Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best new show of the 2007-08 season, August 27, 2008
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.
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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fun with the Devil, August 26, 2008
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.
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love this Show, August 28, 2008
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.
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