By Brandon Nolta

Even demons have to shop, as the boys find out when Gladys (Christine Willes) from the DMV shows up to pick up some paper products. At first, it doesn’t look like it has a damn thing to do with the episode at large, but it’s awfully funny watching Sock (Tyler Labine) and Gladys interact with all the sweetness and light we’ve come to expect. Anyway, Sam (Bret Harrison) has troubles all his own, aside from the tattoos that keep appearing on his arm: the Devil (Ray Wise) is being really nice to him, preparing a case file for his latest soul and even giving him a watch, which trips Sam’s WTF alarm. What’s Hell’s bounty hunter to do?

Well, get on the job, apparently. That’s what Sam does, tracking down a pissed-off soul who’s out to get all the people he blames for his conviction and execution. After two of the original players get whacked by Mr. Mays, Sam swings into gear with the latest vessel while Sock and Ben (Rick Gonzalez) continue their merry stalking of Gladys. Unfortunately for Sam, he gets a little overzealous and ends up applying his newfound Taser to a cop (Mitch Pileggi). D’oh! Sam avoids going to jail on that round, but Mr. Policeman keeps the vessel, which presents its own set of issues. Ben and Sock have their own set of problems, as the stalking of Gladys is going down unusual paths, but it quickly turns out that Sam is being set up to take the fall for the soul’s latest predations.


Wait a minute, was that a tender moment with Sock? I’m pretty sure it was, but I find it difficult to credit. Fortunately, it didn’t last long (though it was nice to see a different side of Sock), which leaves us plenty of time to play bad cop/mean cop with the detective Sam hit with several thousand volts. Turns out, though, that the tattoos spell out the detective’s address, which gives him just enough pause to grab Sam and head for home. Meanwhile, Sock goes over to apologize to Gladys for being an ass, and things … just get weird from there. The fact that it turns out to be a dream sequence doesn’t detract from the weird. Showdowns come, demons go, and thanks to a deal long in the making, the detective ends up giving the Devil his due.

REAPER is playing out as an interesting exercise in genre; this week’s run showed a few new notes, as the characters of Sam, Andi (Missy Peregrym), and Sock showed some new traits and vulnerabilities that viewers might not expect in a goofy comedy like it is most of the time. It’s still lots of fun, but the writers and actors deserve credit for being willing to step outside of the bounds REAPER might generally fit in. How many times do I gotta say it? REAPER is a damn good show (pun fully intended), and if you’re not getting your RDA of silly hijinks and brimstone, warm up your DVR and start catching up.