October 16, 2007
Reaper keeps on keepin' on. I've thoroughly enjoyed every episode so far, and tonight was no exception. Ray Wise got to stretch his legs as The Devil tonight, actually playing a major part in the action, unlike previous episodes. My biggest complaint with Reaper is that the Andi/Sam relationship keeps spinning its wheels. How long can they really keep these two apart? The problem is that they came into the show as best friends. There was already sexual tension. The relationship can't grow anymore in its current form. The will they/won't they route just isn't going to work much longer. They either need to hook up or one of them has to find a significant other. End of story. But, anyways, who feels like a recap?
October 12, 2007
I am loving Reaper. After three episodes, nothing has even hinted at a downturn in quality from its great pilot. I've said it before, but Reaper has definite Buffy the Vampire Slayer potential. It's a weird genre, action/sci-fi/comedy. It's exceedingly difficult to pull off. The most important aspect of making that genre work is establishing the right tone. The main characters have to be funny, enjoyable to watch, but they also have to be three-dimensional, there has to be an emotional investment, and we have to legitimately fear for them when facing evil. It can't feel like a cartoon, but the show has to also deliver the funny consistently, a feat which Reaper has pulled off with ease in its first few episodes. So, the reviews have been great for Reaper, the show has been just as good as the pilot in its second two episodes, and CW has marketed it to the best of their ability. Why, then, are the ratings so mediocre?
October 9, 2007
Reaper works and I'm loving it. Each episode thus far has been genuinely funny and provided some intriguing action to go along with it. It truly has the potential to be a new Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The character of Sock is funny from beginning to end in tonight's episode, "All Mine", which is about an escaped soul who uses bugs to kill random women. Sam and Andi continue to dance around what will certainly be a complicated relationship for the entirety of the Reaper's existence. We also learn that Soc kand Josie had a nickname for Sock's privates and that Sam's boss is a recovering shoe addict.
October 5, 2007
One of the things that makes for a better viewing experience when taking in a show or a movie about hellish personalities is a character that's both unmistakably so bad yet so painfully irresistible. Think Michael Fassbender's Azazeal on BBC's Hex or Viggo Mortensen's little known turn as the first fallen angel himself, Lucifer, on the big screen vehicle, The Prophecy. There too, is Julian McMahon's pre-Nip/Tuck stint as Cole Turner on Charmed and his namesake, Julian Sands as the self-serving male witch in the Warlock films.
Though not as devilishly handsome as the above, Ray Wise as the devil boss himself on The CW's brand-new Reaper is arguably just as disarming with his trademark self-assured, wry smile and big, penetrating eyes. The 60-year old acting veteran spoke about landing the pivotal role of hell's main man on Reaper.
October 2, 2007
Reaper was one of the three or four best pilots of this fall season. There was a lot of love doled out by critics for the pilot, directed by Kevin Smith, and I was no exception. When it comes to the second episode of a new series, you always have to be wary. If the quality remains high, then you know the show might be on to something. Tonight's sophomore effort from Reaper wasn't near as good as the pilot, but it did leave me believing in its potential, and it was a fun hour of TV.
September 27, 2007
The CW's Reaper premiered on Tuesday, September 25, and so far, the show has been getting rave reviews. Bret Harrison, previously seen in the FOX comedy, The Loop, plays the lead role of Sam, and show producers only have good things to say about the actor.
"[Reaper is] really the next logical step in Bret's career -- he can draw on his comic timing and his dramatic abilities at the same time,” supervising producer Jeff Vlaming told The Oregonian.
September 25, 2007
Reaper makes its network debut tonight amid a nice bit of hype. The show is deserving of the critical accolades it's received recently, and it'd be nice for The CW to find a new hit show. Reaper is of the same ilk as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, thematically Whedon-esque, a mix of humor, sci-fi and action. The pilot was directed by cult filmmaker Kevin Smith from a script written by co-creators Michelle Fazekas and Tara Butters. Reaper is a high-concept show, yet the pilot does a great job setting up the stakes with painless exposition amidst legitimately funny, three dimensional characters. Reaper is worth your time.
September 21, 2007
The CW enters its second year of existence with much promise and potential. Coming out of the gates last year, the network had very few new shows, and its line up mostly consisted of series leftover from the merge of the WB and UPN. Now, with a bevy of new programming, optimism at network television's redheaded step-child is at an all-time high and might be ready to compete with the big boys. The two best new series The CW has to offer are Reaper and Gossip Girl. Reaper is a sci-fi comedy that may remind viewers of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, while Gossip Girl is a Josh Schwartz produced teen drama set in the swanky Upper East Side of Manhattan. Though both show's should and will be judged on their own merits, they remind of two shows that elevated the FOX network out of the same network doldrums in which the CW currently resides.