Customer Reviews

Reaper: Season One

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Sam Oliver (played by Bret Harrison) turned 21 and strange things started happening. After a visit from someone claiming to be The Devil, his parents finally confessed to him that before he was born they made a deal with the Devil and sold Sam's soul because Sam's dad was dying and wanted to get better. So while he's on this earth, Sam must go to work for the Devil as his bounty hunter, catching escaped souls and returning them to hell. These are bad guys, people who got sent to hell for a reason and escape to wreak havoc once again. Sam agrees, first because the Devil threatens his mother if he doesn't do it, and second because it gives his nowhere slacker life purpose (he works in a Home Depot type store) and he tells himself he's doing a good thing getting these baddies back where they belong. The work is plenty dangerous, but he does it with the help of his best friends and fellow slacker work buddies, Sock and Ben.

That's the basic premise for the start of the series, Sam has a girlfriend Andi that works with them and at first is unaware of his other job, and they have a jerk of a boss who's a funny character named Ted, a bit of a tool himself. Oh, and Sam captures escaped souls in vessels, which are common household items the Devil gives him for each grab: a dirt devil handvac, a toaster, a scyth, bubbles, anything really. When the soul has been captured, they get dropped off at a portal to hell which is anyplace that feels like hell on earth, in this case, the DMV. A DMV worker named Gladys collects the vessels and sends them south, she happens to be a demon, horns and everything.

The mythology comes in the second half, when we begin to discover that what Sam's parents told him may not be true. That's when things really get interesting. Sam meets more demons, some of which are very very awesome and there is a question surrounding the contract on Sam's soul. By the end of the season, he knows his parents are lying, but he doesn't know the truth and demons are out to kill him.

His work capturing souls continues but like in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, it no longer becomes the main focus. The focus shifts to the mythology and the relationships between the characters. Sam, Sock and Ben have that awesome Scooby thing going, BFFs who would die for each other, and Sam and Andi are super sweet. Sam's relationship with The Devil is the most interesting one, because the Devil (played by Ray Wise) is the most compelling character you've ever seen, all tan and suave in fancy suits and lying through his teeth all the time. Employer/employee, master/slave, father/son, mentor/protegee, it's all there between Sam and the Devil. The Devil has taken a particular interest in Sam that no one else can understand, but at the same time, he's not above causing him some pain when he has to, and that's when he's at his scariest.

The first thing that grabbed me about this show was Sam Oliver. He's the beta everyman of the highest extreme, the kind that shouldn't be a hero that is, and his situation as a damned soul makes it all the more tragic when you see how sweet and good he is, despite the Devil's constant attempts to corrupt him. And his onscreen chemistry with Wise's Devil is truly captivating.

Funny, tragic, sweet and scary all at the same time, this is a show that got too little attention for its crime of being on the CW network alongside a lower class of show, but which deserves a second look for those who missed it and those who love it alike. I'm thrilled to see a DVD release for this excellent show and I can't wait for season two.

Highly recommended! This show is for anyone who was a fan of the comedic side of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and 'Angel.' The angst and brooding darkness of 'Buffy' and 'Angel' was cautiously emerging near the end of the season, but this show is clearly a comedy with dramatic moments, not the other way 'round.

Critics and viewers unanimously loved the 1st episode written and directed by Kevin Smith of 'Chasing Amy' and 'Clerks' fame. Some critics and viewers however felt that later episodes relied too much on a formulaic 'demon of the week' main storyline centered on the antics of the cast to capture the demon, while interesting secondary storylines were given short shrift. By the end of the first season this was remedied by making the secondary storyline the capturing of the demon and allowing the main storyline to focus instead on character and plot development. Also introduced were multi-episode arcs while keeping most episodes stand-alone. By the season finale the consensus was that the series was now living up to the promise of the pilot.

I am NOT stating that I perceived any of these so-called difficiencies, but I am mentioning them so that any potential buyer who has heard of these supposed shortcomings understands that by all accounts the show had clearly hit its stride by the end of the season. If you see a drop-off in quality, rest assured it is quickly resolved. Many hardcore fans of 'Buffy' and 'Angel' forget the serious growing pains and shortcomings of the 1st seasons of each of these shows in light of the greatness that followed. Those shows were given a chance to find the right pace and tone and certainly so should 'Reaper.'

I truly love this show and anyone I recommended the show to who tuned in quickly became a rabid fan. The difficulty was in tuning in. Finding the 'CW' network is like the quest for the Holy Grail. Many people I spoke to didn't know there was a 'CW' network! Buy this DVD set and give an underappreciated show a chance. Soon you'll be laughing out loud at these great actors.

