Reaper (TV series)

Infobox Television
show_name = Reaper


caption = "Reaper" title card
format = Comedy-drama
Fantasy
camera =
picture_format = 1080i (HDTV)
runtime = 40 - 42 min
creator = Michele Fazekas
Tara Butters
developer =
executive_producer =
starring = Bret Harrison
Tyler Labine
Missy Peregrym
Ray Wise
Rick Gonzalez
Valarie Rae Miller
Andrew Airlie
narrated =
theme_music_composer =
opentheme =
endtheme =
country = USA
network = The CW
first_aired = September 25, 2007
last_aired = present
num_seasons = 2
num_episodes = 18
location = Vancouver, BC
list_episodes = List of Reaper episodes
website = http://www.cwtv.com/thecw/reaper
imdb_id = 0955322
tv_com_id = 68745

"Reaper" is an American television comedy-drama created by Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas, who also serve as executive producers alongside Mark Gordon, Deborah Spera, and Tom Spezialy.

Kevin Smith directed the pilot and is credited as a creative consultant for the series.cite web|title = Reaper|publisher = The Futon Critic|accessdate = 2007-06-25|url = http://www.thefutoncritic.com/showatch.aspx?id=reaper]

History

Produced by ABC Television Studios and The Mark Gordon Company, "Reaper" premiered on September 25, 2007 in the U.S., airing on Tuesday nights at 8:00/7:00c on The CW, following "Beauty and the Geek". ["THE CW KICKS OFF ITS SECOND SEASON WITH SIX NEW SERIES" at the [http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20070517cw01 The Futon Critic] ; last accessed June 4, 2007] The series had a full 18 episode order for the 2007-2008 season, with 13 pre-strike episodes and 5 post-strike episodes. [ [http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Wga-Strike-Favorite/800032698 After the WGA Strike: When Will Your Favorite TV Shows Return? - Ausiello Report | TVGuide.com] ]

"Reaper" stopped airing new episodes after the tenth episode due to the industry-wide Writers Guild of America strike. It resumed new pre-strike episodes for three weeks on Thursdays in March, and began airing post-strike episodes on April 22. "Reaper" now airs on Tuesdays 9/8c after "Beauty and the Geek".

On May 12 2008, "Reaper" was officially renewed for a 13-episode second season. [ [http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Ausiello-Scoop-Reaper/800039400 Ausiello Scoop: Reaper renewed for another season - Ausiello Report | TVGuide.com ] ]

Premise

Sam Oliver (Bret Harrison) lives at home with his parents (Andrew Airlie and Allison Hossack) and brother in the Seattle area. He has always wondered why his mom and dad were so easy on him, whether it was sports, school, or career choices, and so hard on his younger brother. Sam dropped out of college ("It made him sleepy", Sock explains) and takes a dead-end job at the Work Bench, a home-repair superstore similar to Home Depot (the pilot was filmed at a Canadian Tire in Burnaby, British Columbia). He spends the rest of his time hanging out, playing video games, and pining for his co-worker, Andi (Missy Peregrym).

On Sam's 21st birthday, his parents are behaving very strangely, and Sam himself is seeing hellish visions and experiencing odd events. His father eventually explains that many years ago, he was very sick, and in return for restoring his health, he and his wife promised their firstborn child to the Devil (Ray Wise). Although the couple intended to cheat the Devil by having no children, this plan went awry when Satan convinced their doctor to lie and tell the couple that they could not conceive in exchange for wiping his gambling debts clean. Sam is born shortly thereafter.

After informing him of his fate, the Devil explains to Sam that he must serve as his bounty hunter (or "Reaper"), tracking down souls that have escaped from Hell and sending them back using his new powers (which have included telekinesis and electrical powers) and vessels, varied objects said to have been hand-made in the bowels of perdition by the iniquitous and the vile. Vessels appear inside a long wooden box sent for Sam to open (with the Italian inscription "Lasciate ogni speranza, voi ch'entrate" ("Abandon all hope, ye who enter here"), as was written on the entrance to Hell in Dante's Inferno), and are specially designed for each job. Examples throughout the series have included a Dirt Devil vacuum cleaner, a Taser gun, and a cigarette lighter.

