Reaper – Stripper clowns….

… the Reese’s Cup of party entertainment. I am, admittedly, an easy sell. The idea, and the execution, of stripper clowns was more than enough to win me over. Thankfully, for those of you that have higher standards (a high number, to be sure), there was a lot more going on this week than libido confusing clowns. We also got back to Morgan’s earlier threats against Sam, saw new developments for Andi’s managerial career, and found out what happened with the demon resistance.

With all that going on, where to begin? He’s the star of the show, so why not start with Sam. It was another interesting twist to the ‘soul of the week’ formula. It never occurred to me that Jerry would send Sam out to bag new souls, but given what we’ve seen over the course of the second season, it makes a lot of sense. It plays right back into Jerry’s ongoing courtship to have Sam as his right hand man. Michael Weaver (The Mullets!), as Gary, was well cast, and played it just douchey enough that, like Sam, the viewer started to think it wasn’t such a bad idea. Luckily, Tony returned to remind Sam that damning a mortal to eternal torment is not cool. We all forget that on occasion.

Tony’s return was a welcome one, and how great was the continuation of the rebellion storyline? The path of Steve. Steveists. Steventology. Whatever you want to call it, it’s funny. If I had guessed, it’s not at all what I would have expected. Something more along the conspiracy/avenging Steve path would have seemed more likely. This works really well, though. It wraps up that story, and offers the prospect of a happy ending for Tony, while making way for the real showdown, between Sam and Jerry.

Stevetopia also served as the end of Morgan’s story, for now anyway. Like the rebellion, this one was also a bit surprising. I thought a Morgan bent on revenge would offer more of an obstacle than a sprained ankle, and certainly didn’t see him moving into the house. It was amusing that even after Sock and Ben finally came around to Sam’s way of thinking (he erased Sock’s ‘stories’), they still couldn’t help singing his praises. Of course, should we get very, very, lucky, and see a third season of Reaper, there is more of Morgan’s story to tell. Some time in Hell, working on his game, and he could present a much more daunting threat to Sam.

Meanwhile, back at the ‘Bench, I was totally blindsided by Ted’s clever plan. Some might say it was sheer elegance in its simplicity. There is a lot of hay to be made while counting on Sock to screw things up. I don’t know if this is actually better for the Andi character or not. The manager gig wasn’t really doing much for her, but then, short of the repeated fights with Sam, they never have really figured out just what they are doing with her. And it is getting late in the game to still be answering that question. On a more positive note, Missy Peregrym can swing a bat!

And finally, sweet demon Nina. You just have to dig a show, and character, that can offer up the line, “I sort of acted like I would have sex with Morgan so he would come with me to Tony’s house so I could kill him.” And that’s actually a good thing! Ben actually takes comfort in that bit of knowledge. I said it once before, but it bears repeating – Nina is a fantastic addition to the show.

As to where we are with the show… Sadly, the tealeaves in the cup, and the numbers in the ratings, are strongly suggesting that we are watching the series come to a conclusion. That sucks, but at least the show is going out strong. With clown strippers, polar bears, fratricide, and Steventology, Reaper remains one of the funniest hours on TV.

Clacked by Brett Love
on May 06, 2009 @ 12:00 EST5EDT