“The Sweet Science” was so much more than I expected. After the big reveal last week, it was a pretty safe bet that we would be getting to know more about Nina, and we did. That was just the tip of the iceberg though, as we found Sam chasing a soul that furthered his uncomfortable struggle with Jerry. And Sock and Andi got into the act with a battle over the fate of one Les Nessman. That’s good stuff right there.
The show is called Reaper, and Sam’s still the main guy, but Ben got to grab the spotlight this week as we all got to know Nina (Jenny Wade) just a little better. I was actually a little worried after Sam put his foot down with Ben. Nina is just too much fun to be gone so quickly. Fortunately, it looks like she’ll be around for a while.
And, Cassidy (Kandyse McClure) won’t be coming back, after stepping out on Ben while he was in the pokey (for 8 days!). All the shuffling of the supporting cast is strange. I’m not sure if it’s a function of budget concerns, or the fact that the second season was in jeopardy, but at least they made an attempt to explain it.
Strange as it is, I’m happy with the exchange for Nina. She’s just crazy enough to be fascinating, and no matter how many times she says it, I still don’t completely trust that she isn’t out to “get up inside there and squeeze” Sam’s heart. Their goofy mall story also led to my favorite line of the night, from Sock, “Since when do you need more than one pair of pants? What are you, Jude Law?” That just edged out Nina being from “The Kansas.”
The soul of the week, Michael “Red” Sabotino (Erik Palladino), looked to be pretty standard at first. As we learned more though, business picked up. Did anyone really think Jerry was going to go for the deal to wait two years? The important bit though, was that Sam actually asked. He really doesn’t have much respect for the Devil/underling dynamic. And the way he reveled in telling Jerry, “In a way, you did something good. Weird, huh?” is just asking for trouble. I expect a laying down of the law is on the way.
And then there was Andi, Sock, and Les. Before we get to the showdown though, Andi taking over as manager did seem to come out of nowhere. They had hinted at her becoming more involved with her work while the boys were on the road trip, but it seems to fly in the face of the bigger plans she had just a few months back. Deciding to take over as manager should have at least offered up some sort of life-path struggle, right?
At the end of the day, they do need something for Andi to be doing, and manager at the ‘Bench probably works better than studying at unseen college. If it’s going to bring us stories like the Nessman affair, I’m OK with it, although you can count me as one that will miss Ted.
I totally underestimated Sock’s deviousness here. When she pulled the Nessman card out of the bowl I just assumed it had been stuffed with fake names. Getting two paychecks though? For two years? That’s ambition. And threatening Andi with a sexual harassment suit? Dedication. But just as it was clear Jerry would never go for Red’s deal, it was clear that Andi was going to win in the end. Still, it was great fun watching it play out.
Three episodes in and things are moving along very well. Tensions are high between Jerry and Sam, hinting at big things to come down the line. Sock and Ben both have fun stories to play on the side. And they have once again reminded us all that turkeys, when thrown from a helicopter, hit the ground like wet cement.
Clacked by Brett Love 
on Mar 18, 2009 @ 11:00 EST5EDT
Thanks for the great review, Brett. I’m waiting for things to pick up a little, the last few episodes have been good, but not great. I don’t feel like the writers are really putting their all into making sure the show gets picked up.
one of my favorite characters