Reaper Watch: Reap-Off or Reaping Good Time?
Sergei Bachlakov / The CW
If last night's episode of Reaper had been the first one I'd ever seen, I'd have been delighted with it. The problem with it was that it was more or less the same, with a few elegant variations, as the very first episode we ever did see, last week. There was a vessel, there was ambivalence about doing the job, there was an escaped soul wreaking havoc (with lightning, not fire, this time), there was a trip to the DMV. I'm hoping this is just a momentary blip, but the show is going to need to develop some kind of arc if it's going to be a long-term appointment for me.
On the plus side, the repetitions were repetitions of good stuff. There are probably endless gags this show can do involving making consumer products malicious, and at the top of that list has to be turning a Toyota Prius into an Avenging Hybrid of Death. The tossed-off dialogue is still first-rate: "Doctor Jager, Doctor Cuervo, Doctor Captain Morgan -- he has two titles." And having the Devil ask, "When does Ellen come on?" Never not funny.
On the more serious side, I like the theme of having each escaped soul metaphorically confront the evil he did in life, like the Enron-esque electricity executive raging over the loss of his reputation: it's a very Buffy-like touch. But Buffy subsumed these episodic stories in the larger personal journeys of the Slayer and the Scooby Gang. Reaper has the potential to develop like that, but I want to see more evidence of it.
Reaper doesn't seem to merit a regular Watch at this point, at least until and unless it starts showing some forward momentum. There are only so many variations on "Sam and Sock get dressed up in weird work gear and capture a soul somewhere dark" you can analyze. I'm still enjoying it and sticking with it for now, though. Are you?
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1
Re-posting my comment from your Morning After entry:
Reaper's concept is what it is. I don't know how much variety they're going to be able to put into it, but as long as it stays as winningly executed as it has been so far, I'm not going anywhere. Plus it's only week 2, far too soon to be worried.
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2
I'm not worried either. I never did get to see the first episode, though, but I really enjoyed last night. Let the boys get into their demon-catching groove, and then I'm sure we'll get some good story arcs! Ray Wise is the best devil ever. A smooth operator, that one!
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3
Now that you mention that I am a bit afraid. From what Kevin Smith mentioned on one of his podcasts, the girls who created the show originally worked on Law & Order which doesn't involve stories spanning more than 2 episodes. I do however know that they have some kind of plan based on what Kevin Smith was saying.
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4
I enjoyed it. It all depends on the writers, but the formula for most TV shows is a variation on a theme. What we've seen is probably what we will continue to see, but there is room to work inside that. After all, Seinfeld was a show about "nothing" every week. Shows like Quantim Leap, Seven Days, Star Gate, etc. have the same premise week after week, but the story is always different. Let's face it, he will always work for the devil reaping escaped souls from Hell, the devil will always antagonize him, there will always be a vessel, there will always be a soul to catch, there will always be the DMV to report to, etc. That is what the show is. The details, scenery and jokes change.
I did try to get my 14 year old son to watch with me last night, but he had a date with Guitar Hero on the Playstation and couldn't be bothered.
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5
What I was worried about is how much backward motion there was, which may be what you're referring to. There was a lot of amnesia from Sam about what happened in the first episode. I mean, come on, Sam, you not only accepted the job, you made a whole speech about how it gave you a purpose in life. Your mom was totally depressed about you working for the devil to the point where she was going to give her soul to the devil. The devil threatened to take your mother's soul if you didn't do the job. Do you remember any of this?
A definite let-down from the pilot, but I'm still sticking with it, hoping the plot-amnesia doesn't continue.
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6
Did Buffy show evidence of those bigger arcs after two episodes, though? I'm not saying the show won't end up being too formulaic, I'm just saying we can't possibly know on the basis of two episodes.
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7
I guess my issue with "Reaper" is that I'm already a fan of the show the encore presentation of the pilot displaced last week, "Supernatural." Having watched the second episode of "Reaper" (and an early-released version of the season premiere of "Supernatural"), I would definitely stick with "Supernatural" over "Reaper" - "Supernatural" does the over-arching plot/monster-of-the-week dichotomy really well, and I really enjoy the blend of angst/horror/sarcasm/silliness. Certainly the tone of the show is heavier than in "Reaper," but that isn't something that bothers me. I'll try "Reaper" a few more times, but if it stays this repetitive/uneven, I'm gonna have to say "Ti-No."
- poniewozik Loved the season. Mrs Tuned In wd have put u on the main list RT @boredtodeath Thank u for incl us in Time's Top 10. We'll take hon mention. - 6 hours ago
- poniewozik @carr2n Virgin is the best, LAX-JFK - 7 hours ago
- poniewozik Did NPR interview abt multiscreen multitasking. After, automatically reached for iPhone in pocket. Like don draper wd have for cigarettes. - 8 hours ago
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