Television Review

Bret Harrison as Sam in REAPER: Magic.
© CW

Mania Grade: B
Episode: Magic
Starring: Bret Harrison, Ray Wise, Missy Peregrym, Tyler Labine
Produced By: Kevin Smith

REAPER: Magic

By: Stephen Lackey
Review Date: Thursday, October 18, 2007

Something that typically happens with a new series is that the more you watch it, the more you start to question possible plot issues. I’ve been complaining about the Andi/Sam stagnant relationship that could get boring after a while and this week, I’m wondering about the actual souls. Why is it that every escaped soul tends to try and settle down in Sam’s town? In another CW series, Supernatural, the heroes are forced to chase escaped demons all over the country (and man do they make those long trips in record time). It’s a minor quibble, but it’s something I think the writers need to answer at some point. Now, it might be cool if we learn later that the devil has humans working for him all over the country strategically located in various places in the country or even around the world. At any rate, this town is starting to feel a bit like Sunnydale.

I actually found this week’s soul a bit on the boring side. Sam, Sock, and Ben are given a dove from hell as a vessel to capture the soul of a magician from the 1920’s. The set up at the beginning of the episode is more fun than the actual demon. Sam wakes up to find that nearly everything he touches disappears. He loses his keys so he has to call a cab to get to work, he loses his wallet just when he has to pay the cabby, and more. The re-appearances of his missing items are hilarious. So, of course the disappearances and a dove end up being hints for them to find the magician. I have really mixed feelings about how they found him though. I liked the discussion between where Satan tells Sam that he’s “not Google” and that his employees down in hell are all white collar and they hate him. It’s funny and it defines a little better why Sam has to do so much research to find the identity of the demon each week. Now, what bothered me is that when Sam discovers that the magician they are looking for is featured in a documentary on DVD he also learns that there are two copies available in the Work Bench. Is it just me or is the Work Bench a play on Home Depot? Couldn’t they have just found the documentary on You Tube? At least they didn’t bust into Sock’s ex-girlfriend’s office again.

The interpersonal relationships between Satan, Sam, and Andi had more interesting screen time this week. First off, we get to see what happens when Sam ticks Satan off and it’s not pretty. Andi basically throws herself at Sam this week in the guise of a friendly overnight trip to a Flaming Lips concert. Predictably, in order to get the soul and save the day Sam has to commit to work and he can’t go to the concert. Andi seems really hurt over it, which the devil mentions is a pretty telling emotional response. Satan tells Sam at the end that he believes that Andi wants more from him than friendship. It’s an odd relationship that Satan and Sam have. Satan forces Sam to work for him with no breaks or vacations, but at the same time Satan often acts as a father figure to Sam giving him advice and helping him through his regular human problems. Satan does the best he can to help Sam because he needs Sam to be a happy and fairly well adjusted person in order to keep him alive as long as possible so he’ll continue to capture souls. If Sam is dead, he’s a soul and he can’t run around doing Satan’s work. If Sam ever realizes this, he’ll discover that he may not have any of Satan’s powers but he does have some leverage with him. It can get pretty amusing to see how Satan is trying to tell Sam something he needs to know or to get him to do something he needs to do via some unorthodox evil means.

As usual, the show was funny and Sock stole plenty of scenes throughout the episode. The creators do have some work to do though. The stories need to get a little more forward thinking. I was recently talking to someone about it and they mentioned that they hadn’t started watching it yet. I told my friend that he could start anytime because he hasn’t missed anything in the opening episodes that he won’t figure out in just a few minutes of the episode he starts with. The show is simple almost mindless fun for the geek set which isn’t a complaint. I do have to ask, how long can that simplicity last before it gets monotonous?

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Comments/Responses

bdd • Oct 18, 2007, 12:47am •

I love the show but I don't see it having staying power. A new soul week after week after week. I'm already getting tired of it. Will there be a bigger overall storyline besides the girlfriend? The show needs to add something if it wants future seasons.

miko34 • Oct 18, 2007, 02:20am •

I'd have to agree. This is a good show. It's up there with Supernatural but with more comedy. It does need something of an ongoing storyline. Shows like Supernatural, Lost, X-Files even non-genre shows like House and Monk have an ongoing storyline which is why they are/were a success. If Reaper continues to be like this, catch a demon with a new toy each week ... it'll end up like Sliders (though I'm surprised that lasted as long as it did).

It is good writing and acting, but I "fear" Reaper's longevity. However, it is still early. It's far better than Chuck (if I can even compare the two). Is anyone reviewing "Pushing Daisies" on here? That show is great.

bear90 • Oct 18, 2007, 03:18am •

"Brimstone" and "Dead Like Me"

metalwater • Oct 18, 2007, 06:17am •

#2 - miko34 [Oct 18 2007, 2:20 am CDT]
I'd have to agree. This is a good show. It's up there with Supernatural but with more comedy.

***************************

Supernatural is unwatchable!!! So if Reaper is as bad as that...Supernatural being used as the measuring stick for mediocrity, then count me out!!!

This is rather ironic...two hacks like McG and Kevin Smith...behind these two shows respectively--it just goes to show you, if you know the right people, they'll give you the keys to Hollywood every time, even when you don't them!!!

ponyboy76 • Oct 18, 2007, 08:41am •

This show does remind me a little bit of Dead Like Me, but for potheads. And I agree that they need some sort of specific storyline that gives the show more validity then just doing the Devil`s job of retrieving souls week after week.

I really tried to ignore metalmouth`s comments but they just piss me off. Then again, I really can`t be surprised that he dislikes Supernatural, which is one of the best underrated genre shows on tv. I am not a McG fan but he did get this show right. Kevin Smith, a hack? yeah, and I bet you pull the hottest chicks. Anyway, I don`t know what your def of a hack is but to my knowledge Kevin Smith has never exploited his creative ability for money. Now, McG is another story. It seems so popular to take shots at guys like Smith who do their own thing.

thorin02 • Oct 18, 2007, 11:03am •

David Wise as the Devil continues to be the stand-out element of the show. His ability to shift from ‘father-figure’ to outright evil is a joy to watch (and he’s clearly having fun with the part). Am I the only one who would love to see a spin-off series focusing on the Devil traveling around the world to his various ‘sub-contractors’ like Sam?

However I disagree with those who say there is no ongoing story arc to the show. They’ve clearly been setting at least two up from the pilot.

1 – Most obviously, the relationship between Andi and Sam. I think we all get that one. More important is:

2 – Sam’s relationship/obligation to the Devil. The Devil needs Sam. The question is why? Why not let Sam see the contract? Why did the parent’s contract turn to dust? Why is the Devil ‘helping’ Sam? Or more precisely, why is he TEMPTING Sam? Think about it guys. There has to be a reason the Devil is being ‘nice’ to Sam and ‘helping’ him while constantly pushing on the fact that Sam has no choice in his mission but denies him access to his contract. I’m thinking there’s a twist. Sam’s other friend did say it was odd that the parents could give away Sam’s soul. Maybe they couldn’t and Devil just wants Sam to think they did.

It seems the show is subtlety setting itself up to explore that issue.

PS – I love Kevin Smith, but he will openly admit that he has sold himself out for money at the drop of the hat on several occasions. He’s not stupid.

NotAFan • Oct 19, 2007, 02:04am •

Enough with Andi and Sam, will they or won't they crap. Too many shows rely on this formula. This type of thing should be resolved sometime in the first season of any show, or don't even bother doing it. After that it just starts to become ridiculous.

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