Reaper is in trouble.
It’s only the second episode, and already the format seems tired and used up. One of the problems is that it wants to be a comedy, but it’s flimsy plots, cardboard characterizations and lame punch lines are simply not capable of sustaining themselves in a 60 minute timeslot. At 30 minutes, this might work, but right now it just seems like a sitcom straining to fill the airtime.
Two weeks in, and most of the characters still seem like cyphers. Their names aren’t even memorable, and I’m continuing to have to consult the IMDB page just to remind myself who the actors are, with two exceptions, that I’ll elaborate upon below. One of the problems I had with the pilot was that Sam’s progression from a slacker loser to a confident bounty hunter was too quick and too easy, thus depriving the show of anywhere to go in future episodes. Episode 2 suggests I was right, as writers Michelle Fazekas and Tara Butters have basically brought him back to step one. Again, I think the real source of the problem here is that Sam’s character is simply too weak and undefined
