Thanks to the magic of Tivo, I’m still catching up on episodes of shows I recorded last season. I’ve got 3 episodes to go on Reaper, and let me just say that this show just keeps getting better and better.
What’s the premise? A college drop-out learns that before he was born his parents sold his soul to the devil. That means that now, on his 21st birthday, he becomes an employee of the devil himself. Fortunately, his job is to capture evil souls that have managed to slip out of hell and return them back to where they belong. So, all in all, he’s doing good even while working for the surpreme evil.
The thing is, this show is a comedy. He’s got two friends who found out what he does, and a love interest from whom he’s been hiding his “second job”. By day he and his friends work at a home improvement store, have an annoying boss, etc. etc.
Throughout the season, I’ve seen the writing on Reaper get better and better. The writers surprised me in the second half of the season by taking the overarcing storyline and bravely moving it forward. More than once, I’d watch and episode that seemed to be laying the groundwork for a slow build the rest of the season, only to have that plot line come to a climax an episode or two later. To me, it shows that the writers are more interested in examining the aftermath of a climactic event than stringing the audience along with a slow build. It’s easy to dangle a thread in front of an audience all season, but it takes more guts to jump in, bring events to a head, and say “Let’s see what happens because of this.” It also makes for much more entertaining TV.
Let me also say that Ray Wise makes an awesome Devil. The show is almost worth watching just for his performance. On one hand he is utterly disarming; he’s a friendly, charming guy. In one sentence he can be incredibly smooth, but then turn the very next as hard as steel. Mr. Wise has figured out that the best way to be sinister is by contrasting it with charm.
I can’t wait to finish off these last three episodes and start on the new season.
No comments yet.