***COMING SOON***
A NEW WEBSITE CALLED 'THE EXPOSITIONIST'
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MYSELF AND THE FORMER OPTIMIST
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***WARNING***
THE FOLLOWING POST MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS AND CONTRADICTIONS THEREFORE IT MAYBE UNSUITABLE FOR SOME FUCKS. LIKE ANAL.
***YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED***
Instead of going ahead and actually reviewing one of the latest cinematic disasterpieces, I have once again decided to delve deep into the underbelly of our magical pictorial boxes. Now I do understand that this move will once again upset the masses of undeserved reprobates that form my weekly viewing figures. If that is the case then please be directed to the top of this page where you will find my beautiful visage not once, nor twice, but three times thus solidifying that I am the most important thing about this blog and therefor also its target audience. So sit back, shut up and allow me to dispel my wonderful words of wiseness about a fantastical show that could have been one of the greatest TV shows in TV history, Reaper.
Reaper was a show about Sam, a human failure with a dead end job and no apparent skills what so ever. That is until his 21st birthday when Sam discovers that his parents have sold his soul to the devil. The Devil then puts Sam to work as a bounty hunter for hell, ordered with the task of retrieving hells escaped souls and returning them to the hell from whence they came.
I know, it sounds pretty shit, right? It really isn't.
Reaper is a dramedy, defined by wikipedia as a mixture of comedy and drama (which is presented in that order would make it a 'coma', but i guess that has other connotations). Reaper is mostly settled on the comedic side of this dynamic pairing, focusing on the bizarre and entirely unfair circumstances that Sam and his friends find themselves in. From the opening sequence of the Pilot to the closing moments of its final episode Reaper was a joy to bestow, making it even more crushing when the show got cancelled after its second season thanks to low ratings and a stupid network decision.
Reaper featured an ensemble cast of characters all of which were pitch perfect for this show. Sam was the everyman, a slacker with a dream and little hope of making it reality. Bret Harrison was a wise piece of casting for the role which he embodied perfectly. Play the straight man in a comedy is not an easy thing to pull off, but he does it well and still manages to make the character funny.
Sam's co worker and best friend is Sock, a man quiet happy with underachieving with a penchant for mockery and self preservation. Sock is the major comedic relief in the shows more dramatic moments. Its the typical sarcastic, best friend role but Tyler Labine takes it so much further. Its a character that could have gotten annoying, but Tyler's talent and timing forces the audience to love the character and sympathize with him, even when he's acting like a complete arse.
There's also Ben, Sam and Socks other workmate who often unwittingly gets involved in the exploits and often suffers as a result. I'm not quite sure what the writers were aiming for with Ben. He has very little to do plot wise and would have been my first choice when it came to trimming out characters. Luckily show creators Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters are way smarter than me and opted to keep him and cast Rick Gonzalez in the role. The character represents the more philosophical side of the show, something which Reaper has a ton to talk about. Gonzalez's character is something this show needed, he's funny, engaging and gets hurt, a lot, without getting in the way.
These three characters form the hero team that recapture the escaped souls on a weekly basis. The interplay between these characters is a major part in why Reaper was so enjoyable. Relationships would be pushed in all manor of dramatic directions but the comedic dialogue between them would always help ease the load and give you lovable characters to root for.
Another character to mention is Andi, the object of Sam's affections played by the rather pretty Missy Peregrym. She doesn't have much to do initially but by the shows untimely end she becomes a major player. Every show has to have a love interest and Andi is that in Reaper, but she grounds the show well and acts as the audiences representation throughout the show. It wouldn't work without her.
Finally one of the best characters in the show is Ted, the manager of 'The Work Bench', the place of work for the main characters. He's stupid, full of self importance and hilariously funny. Every scene with Ted is guaranteed to make you laugh and if it wasn't for one final major player he would probably steal the entire show.
Ray Wise plays the Devil, the shows antagonist and flat out most enjoyable character. Ray was perfect for this role. Instead of going down the usual route and playing Satan as a flat out evil being, Wise instead plays him like a car showroom exec/business man, which in the long run, makes the character more threatening. Wise has many of Reapers better lines, steals every scene he's in and takes the show from good to fantastic. Their is amazing subtlety to Wise's performance, he underplays everything and puts out one of my favorite television performances ever. The menace of the character is very much in the background, but its there just enough to make its presence felt throughout the shows entirety. His bullshit smile, sharp suites and very proper way of talking adds a ton of class to he proceedings and is by far the main reason anyone should see this show. Plus his first words are "Sam, I'm not a car jacker. I'm the Devil."