Although Sam initially balks, Satan tells him that should he refuse, then Sam's mother's soul is forfeit. Unwilling to sacrifice his mother, and convinced that he is doing good in the world by tracking down evil souls, Sam accepts his fate. With the help of his slacker friends Sock (Tyler Labine) and Ben (Rick Gonzalez), he begins his new life tracking down the corrupted souls trying to escape their own eternal rewards.

Cast

Principal characters

am Oliver

The protagonist of the show, Sam Oliver (played by Bret Harrison) is a college dropout and all-around slacker who, thanks to a deal made by his parents before he was born, becomes a bounty hunter for the Devil when he turns 21. He has a crush on his co-worker Andi, which appears to be reciprocated.

Upon learning of his infernal debt, Sam initially thought that he was instantly doomed to be dragged down to Hell, only to be informed by the Devil that he is required to function as a bounty hunter for Hell - for the rest of his life. He now collects souls for the Devil using various vessels (which vary by episode), with the assistance of his best friends Sock and Ben. A quitter by nature, Sam's morality was immediately pressed when he realized that if he didn't go along with his part of the bargain, more and more people would be hurt because he failed to capture the escaped souls.

Sam is also given various powers to capture each soul, but these are often as much a hindrance as a help. In the Season 1 finale, it is revealed that at least one of these abilities was retained from when Sam inadvertently used telekinesis trying to save a large heavy box falling onto Andi's head on the pilot episode, by preventing a washing machine from falling onto himself in the last episode. Whether or not he is able to use any of the other powers he gained in the first season is yet to be revealed.

At the end of season 1, the demon Tony tells Sam that he believes Sam's parents were paid by the Devil to carry his (the Devil's) baby, though Sam's mother denied this, and the Devil admits that he would probably not answer Sam honestly if asked about it.

Bert "Sock" Wysocki

The lowest-performing salesman at the WorkBench, Bert "Sock" Wysocki (played by Tyler Labine) spends most of his time sleeping in the stock shelves, planning his topless home supply store, and other time-wasting activities. Fortunately, he is braver and more athletic than his slacker persona suggests. Sock assists Sam with collecting souls.

Benjamin "Benji" Gonzalez

One of Sam and Sock's co-workers and friends, Benjamin Gonzalez (played by Rick Gonzalez) knows Sam is working for Satan and helps him out. He seems to have a tendency to get hurt when assisting Sam in capturing escaped souls, though this tendency diminished as the series progressed, partly because he doesn't go soul-hunting along with Sam as extensively as Sock does. Benji was initially seen as the brains of the trio as he is usually the one responsible for coming up with tactics and strategies in aiding Sam capture escaped souls, and is not above recommending and taking advantage of The Work Bench's merchandise as make-shift hunting gear whenever the three conduct a hunt; he initially sought training as a priest and has an extensive knowledge of the Bible, and often raises theological questions about the nature of their missions and the Devil's involvement.

Benji appears far less competent when he agrees to a green card marriage with his British co-worker Sara. He had just given up on his search for the perfect girl, who happens to be independently wealthy, enjoys mixed martial arts, and reads Sue Grafton novels. Once married, Benji immediately meets Cassidy while chasing a soul, and she fits every criteria for his perfect girl. Sara, far crueler and more shrewd than she initially lets on, forbids Benji to see Cassidy, though she has no qualms about her own extramarital affairs that she keeps secret from Ben. Benji is eventually able to negotiate a compromise with Sara after discovering she is pregnant with her married boyfriend Esteban's child.

When Benji's sham marriage is discovered by an INS agent, he is told he is going to jail. He gets money together to pay a fine in lieu of jail time, but Sara tricks him into giving her the money so that she can go on the lam. At the end of the episode "The Leak", Cassidy drives Benji to jail, telling Sock "When this is all over, my boyfriend will no longer be married." Early in the next episode, "Cancun," Benji arrives at the Work Bench disappointed that his friends forgot to pick him up after serving his eight-day sentence.

