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A major step up from the recent missteps, tonight's episode of "Reaper" gave both Sam and his father a sense of purpose lacking throughout most of the season. The former is mad as hell, and the latter decides to go there.Not only is every girl crazy about a sharp dressed man, but apparently the Devil is as well. He teleports Sam early on for "What Not To Wear" type intervention in which he dresses him up in garb fit for a man set to hasten the apocalypse on earth. But Satan's not content to simply change Sam on the outside, but seeks to provide inner change as well through a little tutoring on the finer points of hell.
Enter Sally, object of the Devil's lustful attention, an escaped soul freed by Satan himself and placed in a "gilded cage" of a mansion on Earth. Sam's purpose is twofold: learn Evil 101 while also playing Cyrano to the Devil's Christian. Sam, meanwhile, is full of Twisted Sister and ain't gonna take it anymore. His big plan? To seduce Sally and learn the secrets lost when Alan went on a gambling bender thanks to the Devil's rerouting of his flight last week. Apparently, what happens in Vegas doesn't always stay there.
Sam's attempts to seduce her ultimately fail thanks to the Devil's constant intervention, but when Sam learns she's an escaped soul he's meant to send back (via a super sweet revolver vessel), he tries another tact: let her escape in exchange for information. However, even this is a trap, as the Devil sent Sam in only to be able to swoop in as her savior. Or, more accurately, "The Dark Lord of asses." Which is way cooler looking on a business card.
With the Devil yet again thwarting any attempts by Sam to free himself from his contract, he gets help from an unlikely place: his father. Mr. Oliver is perhaps Season 2's biggest missed opportunity, a man central to the show's mythology yet treated as a C-story sideshow freak for much of this year. So I am sure many of you share in my delight that he's back in the thick of things after volunteering to go to Hell and find Alan there. Not only is that storyline approximately 864 times more interesting than him sitting around sifting through online personals, but also offers a potential redemption arc for the man who put his innocent son in the situation he now faces.
Speaking of refreshing, tonight marked an episode full of that rarest of things: Sam and Andi being perpetually truthful with one another. Usually Sam hides Awful Thing A, or Andi represses Awful Feeling B, but tonight both chose Sane Thing C: continual and honest dialogue with each other. Doing so provided the two of their more believable moments in the show's history. Stripped of the usual histrionics and hellbeasts, what was left were two people simply trying to make a relationship work under trying circumstances. And that worked for me.
Other odds and sods...
- I know I'm supposed to care about Ben and Nina, but I just can't. Sorry, show. Why a demon wants to snog with a man who plays mix tapes from his mom is beyond me. I want Sock and Ben playing badminton in all sorts of wrong ways; I don't need either of them to have a love interest as a central narrative part of this show.
- A motorcycle is cool and all, but the fact that the Devil got Sam a pony damn near killed me with laughter.
- I don't know what Carrot Dippers are, and this French Fry lover wants it to stay that way.
- Sally lived on Belial Street, a name which has particular significance within the world of the show.
- What cellphone plan does Ted use? Because I'm pretty sure the Verizon guy isn't going, "Can you hear me now?" and getting an answer in hell.
- Why does the new Work Bench employee creep me out more than any demon to date?
- Quotes from this week: Satan: "I wanna see those thighs vibrating with pure aggression!" Sock: "Not weirdly close. How about awesomely committed?" Mr. Oliver: "I was your father once; let me be that again."
What did you think of tonight's episode: improvement or more of the same? Were you happy to see Mr. Oliver involved again? Is there anyone who wants MORE Ben/Nina? Leave your thoughts below!
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Where is Sam's mom?
I agree, I thought we'd see Sam's mom at some point this season. I realy hope this show gets renewed!