Story wise Reaper is both hilarious and gripping. Every show is well written and there is barely a dud episode to be found. The Pilot episode is, and always will be one of the best show pilots ever produced. Its funny all the way through, dispenses exposition without becoming tiresome and sets the perfect tone for the rest of Reapers run. The pilot was directed by Kevin Smith, a man who I hold a lot of love for. It has been well documented that Smith didn't really enjoy the experience of directing Reaper, dealing with TV studios and being very undervalued considering how large his contribution was to the show. He's hardly the worlds most talented director but he puts out some of his best work in this pilot. Reaper very much lives in the same world that Kevin Smith inhabits and he was the correct choice for a pilot director. He fingerprints and style are all over the show and he's a big part of what Reaper became. If your a fan of Kevin's work, you should enjoy Reaper.
Thematically Reaper is pretty deep. It deals with abandonment, self improvement and friendship while exploring religious themes and ideas in a very non preachy way. You never feel that Reaper is trying to turn you towards its way of thinking, but it still makes you think. Its a testament to the shows awesome writing that it can be this entertaining and seemingly simple while delivering such profound insights into its subject matter. Its an aspect of the show that I dug in a big bad way and while I expect many people wont even notice the ideas that Reaper is putting out, I'd encourage everyone to watch out for what it has to say.
Reaper wound up being cancelled after its second season and was cut way short. The show could easily have continued without struggling for a couple more years than it got to. However due to the CW going bust and syfy deciding not to take it over Reaper died way before its prime. Its was loved by critics and audiences alike and was going to be relatively huge, but instead it will spend its afterlife as a cult classic.
I love this show, I've seen the entire thing through at least four times and it has never gotten old. Its a prime example of how good television can be and at the same time how difficult it is to make a TV show succeed. TV networks are fucktards and clearly don't understand what they have. Instead of continuing long lost shows such as Lost, room should be made for shows like Reaper that could have brought something fresh to the world. It was a smart, funny, thinking persons show that was easy for anyone to watch and enjoy.
Like Reaper was trying to say, sometimes life will be unkind. It will sometimes seem like everything is unfair and that everything is stacked against you. But be thankful for what you have and take regular stock of what goodness surrounds you. I'm glad that Reaper existed and feel privileged to have watched it. And you should too.
Reaper gets...
Reaper was a show about Sam, a human failure with a dead end job and no apparent skills what so ever. That is until his 21st birthday when Sam discovers that his parents have sold his soul to the devil. The Devil then puts Sam to work as a bounty hunter for hell, ordered with the task of retrieving hells escaped souls and returning them to the hell from whence they came.
I know, it sounds pretty shit, right? It really isn't.
Reaper is a dramedy, defined by wikipedia as a mixture of comedy and drama (which is presented in that order would make it a 'coma', but i guess that has other connotations). Reaper is mostly settled on the comedic side of this dynamic pairing, focusing on the bizarre and entirely unfair circumstances that Sam and his friends find themselves in. From the opening sequence of the Pilot to the closing moments of its final episode Reaper was a joy to bestow, making it even more crushing when the show got cancelled after its second season thanks to low ratings and a stupid network decision.
Reaper featured an ensemble cast of characters all of which were pitch perfect for this show. Sam was the everyman, a slacker with a dream and little hope of making it reality. Bret Harrison was a wise piece of casting for the role which he embodied perfectly. Play the straight man in a comedy is not an easy thing to pull off, but he does it well and still manages to make the character funny.
Sam's co worker and best friend is Sock, a man quiet happy with underachieving with a penchant for mockery and self preservation. Sock is the major comedic relief in the shows more dramatic moments. Its the typical sarcastic, best friend role but Tyler Labine takes it so much further. Its a character that could have gotten annoying, but Tyler's talent and timing forces the audience to love the character and sympathize with him, even when he's acting like a complete arse.