Andi Prendergast

Andi Prendergast (played by Missy Peregrym) is Sam's co-worker and current girlfriend. Initially unaware of Sam's Reaper duties, she is let down multiple times when Sam is called away from dates to capture souls. Chancing to see him on duty, Andi watches Sam behead an escaped soul from a distance, and initially threatens to go to the police. Sam is warned by the Devil to ensure she remains unaware of his activities, but eventually he receives permission to let her know what he does. With help from Sam's neighbor (and demon) Tony, as well as from the escaped soul at the time, Sam convinces Andi of his "job". Andi reacts poorly, but eventually accepts Sam's fate and becomes his third assistant in hunting souls, though her assistance seems more focused on research rather than actual confrontation.

Andi is one of two people who have literally captured a soul for Sam (the other is Sock) - she captured the multiplying soul in Episode 15 with Sam's scythe vessel.

The Devil

Smooth-talking and debonair, known as "Jerry Belvedere" to those who have no idea of his true identity, the Devil (played by Ray Wise) claims the rights to Sam's soul thanks to a deal he made with Sam's parents before Sam was even born. Although he knows how it all ends ("God wins"), he is determined to do as much as he can to oppose God until the end. He also convinces Sam that he (Sam) is doing good by clearing the world of the escaped evil souls.

While firm at times, the Devil has never expressed outright anger, in spite of Sam's frequent complaints and meddling; however, when Sam cheated him out of a deal with another human, he caused all of the surrounding racks in the Work Bench to collapse on Sam out of "disappointment."

The Devil has nearly omnipotent supernatural powers, and often teleports an unsuspecting Sam to locations that serve to exemplify whatever subject he wishes to speak with Sam about. He also has a habit of providing Sam "motivation" in catching escaped souls, usually by informing him that someone just died (or about to die) due mainly to Sam's inaction - a habit which generally gets acceptable results; this habit became less displayed in later episodes, however, as Sam is beginning to "adjust" into his infernal fate.

The Devil is nigh-indestructible, as demonstrated when he takes multiple blows with a baseball bat by Sam, and scoffs at the idea that he could be contained within a Solomon's cage (which can confine most demons). He is also super-strong, having tricked and placed Sam in a painful arm-hold to interrogate him. However, the Devil can be affected by angelic relics, as he can be killed by the Sword of the Archangel Michael (which he has in safekeeping), and can be "destroyed" when the whole world turns to pacifism (as Sam deduced after the Devil's near-annihilation of a demon rebellion, as then the Devil couldn't tempt others with sin and will cease to exist - although the Devil notes that all humanity presenting complete pacifism would be nearly impossible.) In addition, the Devil cannot see, hear, or appear within curves or circles, although he can be summoned within a circle. He holds no influence over true love, which may be attributed to his belief that humans are incapable of experiencing it.

The Devil loves ice cream, but cannot eat it, as it melts as soon as he touches it. This doesn't happen on his own volition, but was apparently a curse given upon him by God shortly before he was cast out of Heaven, knowing how much he loves ice cream.

The Devil hints or implies many times during the first season that Sam might be in fact his son.

