“Reaper” — Cash Out
Um, yeah, I’ll take one jelly, a glazed, and your soul.
Well, I’m back on the horse. After a few weeks away, I’ve been working my way back into Reaper and I think I’m a better man for it. When I bailed a month or so back it had a lot more to do with the excess mediocre programming I was watching (and maybe a bit Reaper’s early tendency toward repetition) than an disinterest in this specific series. Having cut a lot of fat from my lineup (and having finished my novel-in-a-month) I suddenly find myself with — get this! — extra time on my hands. That time has been partially allotted to Reaper. More after the jump…
Over the past few weeks the show has taken an interesting (and needed) turn by dumping the Sam/DianeAndy relationship in favor of this new girl — a girl who might be the daughter of the devil (though not Lucy). Sam has always been a tad too whiny and/or mopey for my tastes, but I like him with this devil-girl, as it likely means a greater involvement with Mr. Satan himself, and as we all know any additional appearances by Ray Wise would be welcome ones.
As for the monster of the week formula, I think the show has finally figured it out. It’s OK to be repetitive if the repetition takes a back-seat to other elements in the show. The fact of the matter is procedure works on networks, and while I may find serialized drama generally more rewarding, it doesn’t so much matter if the characters are fun to be around, and in this case, funny. I don’t know how one actually quantifies this sort of thing, but the show feels far more playful and fun than in did in those first half-dozen episodes. A lot of this comes from the sidekicks who has staked themselves as being as much a part of Sam’s soul-bounties as he is.
Of course, with the strike I’m sure there’s not all that much Reaper left to go around, so my newfound interest could all be for naught. Let’s think positive thoughts and worry about that problem when we get there.
