Reaper – Three reapers and a baby

It was a bit of an up and down week down at the ‘Bench. There were answers to a couple of the bigger questions the season has raised, but one of the answers was better than the other. The soul(s) of the week made for a good tale, while welcoming back an old friend, but a return to the Sock and Kristen story showed that it’s already wearing a little thin. It’s still my pick for the watch live spot on the crowded Tuesday at 8, but this wasn’t Reaper‘s best showing.

So, Sock and Kristen, is it just me? I liked the pairing at first, but it’s already feeling a little stale. By this point in the season, I was expecting we would be seeing something different from Kristen, making her a character of her own, rather than just providing a complication for Sock. Admittedly, Sock’s choice of chemical castration over exercise was funny, but if this is all there is, I have to question how this was supposed to be better than keeping Josie around.

Also in the not living up to expectations category was the return of Mr. Oliver. It was a great reveal last week, but the payoff this week was a bit lacking. After the way season one ended, it seemed that there would be much more to the return of Mr. Oliver than an annoyance that shows the goodness in Sam. Some sort of plan, a rebellion, hope for escaping the deal… something. Freezer in the shed, not really hitting the mark. The Mr. Oliver that redacted pages out of the contract was a sharp guy. Apparently, joining the undead has made him a bit stupid.

In better news, Tony’s back! Ken Marino has been a busy guy lately. In the last week I’ve seen him on In The Motherhood, Greek, and now Reaper. It’s a welcome return, because Tony was one of my favorite characters from season one. And he was put to good use here, playing a role in the two best bits of the episode. First, the baby. It was another classic showdown between Jerry and Sam, and even now I’m not sure just who won. Sam did save the baby, but if little Stevie is going to reign destruction as we’re told, it could have been Jerry’s intention all along. Just another chance to push Sam’s buttons.

Elsewhere, good grief Morgan is slimy. Credit to Armie Hammer, because he plays the role with just the right amount of smarminess. Watching him try to get over on Andi, it’s very easy to buy him as Jerry’s son. The poison apple doesn’t far fall from the tree. That smarminess did, of course, lead to another fight between Sam and Andi. One that we really saw coming. I liked how it played out, with Tony stepping up to help Andi see the light, and her putting Morgan in his place. Even if his final gambit did maybe succeed in casting a little doubt.

All things considered, I’d call it a good episode. Definitely worth seeing, probably not worth re-visiting. And that’s alright. They can’t all be gems.

Clacked by Brett Love
on Apr 01, 2009 @ 09:00 EST5EDT