So Alan ended up back in Hell; that devil is so clever (foiled again). After last week's Nina and Ben break up, and with Nina vowing revenge (Hell hath no furry like a demon scorned), Ben should be a nervous wreck. I was kinda liking Ben & Nina as they reluctantly grew on me but wasn't on board with them initially. Didn't like the Sock & Kristen hooking up. Where is Sam's mom? It's not like she p***ed away or written out (officially). I would hazzard a guess we'll see her at some point before the season/series finale.
best show this season by far. They really screwed up in the beginning of this season focusing so much attention on Nina/Ben and Sock/stepsister storylines. The real story is with Sam's Zombie father and i really liked the fact that he's going to Hell for the ultimate redemption/sacrifice. The moment when Sam sends him to Hell was really effective and genuinely touching. They even made me buy into Sam seducing the hot teacher when i really didn't think it was possible. i can't remember how exactly to spell the guy's name but it starts with an Sz. he needs to be the new showrunner and head writer because he knows how to do this show.
this is one of the few shows i look forward to every week. tuesday is reaper and deadliest catch at the vaught house, but i have one question. in the first season, anytime they wanted to discuss plots to take out ol lucifer, they stepped in a circle. why does same tell everyone his plans wherever he is? you'd think he'd have figured out that the devil can hear/find him anywhere.
sam not same, my fingers are out of control.
I also though Sam sending Mr. Oliver to Hell was really well done. My big 'awwww' came when the next scene was Sam cuddling King Charlie for comfort.
Grant, may you already be possessed by the fingers of Satan? Heh.
I do agree with the circle thing, but did that even work? The devil knew about the rebels anyhow. Is there any protection from omniscience? (Ah, to feel the love of God... or the lust of the Devil.)
"...learn Evil 101 while also playing Cyrano to the Devil's Christian."
Ryan, did you read what you just wrote?
"What cellphone plan does Ted use? Because I'm pretty sure the Verizon guy isn't going, "Can you hear me now?" and getting an answer in hell."
Oh, I'm sure more than one person would want to see the Verizon Guy doing that...
just curious ,what is he beliveing the devil? maybe he is safe in rome,and the was just messing with sam?
This was absolutely a step in the right direction for Reaper. Writer/director Tom Spezialy did a good job balancing the emotional scenes with the comedy and light action.
The good:
- Plenty of Ray Wise. The show can do no wrong by focusing most of the episode of on Sam and the Devil with a little supporting work from the rest of the cast, the guest stars and the usual Work Bench hijinks.
- A break from the usual soul grab of the week.
- A resolution to both the Alan and Papa Oliver storylines. Whereas previous episodes would simply just drop a dangling plot thread (such as the 'where's Sam's mom and why hasn't Sam even mentioned her all season'), this episode gave us some real closure.
- Some good male bonding time for Sock and Ben. I agree with master recapper Ryan that the show works better sans the girlfriends; we get enough of that with Sam and Andi. Speaking of girlfriends, what ever happened to Josie, Sock's ex? Wasn't Josie and Andi fairly close friends?
- Ben's mom made a mix tape/CD for Ben that includes Cher's "Believe." Ha! That actually makes sense. Plus, it gave us the opportunity to see Ben and Sock grooving in the car while avoid Nina's tail jabs.
The bad:
- A missed opportunity for Papa Oliver to fess up about ripping out and burning pages from Sam's contract with the Devil. Since those pages referenced Sam's father, it would have been a nice way to wrap up that mystery or at least to advance the overarching plot to uncover or resolve who Sam's REAL father is.
- I thought Sock's mom and new dad had returned from their honeymoon/vacation? Did I miss something last week? How is it that Sam, Ben, Sock and Papa Oliver are all still hanging out at Sock's mother's house?
- Still M.I.A. from this season, Mrs. Oliver and Josie. I'm guessing both actresses, Allison Hossack (Mrs. Oliver) and Valarie Rae Miller (Josie) were not asked to return for this season.
- No Gladys (sigh).
The interesting...
- IMDB has listed the titles for the remaining four episodes for this season and they are:
2.10: My Brother's Reaper (May 5)
2.11: To Sprong, with Love (May 12)
2.12: Business Casualty (May 19)
2.13: The Devil and Sam Oliver (May 26)