There's also Ben, Sam and Socks other workmate who often unwittingly gets involved in the exploits and often suffers as a result. I'm not quite sure what the writers were aiming for with Ben. He has very little to do plot wise and would have been my first choice when it came to trimming out characters. Luckily show creators Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters are way smarter than me and opted to keep him and cast Rick Gonzalez in the role. The character represents the more philosophical side of the show, something which Reaper has a ton to talk about. Gonzalez's character is something this show needed, he's funny, engaging and gets hurt, a lot, without getting in the way.
These three characters form the hero team that recapture the escaped souls on a weekly basis. The interplay between these characters is a major part in why Reaper was so enjoyable. Relationships would be pushed in all manor of dramatic directions but the comedic dialogue between them would always help ease the load and give you lovable characters to root for.
Another character to mention is Andi, the object of Sam's affections played by the rather pretty Missy Peregrym. She doesn't have much to do initially but by the shows untimely end she becomes a major player. Every show has to have a love interest and Andi is that in Reaper, but she grounds the show well and acts as the audiences representation throughout the show. It wouldn't work without her.
Finally one of the best characters in the show is Ted, the manager of 'The Work Bench', the place of work for the main characters. He's stupid, full of self importance and hilariously funny. Every scene with Ted is guaranteed to make you laugh and if it wasn't for one final major player he would probably steal the entire show.
Ray Wise plays the Devil, the shows antagonist and flat out most enjoyable character. Ray was perfect for this role. Instead of going down the usual route and playing Satan as a flat out evil being, Wise instead plays him like a car showroom exec/business man, which in the long run, makes the character more threatening. Wise has many of Reapers better lines, steals every scene he's in and takes the show from good to fantastic. Their is amazing subtlety to Wise's performance, he underplays everything and puts out one of my favorite television performances ever. The menace of the character is very much in the background, but its there just enough to make its presence felt throughout the shows entirety. His bullshit smile, sharp suites and very proper way of talking adds a ton of class to he proceedings and is by far the main reason anyone should see this show. Plus his first words are "Sam, I'm not a car jacker. I'm the Devil."
Story wise Reaper is both hilarious and gripping. Every show is well written and there is barely a dud episode to be found. The Pilot episode is, and always will be one of the best show pilots ever produced. Its funny all the way through, dispenses exposition without becoming tiresome and sets the perfect tone for the rest of Reapers run. The pilot was directed by Kevin Smith, a man who I hold a lot of love for. It has been well documented that Smith didn't really enjoy the experience of directing Reaper, dealing with TV studios and being very undervalued considering how large his contribution was to the show. He's hardly the worlds most talented director but he puts out some of his best work in this pilot. Reaper very much lives in the same world that Kevin Smith inhabits and he was the correct choice for a pilot director. He fingerprints and style are all over the show and he's a big part of what Reaper became. If your a fan of Kevin's work, you should enjoy Reaper.
Thematically Reaper is pretty deep. It deals with abandonment, self improvement and friendship while exploring religious themes and ideas in a very non preachy way. You never feel that Reaper is trying to turn you towards its way of thinking, but it still makes you think. Its a testament to the shows awesome writing that it can be this entertaining and seemingly simple while delivering such profound insights into its subject matter. Its an aspect of the show that I dug in a big bad way and while I expect many people wont even notice the ideas that Reaper is putting out, I'd encourage everyone to watch out for what it has to say.
Reaper wound up being cancelled after its second season and was cut way short. The show could easily have continued without struggling for a couple more years than it got to. However due to the CW going bust and syfy deciding not to take it over Reaper died way before its prime. Its was loved by critics and audiences alike and was going to be relatively huge, but instead it will spend its afterlife as a cult classic.
I love this show, I've seen the entire thing through at least four times and it has never gotten old. Its a prime example of how good television can be and at the same time how difficult it is to make a TV show succeed. TV networks are fucktards and clearly don't understand what they have. Instead of continuing long lost shows such as Lost, room should be made for shows like Reaper that could have brought something fresh to the world. It was a smart, funny, thinking persons show that was easy for anyone to watch and enjoy.
Like Reaper was trying to say, sometimes life will be unkind. It will sometimes seem like everything is unfair and that everything is stacked against you. But be thankful for what you have and take regular stock of what goodness surrounds you. I'm glad that Reaper existed and feel privileged to have watched it. And you should too.
Reaper gets...
5 out of 5
The ongoing look into our television world will continue with a look into the sexy world of Joss Whedon, British contributions and the shows that currently inhabit my wonderful world. I promise next time the ending wont be so, gay.
That was beautiful man.
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