TV Review: ‘Reaper’ Episode: ‘My Brother’s Reaper’

Who brings a gun to a demon fight?

Many of you may know of my love for calling Sam’s fellow devil brother Morgan a douche. It’s hard not to when there’s not a scene he’s in where he’s not acting like a flaming douche bag to all those around him. Well guess who’s coming to dinner then? Actually instead of coming to dinner, since all of his money and fancy lifestyle has been drained away, he is coming to live with Sam and the guys in this episode. And that’s not all! After their fiery reconciliation that left her den of sin in cinders, Nina has decided to move in as well and basically we’ve got a real Full House situation on our hands. Now I could waste everyone’s time and go through this whole article trying to figure out which character corresponds most precisely to that of the characters of that charming 90s sitcom, but there’s really more pressing story lines to be told.

To be perfectly frank this whole episode is full of nothing more than one douche bag move after another. Not only do we get Morgan’s regular none so benign attitude towards everyone but we also see that Nina is attracted to the bad boy type, and Morgan plans on taking full advantage. Then we have an extreme douche maneuver pulled pretty late in the game by none other than Ted the former manager in I guess could be an evil bid to reclaim what rightfully should be his. Now that only leaves the main crux of the story that involves a douche extraordinaire that refuses to sign his soul away to the devil and plans on repenting minutes before his death and get absolved from all the less than kind things he’s done in his life. In this episode alone he shoots a butler with a paintball gun, tosses beer cans whichever way possible, and has Sam chased by a polar bear.

I like that Reaper is branching off as much as possible from soul catching territory and allows Sam to deal with other aspects of hell such as just simply getting a guy to sign his soul away forever. I know they did that last season as well with the episode where Jamie Kennedy guest starred as a musician who kind of sucked major balls. I do feel kind of bad for Jamie Kennedy though. I mean the guys been in some decent movies but I think he really ruined himself with that Jamie Kennedy Experiment Show, and Son of the Mask didn’t look so hot either. But anyway, back to what really matters. This episode has stripper clowns. Yes stripper clowns, which is actually a brilliant combo devised by Sock and Ben for a bachelor party they throw for Ted who asked the girl after only one date and surprise surprise ends up getting freaked and dumping him.

We also get a little Michael Ian Black back in this episode as the gay demon that died but apparently ascended back up to heaven. His fellow demon lover, Ken Marino, who is always hilarious, check him out in Wet Hot American Summer, now holds some kind of demon support group that attempts to stay good and possibly follow in the same lines as Mr. Blacks demon. All in all this show continues to keep it light and funny and the characters endearing and I assume we are soon to be approaching the end of the season as the second season is already being marketed for DVD release sometime in June I believe. I’m interested in seeing what they leave us with the whole storyline of Sam trying to get out of his deal with the devil and now that his dad is apparently in hell and can still get cell service, wonder what his plan is, it would seem that might have something good cooking for the end. I personally think more episodes with stripper clowns in it is more than necessary and I’m sure they can’t be that hard to write into the show. I’m just saying, stripper clowns are brilliant.