One would hope that when Kevin Smith came to television, it would be a profanity-laden show for HBO. Smith directs the pilot of The CW's new fantasy series Reaper. While it's no worse than PG-13, it still displays his comedic touch.
There is a different rhythm here. There are no long monologues. It's more the zingy rhythm of call and response. There aren't Veronica Mars style references to pop culture, but comments do defy expectations and the timing is impeccable. The physical slapstick is expertly performed as well.
The premise of a 21-year-old college dropout (Bret Harrison) whose parents sold his soul to the devil is right up Smith's irreverent alley. The weekly mission of collecting evil souls with a Dirt Devil is funny, but the show honors its mythology enough to build a real fantasy world. The backstory is silly, but within it are weighty themes. The parents got their son into some sh** and now it's on him.
The premise is ultimately positive. He's not tasked with creating evil. He's just monitoring the old. We even learn that God will win in the end. This is just part of the scheme of things. The tone is total fun but that makes the serious scenes sincere. If you're in this world of evil souls and slackers, you still have a life you care about. You're dealing with concepts like free will, and that's a lot more believable when you're playing around than if you were all angsty.
The characters are well established before we even meet them. They all have routines and relationships that existed long before somebody decided to make a show. They are endearing despite being slacker losers. They're not imposing their sloth on us. They're just living their lives and kind of trying, not reveling in their slackerdom.
Ray Wise is the perfect happy devil. He's a little too old to party but he does anyway. He wants to be hip and relate to the youth. Even his evil deeds are playful.
The visual effects are great. Every sequence is contained in a set space, not like those sprawling movie scenes, but they are staged to maximize the television limitations. The sequences may be a tad contrived. They could have just used the Dirt Devil earlier and avoided a lot of conflict, but it's okay if they show off a few of their capabilities. It's all in good fun and Reaper will be one to watch.
Official 'Reaper' site.
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