upporting characters

* Josie Miller (played by Valarie Rae Miller) - Sock's ex-girlfriend who works at the district attorney's office. Despite her obvious dislike for Sock, Josie remains friendly with Sam and agrees to provide information that helps him track down different souls (though she doesn't know he works for the Devil). However, after Sock used a share of stolen bank loot to buy duplicates of all the stuff lost in a fire at her apartment (which he inadvertently caused), she begins to suspect that something isn't quite on the "up-and-up" with the boys, and is even more suspicious and upset when her lost I.D. is used to access the city morgue. Toward the end of Season One, Josie got back together (and subsequently broke up) with Sock, due to his insecurity and his apathetic nature, respectively.
* Mr. Oliver (played by Andrew Airlie) - Sam's ambiguous father. Though equally distressed by his son's predicament as his wife, he, in effect, works against Sam for the protection of his family. In one episode, Mr. Oliver is seen burning a page from the contract which binds Sam to the devil, apparently because he wants to hide information from Sam (which admits to in the season finale). It has recently been implied that not only may he not be Sam's father, but that he possesses some degree of supernatural power; it is not known whether or not it had something to do with the "cure" the Devil provided him more than 21 years ago prior to the deal he made involving the then-unborn Sam at that time (as to the fact that he survived being buried alive).
* Mrs. Oliver (played by Allison Hossack) - Sam's guilt-ridden mother. Initially led to believe that Sam refused to do the Devil's work, she now accepts her son's fate, and actively supports him in his everyday life. According to the Devil, her soul is on the line if Sam should decide to quit his "job" as a Reaper.
* Tony (played by Ken Marino) - Sam's former neighbor, a demon and Steve's "widow". Tony was a leader of the anti-Devil rebellion, and was often seen plotting (or setting plots into motion) against the Devil. He often helps Sam and his friends in their quest to capture escaped souls. As of the first season finale, his whereabouts are unknown. It is Tony who tells Sam that he is the son of the Devil.
* Steve (played by Michael Ian Black) - A deceased former neighbor of Sam, also a demon, and Tony's "ex"-husband. Prior to his death, Steve was an active part of the rebellion against the Devil. He chose the more passive path of rebellion over Tony's aggressive route, but still stood by him regardless. It is revealed in the first season finale that Steve is still "alive", and is now an angel (again).
* Gladys (played by Christine Willes) - A demon who used to work at a DMV office, which actually houses a portal to Hell. Gladys collected the filled vessels from Sam and sent them back to Hell. In "The Leak," when it was revealed that Gladys was the one repeatedly freeing home-wrecking soul Mike Volta from his vessel, the Devil "transferred" her to the "main office." She was later released at Sam's request, although it is unknown if she resumed her job at the DMV.
* Ted (played by Donavon Stinson) - The Work Bench's pompous, imperious manager (and recovering gambling addict) who gives his employees, especially Sam, Andi, Ben and Sock, a hard time. His character has appeared in all of the episodes up to "Rebellion", except "Love, Bullets and Blacktop", "Ashes to Ashes" and "Hungry for Fame."
* Cady Hansen (played by Jessica Stroup) - Sam's ex-girlfriend, and possible daughter of the Devil. Cady is the daughter of Mimi, the Devil's ex-girlfriend, but her true father is unknown. Although Sam is initially attracted to her, he suspects that she may be the Devil's daughter (a suspicion seemingly put to rest by Sock and Ben in "Cash Out"). Despite his general calm to the situation, Sam's suspicions re-surface later on, due to her reportedly strange behavior around Andi and the manifestation of strange phenomena around her, such as breaking glass spurred by a kiss, and flowers wilting and dying several moments after she has touched them. At the end of "Unseen", Cady, upset by the fact that Sam still has been distant and in her eyes deceitful, goes to New Mexico to stay with her mother and sort things out.