This show is scary and funny, charming and alarming, silly and thought-provoking. Awesome Devil (Ray Wise of Twin Peaks), cute sweet hero (Bret Harrison most recently of The Loop), funny characters, nice Scooby vibe among the friends. Mostly fun, but with serious story arcs related to demons, paternity, damnation, and heroism. I can't wait for the DVDs.

I am SO excited to buy this DVD! I started watching late (had to catch up via youtube... which sucked) and am dying to watch it from the beginning with my husband. The show is funny (capturing escaped souls with crazy stuff like a Dirt Devil, toaster, ugly sweater...), and has a great cast. I love Sam and the Devil, but Sock is my favorite. He is hilarious! The last show I've enjoyed this much from the beginning is probably Psych. I think that if you like Psych, you will probably like this series. I heard this show was going to be coming back for a second season, and I keep searching for it on my DVR so I'm ready. I really hope it doesn't get buried in all the garbage out there these days. I don't want it to end up a one-season wonder like Firefly (another fantastic DVD set).

This show is hilarious and original from the very first episode on. It has some unevenness in the storyline, like Sam's vanishing little brother, but overall the quality of acting and writing is consistent. Ray Wise is a riot as the devil: slippery and charming, with some great one-liners. The boss at the Work Bench, Ted, is a perfect portrayal of a petty tyrant still working through his high school issues. Also great from late in the season are the gay neighbors when Sam moves out of his parents' house: no spoilers, but there is something strange about these two. Sam is a little too gullible to be believable sometimes (can he not remember that he's talking to the DEVIL?), but that might be part of why he's so likable. I also got tired of the whole Sam and Andi "will they ever get together?" storyline, but whatever. The real gem of the show is Sam's friendship with the impossibly nice Ben and the impossibly outrageous Sock: they are laugh out loud funny. I promise you, you will laugh out loud for real, especially as they struggle with various "vessels." In the season finale, when Sam had to ride on Sock's shoulders because his feet weren't allowed to touch the ground and Sock was running down the road as fast as he could (not very fast), I thought, "This show had better be back next season, and it had better be out on DVD." And I didn't even have to make a deal with you-know-who.

I must concur with all the other reviews......there aren't enough superlatives to praise this show! I was devastated when The CW suddenly ended the series and at the time, thought they had nixed it, but thankfully, this was not the case and is back for it's season premiere on March 17th 2009. All the characters on this show meld superbly with one another, with lots of twists and turns! It really has it all, from the ridiculous to the sublime & I cannot praise the series enough, so go out and purchase this season on Amazon, it really is money well spent, with hours and hours of outstanding entertainment, you won't be disappointed!

I was looking for a new show to watch. At first, I wasn't too sure it was going to be funny at all. I really wasn't expecting anything except to be disappointed and bored. After playing catch up, because I had missed the first episode or two, I was more than pleasantly surprised!! I hadn't laughed out loud at any show since forever! The acting is superb, for a comedy!! Ray Wise is so good looking and so funny. I seriously don't think they could have picked a better " devil." The rest of the cast is totally hilarious. I love the " vessles" they are given to retrieve the souls back into hell. When I describe this show to my friends, they think I am nuts! You just have to watch it for yourself. After a long day at work, it is soooooo nice to switch this show on and laugh non stop for an entire hour. I hope they never take this off the air. Best show on the air in a long time!!

This show is the best! Bret Harrison is a cutie! Ray Wise is an awesome devil! And the guy who plays Sam's best friend Soc is a freakin riot! I have all the episodes on my iPod! And I can't wait to have it in my hands too.

Well, it looks like the evil corporate machine that is television has terminated yet another excellent show. Joining the ranks of such programs as "Freaks and Geeks", "Veronica Mars", "Life on Mars" (apparently shows with "Mars" in the title are doomed from the start?), and so many others, "Reaper" has met its end far too soon. So, in light of this, I felt the need to extol this dearly departed show's greatness.

The show is centered around main character Sam Oliver (played by Bret Harrison). Sam is your average fun-loving guy, living a simple but happy life. Then, on his 21st birthday, he discovers that his parents sold his soul to the devil before he was born, and soon the aforementioned devil (played brilliantly by Ray Wise) shows up to collect. Sam must spend the rest of his life as the devil's bounty hunter, capturing escaped souls from hell.

This concept has been done before in similar forms ("Brimstone", "Dead Like Me"), but here it's done with a much more light-hearted and comedic approach, which to me gives it a fresh spin. Most of your supernaturally themed shows ("Smallville", "Supernatural", "Buffy", "Heroes", etc) tend to be more dramatically intense for the most part, and much as I love all those shows, this one had a style that really set it apart from those in a good way.

