Reaper Season Two DVD Review
Reaper Season Two DVD Review
Reaping the Sophomore Slump.
|
I was late to the Reaper party. When Season One was airing in '07 I purposely didn't watch the premiere, because I wrong-headedly thought it was going to be just another dippy CW Network teen show. But then, I happened to catch an episode about halfway into the series, and got reeled into it. (I was so taken, I even wrote an article in hopes of encouraging viewership, called "7 Reasons Reaper is 2 Die 4")
The show's outrageous premise — a 21 year old slacker finds out he's the spawn of Satan, and becomes a bounty-hunter for Hell's escaped souls in hopes of turning his own damnation into salvation — was nicely buoyed by genuinely sparkling comedic dialogue and cracking delivery by the actors. Ray Wise made for an awesome (in both the old-fashioned, and new, senses of the word) Devil, while Bret Harrison as hapless, soul-searching Sam was just plain loveable.
Honestly, I couldn't wait for Season Two. It was one of the few television series I was excited for, to return. Maybe my expectations were too high but the leading episode, "Episode IV : A New Hope", was downright hellish. The guys (Sam and his two-man posse, Sock and Ben — played by Tyler Labine and Rick Gonzalez) return from an extended road trip, only to find things drastically changed back home and at The Work Bench. Sam's girlfriend Andi (Missy Peregrym) is now his boss and what's more, Sam's competitive half-brother Morgan (Armie Hammer) inadvertently makes the Devil favor Sam even more (especially during an episode cleverly entitled My Brother's Reaper).
A few characters I really liked from Season One were written out (however, one does return for the revelatory Season Two finale, "The Devil & Sam Oliver"), and new ones I didn't like were added, or augmented, for Season Two. Sock and Ben, while adorable as peripheral characters, now have entire arcs and episodes built around them. Sam's mortal dad is back in the picture, and there's way too much time spent on the Demons (sans Gladys [Christine Willes] …she is largely absent).
Overall, Season Two feels awkward and uneven. Perhaps the worst episode of all time, "Underbelly", which has the gang uncharacteristically going off to some Calico Junction style ghost town, underscores the fact that Reaper's Creators/Executive Producers Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters have signed a deal with 20th Century Fox thus dooming Reaper. (At this time, the fate of the show isn't known.)
Fortunately, when I say the show has become inconsistent, it means that along with the lows are some highs as well. It's still pretty funny, and wicked Wise hasn't lost an ounce of his Satanic sizzle.
While I can't wholeheartedly recommend Reaper Season Two on DVD for the library, it's probably worth the price of a rental for those who'd like to catch up with Sam and the Gang without all the commercial interruptions. It's available on June 9 and special features include deleted scenes, a gag reel and audio commentaries with the cast.
Episode Lineup, Season Two
"A New Hope"
"Dirty Sexy Mongol"
"The Sweet Science"
"The Favorite"
"I Want My Baby Back"
"Underbelly"
"The Good Soil"
"The Home Stretch"
"No Reaper Left Behind"
"My Brother's Reaper"
"To Sprong, With Love"
"Business Casualty"
"The Devil & Sam Oliver"
= = =
Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson