Sow what you reap!
I don’t know how I managed to miss this for a couple of years now, but this is probably the best fan site for CWs Reaper.
It’s got a great photo section included what is probably one of the best pictures of sexy Tyler Labine.
Entries Tagged as 'Comedy'
Still Swinging that Scythe, Part II
Reaper
Yay! Season One of Reaper will be released on DVD on November 4th.
What Do You Get When…
… Grandpa Munster’s Grandpa marries Addicted To Surgery Barbie?
The McCains!
Is this the freakiest looking power couple or what?
Still Swinging that Scythe
The best news of the day is: Reaper has been renewed for a second season! Neither low ratings nor a months long writers’ strike could kill this delightful little gem. What started out as a harmless comedy about a bunch of slackers stuck forever as minimum wage minions of a home improvement chain dealing with a very peculiar twist, has subtly shifted into a much more sinister gear.
The first episode was delightful in setting the scene while the next three continued in an acceptable, if formulaic fashion. It wasn’t until “What About Blob?” that the incongruities of the mundane worker bee life against vs. the insane bounty hunter from hell life clash was sent to the background bringing focus to a more deeply ingrained and ancient plot. Sam managed to get a copy of his parents’ contract with the devil. His father offers to help him out with it, but the episode ends with him tearing out select pages of the interminable document and burning them. It’s our first indication that things are more than what they seem. Sam will need to do more than balance work with the devil’s trade and trying to bring his relationship with co-worker Andi to the next level. Eventually where we get to the point where Sam’s heritage is suspect. We’ll have to wait for next week’s finale to find out.
Besides the unique storylines, Reaper is one of the most perfectly cast shows on television these days. Sam is basically a good guy making the best of an impossible situation. Bret Harrison is cute and talented and plays the role well, but he’s the straight man of the comedy team. The Reaper world revolves around Sock. Tyler Labine looks like Wolverine’s younger, chubier brother and seems to be in it only for himself. But when you examine him closed (and how I long to do that!) he lives by an adendum to Murphy’s Law that states: “If a job isn’t worth doing at all it certainly isn’t worth doing well.” As a corollary when he thinks it is worth doing, he does give it his all. And, above all, he thinks his friends are worth it. Time and again Sock has put himself on the line to keep his friends intact and in his life. (There’s also the homoerotic element to his friendship with Sam. I can honestly say I’ve never woken up with my best friend tossing M&Ms into my mouth while I sleep.)
Reaper’s brightest sattelite is Ray Wise’s devil. Few actors have ever been able to exude cool like this guy. Even when he’s pissed off beyond belief, he’s got a level head and is in control. This is, perhaps, one of the greatest casting jobs in the history of television. Watch out for Gladys. The underrated Christine Wiles was born to play this part. Anyone who can go from Dead Like Me’s ultra perky Delores Herbig to the DMV demon drone has got chops to spare. The writers were smart to elevate her from background character to an independent force with her own agenda. She owes Sam big after the last episode. I hope something comes of this.
So next week is the finale and then Reaper returns as a thirteen episode mid-season replacement. It may actually do better when not run against network powerhouses like House MD. I certainly hope so.
Reap What You Sow
The extremely fun and more sophisticated than I thought it would be show, Reaper, may have more life in it than I originally expected. There may be up to five additional episodes beyond the original 13. There’s hope yet! In this case I’m glad I was probably wrong.
Reap what you sow
Have you caught the CW Network show Reaper yet? I’ve managed to watch the first three episodes (after the fact, the show conflicts with House and it can’t compete with Hugh Laurie) and it’s actually better than I expected. OK, I had very low expectations. The concept isn’t the most original but the cast seems fresh and the somewhat talented. Ray Wise is a typical suave villain and Bret Harrison is they typical twenty-something lead. There is something very atypical about it.
This comes in the form of Tyler Labine. (Anyone know how his last name is pronounced? Is it La-Bean or La-b-eye-n?) Labine’s Bert Wysocki is a friendly, harmless slacker with a sometimes quick wit and a fierce loyalty to his best friend. Labine’s appearance is very atypical of our overly image conscious society. He’s a bearded, scruffy and not exactly taught bear of a man, exemplified in the second episode when he (and the other two members of team Soul Retrieval) wear skin tight scuba suits. Some might think this an example of talent overcoming appearance, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. To me, he’s the sexiest thing on the show; a lovely friendly, witty bearcub. I first encountered Labine in the movie Antitrust. This second rate Hackers (it’s less exciting and well written, but the computing part is much more accurate) didn’t give him a showcase for his talents, but I look forward to his other work. In fact Invasion is in the Netflix queue.
I suspect that Reaper won’t last past the original thirteen episode order and that some of those may never be broadcast, but I can hope I’m wrong in this case.