This, the first season, was strong from start to finish. Like many shows of this format, it starts off with a simpler "villain of the week" formula, and then slowly builds toward bigger story arcs. Sam is faced with a seemingly never-ending array of bizarre and fearsome evildoers to capture, and armed each week with a different "vessel" with which to catch them (which is usually in appearance just a random object, like a toaster or a hair dryer), he rounds them up one by one. Although he feels trapped by his unholy contract, he also gets a sense of pride from his duties, realizing he is doing good for the world and saving lives. However, since the "reward" for these good deeds is an eternity in Hell as the devil's right-hand man, he knows he has to find a way out.

Of course, the show's biggest allure is its excellent cast. Harrison is perfect as a good-natured slacker forced to rise to unusual but heroic responsibilities. He does, however, have a lot of help along the way from his small but loyal group of friends. Tyler Labine is hilarious as the wise-cracking Sock, and although he is borderline derivative of Jack Black at times, it's hard to complain when he's this good at it. Contrastingly, there's Ben (played by underrated character actor Rick Gonzalez), who is largely Sock's opposite personality-wise: more serious and straight-laced, even a little neurotic. However, both prove to be stalwart and reliable companions. Ben starts out as kind of a background character, but fortunately he gets more stuff going on as the show progresses.

Last but certainly not least, there's Andi (played by the oh so lovely Missy Peregrym), Sam's close friend and love interest. Like Sock and Ben, Andi proves to be an important ally to Sam, but still his duties continually get in the way of him having the kind of relationship with her he really wants. Missy has this rare combination of girl-next-door sweetness and supermodel hotness, and what she brings to this smart, strong, charming character is just so endearing.

And of course, as I mentioned before, Ray Wise is excellent as the devil. He is simultaneously creepy and likable, making for a villian that's anything but one-dimensional. He seems to genuinely like and care for Sam in some twisted way (in the second season you find out a bit more about this), even though he's pretty much taking his life away from him. We never forget throughout that the devil is heartless and evil, but at the same time he doesn't seem like a complete monster. At times, he's even almost a sympathetic character, which I think adds an interesting dynamic.

Joining the cast later in the season are Ken Marino and Michael Ian Black, who are hilarious as a gay demon couple who organize a rebellion against the devil. Initially they are distrustful of Sam, but soon they become powerful allies who work to help Sam find a way out of his deal.

If I had to complain about something, and it's not really about the show itself, but rather how the network marketed it at first, which I think might have hurt it in some way. As you may know, Kevin Smith directed the pilot episode, and as a result, both before and after the episode aired, the network latched onto it and used Kevin Smith's name to promote it for about half the season. Kevin Smith was neither a writer or a creator of the show, and aside from directing that one episode he pretty much had little to nothing to do with it. And, although the show did vaguely feel a bit like a more tv-friendly version of "Dogma" at times, I think it was misleading, and may have possibly messed with people's expectations. They basically marketed it as a "Kevin Smith show", which is never really what it was. But, I don't know. That just kinda bugged me, but it's probably not that big of a deal. Anyway...

At this point, it saddens me to think that this show may never reach the conclusion it deserves. There's been talk of it being picked up in syndication, but I'm not holding my breath. This was a fun and unique show that I'm really going to miss.

If you thought your boss was a pain, then try working for the Devil. In the new CW primetime series "Reaper", Sam Oliver (Bret Harrison, TV's Grounded for Life) was an average slacker who's parents never pressured him in his entire life but on his 21st birthday, Sam finds out that his parents sold his soul to the Devil (Ray Wise, Jeepers Creepers 2) before he was born. Forced to serve the Devil as his bounty hunter, Sam must capture escaped evil souls and send them back to Hell. "Reaper" is an enthusiastic supernatural sitcom that effectively combines elements of fantasy and humor. The CW series premiered in the fall of 2007 and was well received by audiences and critics. The episodes are hilariously well-written with plenty of laughs and sharp dialogue. "Reaper" also features a very likable cast including Tyler Labine (TV's Invasion), Rick Gonzalez (Coach Carter) and Missy Peregrym (Stick It). As the smooth-talking ruler of the Underworld, Ray Wise really shines and often steals the show. The first season delivers some good twists and its finale offers some interesting developments for the second season. The first season features guest appearances by Patton Oswalt and Jamie Kennedy.

Fans of the CW primetime series might find the DVD release of "Reaper: Season One" a little disappointing. All 18 episodes of the first season are presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen format. Though the episodes air in hi-def, the standard transfer in this 5-disc DVD set is really good. The 2.0 Dolby Digital audio is pretty clear and well balanced throughout. The negative aspect in this box set lies with the special features. The only audio commentary is on the pilot episode and unfortunately it provides very little information. Other extras include a short gag reel and a few deleted scenes. Despite the lack of interesting extras, the DVD set is well recommended. Overall, "Reaper: Season One" gets a "B".