Minor characters

* Kyle Oliver (played by Kyle Switzer) - Sam's younger brother. Much pressure has been put on him by his parents to be successful in life, which he considers unfair compared to them letting Sam slide. Kyle is the one member of the family unaware of Sam's debt to the Devil, and does not realize how lucky he was to be born second. He has only appeared in the pilot episode and "Charged" to date.
* Russ (played by Curtis Armstrong) - An unpleasant employee at the Work Bench, still caught up in the culture of the 70s - when he was the boys' age - and obsessed with drugs, old cars, and entertainment.
* Mimi Hansen (played by Melinda Clarke) - The Devil's ex-girlfriend. She was involved with "Jerry" on and off for 20 years, until Sam convinced her to break it off. Mimi left Seattle and moved to New Mexico. Shortly thereafter, Sam began dating her daughter, Cady.
* Ryan Milner (played by Jamie Kennedy) - An awful musician who almost sells his soul to the Devil for fame and fortune. Although Sam tries to warn him that he will be damned by making a deal with the Devil, Ryan does not care. He lost his wife, home, and friends to follow his dream. ("I'll worry about my soul when I'm dead," he says to Sam.) A plan to scare Ryan straight using a cannibalistic soul backfires when his hand is bitten off, but this does end his career and prevent him from signing away his soul.
* Mrs. Wysocki (played by Marilyn Norry) - Sock's mom. She went unseen until "Hungry for Fame," when she returned from Las Vegas and announced she had married an Asian cowboy named Morris. Angry that his mother had married without his blessing, Sock ran away from home; when he finally returned, his mother kicked him out of the house, prompting him, Sam, and Ben to move in together.
* Greg (played by Colby Johannson) - Andi's college boyfriend. He initially comes across as caring and sympathetic toward her needs, but it becomes clear that he knows very little about her and is more concerned about himself and his feelings. Greg and Sam end up fighting in "The Cop", and Andi breaks up with him. Broken-hearted, Greg sold his soul to the Devil, and returned (in "Greg, Shmeg") with a newfound influence over Andi. Unfortunately, as a result of his deal with the Devil, his id began physically manifesting itself as a chainsaw-wielding maniac that materializes from his body every time he got angry. Greg eventually realized that no matter what deal he made, Andi would never love him, as the Devil cannot influence true love. Sam used his "Get Out of Hell Free" card to undo Greg's deal.
* Sara (played by Lucy Davis) - Ben's ex-wife, a British national formerly employed at the Work Bench. In "Coming to Grips," after Ben gives up on finding his perfect girl, he agrees to a green card wedding with Sara in exchange for $1600. Ben eventually meets his perfect girl, Cassidy, later on while chasing a soul, but Sara expects him to live up to their deal and refuses to let him go out with Cassidy. When Ben threatens to report her to immigration, Sara counters by threatening to report him for extorting money from her. Ben considers just giving her the money back, until he discovers that Sock spent it on tickets to the Blue Collar Comedy Tour. In addition to being married to Ben, Sara is also involved with a married Cirque du Soleil performer named Esteban. When Sara reveals she's pregnant with Esteban's child, Ben has the bargaining chip he needs, and Sara eventually lets him date Cassidy. After an immigration officer discovers their ruse, Sara convinces Ben to give her $2000 to help bribe the officer; in actuality, she takes the money and goes on the lam.
* Cassidy (played by Kandyse McClure) - Ben's girlfriend. She is a nurse at St. Vincent's Hospital who practices jiujitsu and enjoys Sue Grafton novels. Cassidy and Ben met in the maternity ward of St. Vincent's in "Coming to Grips" when Ben was pursuing prolific soul Jack King. After a string of dates in the hospital cafeteria, Cassidy began to ask questions, specifically about Ben's wedding ring; it was at that point that Ben came clean about his green card marriage to Sara. The three of them came to an understanding, although Cassidy would still get a little excited about being Ben's "mistress." When Immigration busted Ben and Sara, Cassidy was the one who took Ben to jail, excited at the prospect that he would be single again when he got out.
* Dennis (played by Jeff Kober) - A demon friend of Gladys who works out of a public storage facility (which, as Gladys informs our trio of heroes, is also a portal to Hell). Like Gladys, Dennis uses his hair to conceal his horns. He makes his living obtaining that which is hard-to-find, so when Sam is being pursued by what he believes is a soul (but is later revealed to be Greg's id) with no help or vessel from the Devil, Gladys takes the boys to Dennis to see about getting a vessel. Dennis initially refuses, claiming he wants to stay off the Devil's radar, but he eventually complies after Gladys explains that Sam's parents sold his soul. The vessel that Dennis provides, a Nerf gun, is more powerful than other vessels, as it will send anything to Hell, escaped soul or otherwise. This vessel was used on Greg's id, but missed its target and failed.
* Spike the Hellhound - A little dog with a big temper. The first denizen of Hell that Sam encountered, Spike initially seemed like little more than an annoyance...until Sock intentionally and maliciously hit him with Sam's car door, prompting Spike to gather a group of dogs much larger and angrier than he to attack our heroes. Sam eventually endears himself to Spike and his friends by sharing some victory ham with them. In "Leon," Spike returned to help Sam capture Barney "The Butcher of Ballard" Kirkwood (Spike was a member of his torture team in Hell). Like the demons, Spike assumes a friendlier form when dealing with humans; his true form has yet to be seen in full, but, judging by its shadow, it's very large and very nasty.

Demons

Demons, in the "Reaper" universe, are portrayed as seemingly neutral and non-aggressive (so far) entities who are either in the direct service of the Devil or plotting to overthrow his rule. It was stated that all demons were once angels who "fell" out of their place after joining up with the Devil's attempt to overthrow God and got banished along with him from Heaven.

