Showing posts with label Reaper. Show all posts

3/4 Relief from the CW

Well, the CW eased my mind today as it released its early series pick-ups. 3 out of the 4 shows I watch on the network have been picked up for another season next year. My picks that are getting another season include: Smallville (season 8), Supernatural (season 4), and Gossip Girl (season 2). I'm still holding out hope for Reaper and wondering if the execs are right about picking up new viewers by moving its reruns to Supernatural's normal Thursday night slot. Only time will tell.

For a full list of the CW's early bird picks, check out the CW Blog.
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Start biting your nails...



While I'm sitting here dreading going out into the sub-arctic temperatures that have descended today, I thought I'd give you all something to ponder and obsess over until it's safe to go outside - the ramifications of the WGA strike on the rest of the TV season.

While the writers and networks are scrambling to figure out what to do now that a tentative agreement has been reached, TVGuide.com has a blog entry detailing what the future looks like for our favorite shows. For some fans, the news is good, as some episodes are slated to be written. filmed, and released before the end of the season. Many other fans will mourn as they find that their favorite shows are facing a fairly silent death as a result of the strike (or a future yet TBD). For the latest info on which shows are continuing and which are over now and forever (and which shows may need some saving in the next couple of months), check out this blog. Supposedly, it will be updated as more "official" announcements about these shows are released.

Personally, I lucked out because most of the shows I care about are all continuing until the renewal announcements that usually come in May. I'm still fearing for Reaper though, since it only has pre-strike episodes listed and an undetermined future. Of course, the strike is also going to affect the DVD sets of this season (many shows won't make it to the full 22 episodes before the season runs out). I'm just relieved that next season won't be entirely reality TV, at which point I would stop watching TV.

I'm going to crawl back under my rock now until I have something else worthy to report.
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Reaper Outlook Not So Grim



I've been watching Reaper since the season premiere because it seemed like it had a decent premise (for a CW show). I love tales of dealing with the Devil, and an hour-long episode each week sounded great to me. After the last two episodes, I'm glad I tuned in.

The pilot was better than most new shows. It wasn't awkward or grasping, although it did have plenty of the "getting to know the show" scenes. The next three episodes (Charged, All Mine, and Magic) all followed the same format and made sure to ground the viewer in the premise. At this point, I began to wonder if the show would be able to transition enough to stay on the air. Episode 5, What About Blob, managed to pull that first transition step off by adding a darker and more sinister tone to the show, which was desperately needed. Hopefully, the sub-plot revealed will become a longer story arc that is revealed throughout the season.

This week was the Halloween episode, Leon, and while it lost most the darkness that was brewing in What About Blog, it managed to mix the framework up enough to show the show has real potential. In this episode, Ray Wise, AKA the Devil, was shown smoking a cigarette (rare these days) and acting really depressed about the commercialization of evil, while Sam, played by Bret Harrison, showed some real character growth by getting a backbone and feeling some sympathy for the Devil's emotions. Comedian Patton Oswalt's performance as a soul trapped in a snow-globe at the show's beginning also added some extra depth to the show's premise and gave viewers a chance to learn more about Sam and Sock's (played by Tyler Labine) friendship. This episode also brought up some philosophical points about the real meaning of forgiveness, repentance, and sin. Way heavier stuff than the previous episodes.

Reaper recently received an order for three new scripts, which may indicate that additional scripts will be requested to make it a full season. Hopefully, the writers can continue to add more depth to the characters and the scenarios they face, since that is definitely the show's main selling point. So far, the story-lines about the escaped souls and their new Earthly forms have been decent, but they could use some fine tuning and less attention. They should be the backdrop of the show and the focus should, like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Smallville, be turned to character development and relationships. If the show moves in that direction, it may be one of the best new shows this television season. If not, then it's still more believable and pleasurable to watch than some other now defunct shows with similar mythical premises.

If you've ignored this one until now, you can still catch up and watch old episodes at The CW website. Reaper airs Tuesdays at 9 pm EST on The CW.
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