current direction of the show have been perceived from the pilot? The two shows are almost nothing alike. Sam as the Devil's son? That changes everything. I do like Steve going to heaven and communicating with Sam and Tony, but what are these demons doing? It's just bizarre, and I have no clue what audience this show is trying to appeal to. The last revelation of immortality (?) of Sam's father comes sort of out of nowhere. I am glad Andi finally found out Sam's secret, but she seems to be taking it rather well and playing it off too casually. I'd like to see more of Ben's relationship with Cassidy as well as either that demon girl or Josie with Sock. I can't believe that Lucy Davis who played Ben's Sara is the same actress who was Dawn on the British version of "The Office", the Pam equivalent. I really applaud Ray Wise for his stellar work all season, and especially enjoyed seeing Richard Burgi playing a role truly suited to him.

The biggest thing about this show that always gets me is the age of the characters. This seems like it would be a perfect pitch for a high school show where characters have to deal with more truthfully immature problems instead of going out legally drinking every night. It's as if the writers just transplanted Bret Harrison's character Sam from "The Loop" and based this less stable show around him. The characters on "Reaper" just aren't that interesting. As I said some time ago, this show pales in comparison to the somewhat similar "Chuck" because Chuck is praised for his leadership abilities whereas Sam constantly gets crap for everything he tries to do. This show really needs a makeover for a successful season two.

Season grade: C
Season finale: C
Season MVP: Ray Wise

What I'm Watching: Reaper

Reaper: Season 1, Episode 14 "Rebellion" (C)

I'm really not sure how to feel about this show. I feel like it's trying to be just a bit too modern by having Sam ask the devil for his cell phone number. I knew that there was something fishy about this whole demon-next-door-neighbor thing and them being gay was just a bit strange. The rebellion idea is interesting, but I think it played out too comically. Ray Wise continues to own the screen and I hope he gets rewarded somehow from some random awards guild (or the Emmys - wouldn't that be cool? Better than Neil Patrick Harris and Jon Cryer anyway). The element of the show I am happy with is that Andi and Sam are finally getting it on. That was in the making for way too long, and it should be great while it lasts, but I think I know how it will end, with him not telling her his secrets and her being unable to get over it. I hope I'm wrong.

What I'm Watching: Reaper

Reaper: Season 1, Episode 13 "Acid Queen" (C)

This episode is further proof that this show really has no idea where it is going or what market it is trying to reach. The inclusion of the gay demons and the "demophobia" makes so little sense and just comes off as strange. Sam's rendition of "Say goodnight, bitch" is also pretty unfortunate. Missy Peregrym is so incredible awkward, and I really do wish that Nikki Reed, the original choice to play Andi, was still playing her. She is a far better actress (see: "Thirteen" versus Peregrym's hilariously awful performance in the short-lived "life as we know it"). Seeing her in an early screening of the pilot, I can imagine that if she had continued in the role, her chemistry with Bret Harrison would have been far more effective and pleasant to watch. The ending of this episode is a bit strange, and I'm not sure what they're planning on doing with this anti-Devil business/seance. The show returns in late April on Tuesday nights.

What I'm Watching: Reaper

Reaper: Season 1, Episode 12 "Unseen" (C+)

I knew the gay neighbors were too good to be true. Their presence, as demons, makes the endgame of this show all the more cloudy and vague. Instead of things coming together at this point, which creatively they should be at this point, all these new elements are being introduced. The trio moves into a new place, Sam's girl starts getting bad vibes from Sam as he gets worse ones from her, the Devil starts getting moody and insulted, and Ted becomes a major player in the show once again. It is all so jumbled, and the hunt for the soul, which is reminiscent of the first week where they suited up with the smoke detectors, is not quite exciting enough to make up for it. With some fine retooling and an eye to the far superior "Chuck", this show could well be on its way to greatness, but I wouldn't be too disappointed to see it go after next week's presumable season finale. Bret Harrison should easily be able to find yet another role on a fledgling comedy as a character named Sam.

What I'm Watching: Reaper

Reaper: Season 1, Episode 11 "Hungry for Fame" (C)

I did not even know that this show was coming back with new episodes, but luckily an older VCR set to tape "Smallville" had not been adjusted for daylight-savings time so I was in luck and got to see this episode. While it is enjoyable enough, this episode falls pretty flat as far as plot goes. Jamie Kennedy is not an actor I ever need to see on anything, regardless of the fact that the CW is probably loyal to him since he used to have a show on the WB. On "Chuck", everyone always tells him how nice a guy he is, but on this, no one ever praises Sam for being stand-up and reliable (not Andi, of course, but the other people). That would help lighten the mood a bit. The escaped soul is actually pretty lame despite being a man-eating cannibal (on second thought, what other kind is there?). And much as Sam's new girlfriend's creepy threatening of Andi at the end is a good plot propeller, it does not fit with the already wacky mood of this show.

