Tuesday, March 18, 2008

TV Review

Reaper, on the CW. New, post-strike episodes are on Thursday evenings.

Sam holds a dead-end job at the local mega-home impovement store, and is surprised to learn when he turns 21 that his parents had sold his soul to the devil before he was born. On that fateful birthday, Satan himself drops by to personally explain that Sam must now serve as his bounty hunter, tracking down evil souls that have escaped and returning them to Hell. Sam's responsibilities to the Devil form the basis of the weekly episodes.

The key to the show is Ray Wise's portrayal of Satan. This is the not the "red PJs and pitchfork" stereotype of cartoons. The actor who killed his daughter Laura Palmer 15+ years ago on "Twin Peaks" is pitch-perfect as the embodiment of 21st Century evil. He dresses like a CEO, is a flatterer and charmer, lies skillfully and easily, and is a natural seducer. He hides his power and temper behind this corporate facade, but occassionally reminds Sam what the consequences of disobeying Satan are.

I am not necessarily recommending the show for all -- the escaped souls are violent, the 20-something characters are crude, etc ... but the portrayal of the Devil is intriguing, and I would say accurate.

2 comments:

Dale said...

I watched a few minutes of the show last night. The portrayal of Satan is definitely intriguing.

Alan said...

The theology and morality of the show are both way off, but I think this "modern, slick" Satan portrays (some of) the way he works today.