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| Rated: 5.00/5 | Votes: 3 | Views: 74 |Submitted: 09/28/07 |
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Okay, so first things first- I am a geek. So, of course I was stoked last Spring to read a description to The CW’s new show “Reaper” and I about peed myself when I read that Kevin Smith (Silent Bob, in case you live under a rock) was going to direct the pilot…okay, I didn’t really pee, but I think you now understand my enthusiasm.
So, after watching the initial episode of “Reaper,” what I can say is: More Please! In “Reaper,” we are introduced to Sam, a slacker whose having a really bad 21st birthday. (His rant: “I got chased by a pack of dogs. I moved an air conditioner with my mind. Oh, and the Devil tried to carjack me. So overall, not a great day.") Turns out, Sam’s parents decided before he was born to sell his soul to Satan so that Sam’s dad wouldn’t die an untimely death. Sam’s parent’s thought they were being smart as the dad was told he was infertile but it turns out that Satan asked the parent’s doc to tell them that to ensure that there would be a first-born (clever, isn’t he? I guess it takes some brains to run the underworld!). Sam’s parent’s never pushed him because they always knew that once he turned 21, he’d be going bye-bye. Turns out, Satan has  bigger plans for Sam and he’s not taking a trip into Hell anytime soon. In fact, Satan wants Sam to work for him on Earth by capturing the evil souls that have escaped and return them to the underworld.
What sounds like it could be a TV series joke actually works with an incredibly talented cast. Sam is played by Bret Harrison who has spent a lot of time on TV recently including “The Loop,” “Grounded for Life,” and a short stint on “That 70s Show” and pulls off an endearing and relatable slacker in just his facial expressions alone. He’s a perfect underdog here, as he prepares to go face to face with some of Hell’s bad-guys. His sidekick is Sock (Tyler Labine from ABC’s pulled-too-soon “Invasion”) and is something of a Jack Black-lite. And I mean that as a compliment. I frankly find a guy who decides in a random moment of boredom to create “Tapehand” with a roll of duct tape and his right hand a dude I would want to go out and drink with. Missy Peregrym plays Sam’s love interest Andi (“Heroes”) and while she hasn’t done a whole lot yet, I feel like her character is easily likeable and I am interested to see where she develops from here. The revelation in the show though is Ray Wise, whose job it is to play Satan. He has big shoes to fill in taking on such an iconic role (I still love Al Pacino as the over-the-top dark lord in “The Devil’s Advocate” myself) and it seems like Wise really pulls off the charisma and edge so seamlessly. In one moment he’s charming the pants off Sam with describing to Sam his bounty-hunteresque duties (“That’s cool, right?”) and then in a turn is basically telling Sam he has no choice or Satan’s taking his mom for a little ride in his down elevator. Campy and chilling all in one. This show was a breath of fresh air and I really think The CW is the perfect home for this witty and sharp series, as they have offered us “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel” in the past, as well as the current series “Supernatural.” My only concern is that the series pilot was almost disserved by having Smith direct because I am not sure what the tone will be in future episodes. But I know, I will be tuned in to check out to see how Sam handles working for the probably the toughest boss ever. Reviewer: Heather Wixson |
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