What I'm Watching: Reaper

Reaper: Season 1, Episode 10 “Cash Out” (C+)

I feel like the souls keep getting much easier to catch. The dragging through the wall gimmick is something we have not yet seen, but the vessels keep getting lamer and the villains themselves more innocent. Hell is supposed to be a place for the worst kind of sinners, yet these guys really are not as bad as they are made out to be. I do like the progress with the love lives of our two male protagonists. Sam dating is good for him, even if she might be the devil’s daughter, and I enjoyed seeing Andi ask about him and seeming cast off by the fact that he did not tell her he was involved with someone. Sock finally gets something serious to do, and Valerie Rae Miller has been criminally underused after brief appearances in the first few episodes. As I have said before, this show needs some work, but with a few small tweaks, it should do fine once it returns following the resolution of the writers’ strike.

What I'm Watching: Reaper

Reaper: Season 1, Episode 9 “Ashes to Ashes” (C+)

This is an entertaining episode, but nothing really makes sense. The Devil seems to be selectively omniscient, knowing all that is dark and pertaining to devilish activities, as he always pops up whenever Sam does something wrong, yet he does not know squat about the conversations that go on between his girlfriend and Sam. And he knows Sam better than to assume that Sam would not try to talk to his girlfriend. On the subject of girlfriends, it is great that Sam might be interested in the devil’s ex’s daughter, and while her possibly being the devil’s daughter is a bad thing for Sam, it is a good thing for the audience, as that will surely prove to be an entertaining storyline. I like that Andi is still open to the possibility of a relationship with Sam but that she is unwilling to make a move or make up her mind. This show could very well outlast my expectations for its run.

What I'm Watching: Reaper

Reaper: Season 1, Episode 8 "The Cop" (B)

Wow, Mitch Pileggi is typecast. This is honestly probably the most I have ever seen him do, with the exception of a few Skinner-centered "X-Files" episodes. He blends in well here as a cop who sold his soul to the devil. I like the twist with him being the fifth victim. Sock's obsession with Gladys is a little weird, but her inserting herself into his dream is hilarious. Will Sam and Andi ever get together and try it as a couple? Man, I hope so.

What I'm Watching: Reaper

Reaper: Season 1, Episode 7 "Love, Bullets, and Blacktop" (B)

It is fun to see Sam getting in over his head and moving too fast with a girl who clearly likes him much more than he digs her. The vessels keep getting even more ridiculous, but I suppose it is the nature of this show, and it sort of works. Every time I start watching this show, I think I am watching "Chuck" since the two have so many parallels. The work staff here is universally less motivated, and the management just as obnoxious but hardly as forceful. Plus Chuck is a bit cooler than Sam, no offense to our resident bounty hunter. But the one asset that "Reaper" has that "Chuck" does not is Ray Wise, who is continually terrific as the Devil, who keeps making fun of Sam when he refuses to work up the courage to ask out a girl.

What I'm Watching: Reaper

Reaper: Season 1, Episode 6 "Leon" (C+)

I was utterly confused this entire episode since I taped "NCIS" and "Reaper" on the same tape and I think my VCR clock was set two minutes fast. A good episode should not have something happen in the beginning without delving into it a bit further sometime during the episode, though maybe that is just my confusion talking. This Leon character is sort of fun but also obviously a bit dangerous. I did not quite get who the escaped soul was here (Leon? the dog?). Bret Harrison does do a great job here, especially towards the end. I am glad that he and Andi may have a fighting chance.

What I'm Watching: Reaper

Reaper: Season 1, Episode 5 "What About Blob?" (B-)

Why must the devil manipulate events so that Sam can never tell Andi what he truly does? That is one aspect of the plot that will quickly become stale if ressucitative efforts are not soon taken. Tyler Labine cannot make jokes the whole hour and expect everything to remain fresh. The scene at the end where Sam's father rips out one of the pages from the contract does serve as a great twist which hopefully will be followed up on.

What I'm Watching: Reaper

Reaper: Season 1, Episode 4 "Magic" (C+)

Not a great villain for this week, and Sam and his buddies do not really get to try to take on the bad guy in their usual fashion. Sam needs to tell Andi real soon about his little devil job, because otherwise this relationship is going to become stale and obnoxious. Only for so long can he not get the girl because he is actually trying to protect her. Was this not the same exact thing he was doing on "The Loop", and then his potential girlfriend got written out of the second season? Watch out Missy Peregrym!

What I'm Watching: Reaper

Reaper: Season 1, Episode 3 "All Mine" (C+)

The gang always get all fired up and straps on their gadget armor (fire extinguishers, extension cords, etc.) and that provides a good basis for an endearing series. This specific case involving a ridiculously jealous woman/bug controller and the man who never loved her serves as a strong argument for the case that this show can stand the test of time and not get old. There is just something missing which needs to be rectified, but I cannot put my finger on what exactly it is. And the Devil's manipulation of Sam's relationship is puzzling.

Round Two: Reaper

Reaper: Season 1, Episode 2 "Charged" (C+)

I cannot seem to find anything too exciting about this show. It is somewhat fun, the characters are sympathetic and likeable, but the devil's errands seem too easily solved as well as in danger of become very repetitive. It is in a sense a week-to-week procedural which runs the risk of becoming unoriginal despite its original premise. I am willing to give it some more time.

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