Yes, I know Reaper has been canceled (did you see all the CliqueClack team had to say about Reaper‘s fate behind the scenes?) and instead of celebrating the moment when it became great, I should be sending socks to the head honchos at The CW or something, to try to get it renewed somehow. Well, I’m not an activist, and although I’ll miss Reaper, I’d much rather be grateful for the two seasons worth of fun that we got from the show then spend my time bemoaning its short life.
I liked Reaper from the get-go; I’ve always liked shows about the supernatural, especially when they have a sense of humor about them, and there’s no arguing this describes Reaper. From the crazy vessels (a Dirt Devil and a remote control monster truck!) and the antics of The Devil (played to perfection by Ray Wise) it was always an enjoyable romp.
The moment I knew this show was going to be gracing my TV every week, though, came at the very end of season one, episode five, “What About Blob,” when Sam’s dad tears out a page of Sam’s contract with The Devil and burns it in the fire. It was that exact action that Blew the Hatch for me.
What was so great about that scene? I mean, it was already pretty cool that Sam’s parents sold his soul to The Devil, with a very vague explanation. Until that point, though, it could have been considered just a means to an end; a device to get us to the uniquely comic situation Sam had gotten himself into, working for The Devil and all. But the creators and the writers didn’t leave it alone.
When Sam finally gets the contract from The Devil, basically so he could try to find a loophole to get out of the contract, Sam’s dad reveals a deeper, darker secret to the viewers: there’s something in that contract that he made with The Devil all those years ago that he doesn’t want Sam to know about. Boom! Right there, they’ve set the stage for an incredibly complex backstory; taken what was just a fun show with a bit of history to something that could be boundless, ripe with unimaginable lore, rich with secrets, reveals and underworldly greatness.
Alas (and here’s the part where I bemoan the loss of Reaper a bit), we had only just begun to explore where the story could have taken us. I’m glad we got to expeience the wonder of what Reaper could have been, though, the moment they Blew the Hatch.
Clacked by Debbie McDuffee
on Jun 19, 2009 @ 13:00 EST5EDT
I loved Reaper and will miss it. No doubt.
But right now I must tell you I love the new picture with your new family member. :-)
*POST AUTHOR*
Heh, thanks — he’s pretty irresistible, even though he’s not a dog! :-)