Demons residing within the mortal realm exhibit the ability to assume near-human forms that enable them to live along with real humans, with the only thing distinguishing them from actual mortals (besides their immortality) are two small horns protruding from their foreheads; they are also capable of morphing into their true demonic forms, as displayed by Tony, which seem to grant an incredible boost of physical power in the process, and flight to those with wings. They are immune to mortal weapons in either form. Types of Demons include standard demons and succubi.

Reapers

'Reapers' are beings tasked by the Devil to apprehend souls that have escaped the depths of Hell. Sam became one in the premiere episode of the series. The word was first used in the episode "Acid Queen", which implies that there may be others like him with a similar obligation (or predicament). Currently, it is not exactly known how many Reapers there are, or if all of them are even human. Sam does not like this status but begins to live with this fate, though shows no surprise towards its utterance. It is made clear by the demon Steve that Sam is perhaps the only person on Earth that the Devil talks with face-to-face, which raises suspicion amongst Sam and his friends.

Escaped souls

These are literally fugitives from Hell whom the Devil has entrusted Sam to recapture. All of them were once mortals who committed various crimes or sold their souls that ultimately led to their damnation. When they come back to Earth, they are intent on finishing the jobs that they started.

After escaping Hell and returning to the earthly realm, not only do they regain a corporeal body with which to interact with the living world once again, but they also exhibit supernatural powers that often reflect the nature of their crimes or punishments. For example, an arsonist imprisoned in Hell for 50 years being tortured by being burnt everyday came back with pyrokinetic powers and could take on the appearance of a humanoid creature made of molten rock. Leon Czolgosz, the assassin of William McKinley, gained the ability to turn his hands into guns. Not all souls come back to Earth with a corporeal body, as seen in "Ashes to Ashes," where the soul came back as a spirit since his body was destroyed.

Vessels

Because the souls that Sam is sent to apprehend have already died once (along with the fact that they have various paranormal abilities), an attempt to capture or even kill them by a mere mortal could prove almost impossible. To this end, vessels play a crucial role in capturing these said entities. They are usually sent for Sam to open in a wooden box which varies in shape per episode, sometimes inappropriate for the vessel they hold (i.e. a large box contained a Zippo lighter vessel). All vessels are unique because each of them is intended to capture the escaped soul for whom they were created and intended to confine. The vessel could even be a living thing (e.g. a live dove).

Vessels often have the appearance of seemingly ordinary day-to-day accessories, and can easily be mistaken for such. Interestingly, most escaped souls shown in the series seem to be aware whenever a vessel is brought to their presence, especially if that particular vessel is the one intended for their capture, thus alerting them of potentially being sent back to Hell by the one wielding the vessel.

Episodes

DVD Releases

On November 4, 2008, Lionsgate Home Entertainment (under license from ABC Studios) will release Season 1 of "Reaper" on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time.

In addition, season one of "Reaper" airs on American Forces Network (AFN) on Mondays at 5:00 PM GMT, through November 10, 2008. The series will also air on ASN and Citytv in Canada, Studio 23 in Philippines, Seven Network in Australia and E4 in the United Kingdom. [cite news|title = CHUM reveals specialty fall skeds|publisher = Media in Canada|url = http://www.mediaincanada.com/articles/mic/20070606/chum.html|date = 2007-06-06|accessdate = 2007-07-18] [cite news|title = Channel 4 Picks Up New Disney-ABC, Warner Titles|publisher = World Screen News|url = http://www.worldscreen.com/newscurrent.php?filename=channel4061407.htm|date = 2007-06-14|accessdate = 2007-06-15] [cite web | title=Seven's US programming in 2008 | work=Seven Network | url=http://www.sevencorporate.com.au/_uploads/Files/seven-us-08.pdf | accessdate=9 July | accessyear=2007] The show will also air on La Sexta in Spain. [ [http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117976048.html?categoryid=14 La Sexta buys 'Reaper,' 'Greek' - Entertainment News, TV News, Media - Variety ] ] The series' pilot has also been premiered in July 2007 during the "Roma Fiction Fest" in Rome, Italy.

ee also

*" Chuck"
* "Dead Like Me"
* "Brimstone"
* "The Collector (TV series)"
* "Supernatural (TV Series)"
* "Dead Last"

References

External links

* [http://www.cwtv.com/thecw/reaper Official Reaper Website]
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