For a geek, summer is probably the best of times. Movies, video games, and crappy syndicated shows that you get to catch up on.
This however has nothing to do with that, so I like you (at this moment) have no clue why I brought it up. But I AM here to talk to you about REAPER.
The show revolves around Sam Oliver, your regular 20 something slacker who on his 21st birthday finds out that his parents have sold his soul to Satan. Oh sure it was in order to save the Dad’s life, but that really is no consolation when you consider that will have to spend an eternity in Hell.
So then the Devil (played MAGNIFICENTLY by Ray Wise) comes into the pictures, showing up to Sam at odd times and telling him that he is going to be a bounty hunter for hell bringing back escaped, evil souls (which by the way they turn in at the DMV, one of the “Hell on earth” portals).
Sam’s two best friends, Sock (who looks like a chubby Kurt Russell and acts a bit like Jack Burton) and Ben (who just recently got into a greencard marriage right before meeting the woman of his dreams) are in on the deal and there are all these hilarious ghostbuster like antics that ensue.
And of course for Spacekicker there is a romance that was building until finally the two got together, but of course will be soon tore apart (par for the course).
So, the show at it’s onset, at least the pilot, was hysterical. I thought it might be my favorite show of the new year (that honor went to CHUCK however), but then the shows just got boring, nothing was driving the plot forward and everything was just…blah. It was like the first 4 years of Smallville, the same crap every week.
Then! THEN…they must have got some new writers or something because everything became hysterical again. You had the fact that Sam moved out of his parents house and in with his two friends. They happen to be living next to 2 gay men who befriended them, but turned out to be demons, that actually are forming a rebellion against satan.
There are all these hilarious interpersonal plots being played out between Sam and his true love Andi, Sock and his estranged - maybe back together again Josie, and of course Ben and his greencard wife and new love interest.
I have to say on a theological view, there is some pretty amazing stuff going on in the show. Satan is charming, but evil. You could see him as the sly serpent. He’s always trying to corrupt Sam, twist words, destroy lives. He even at one point talked about how HE was in love (referencing God in the most reverent of ways) at one time.
Sure Sam hasn’t figured out that he probably has his soul. I mean if you could just sign away someone’s soul without their free will, well, I somehow don’t think that is “legal” even in the spiritual realm. But that is playing out.
If you haven’t watched it, I’d recommend checking it out. I think there is one more new episode for the season, but you can watch some past ones at cwtv.com, or find someplace on line to download it, or check out the DVD when it comes out. It’s a funny show and just watching Sock’s crazy antics make it worth the 40 minutes.
