Messing with the Fire Sign

First off, good news for Reaper fans, as the latest rumor has the series getting a second season. So you can hold off on sending CWTV headquarters truckloads of Dirt Devils (or Socks, as some were planning.) Says James Hibberd, of The Hollywood Reporter:

The word on CW's cult-favorite supernatural comedy-drama has turned unexpectedly positive. Though recent episodes have pulled about a 1.1 rating, the CW needs a suitable Thursday night partner for Supernatural because next season is expected to be the last for Smallville. Plus, after adding DVR use, Reaper ratings often climb more percentage points than any other series, and CW executives are fond of the show.

Meanwhile, Reaper continues to impress with it's post-strike run. While this episode ("Greg Schmeg") left the overarching stories that we came to appreciate off the table, it still brought the funny and set up some more hijinks for future episodes. For instance, Dennis, the demon storage manager (played by Jeff Kober, who's career is almost defined by scifi make-up artists - Buffy, Kindred: The Embraced, Star Trek: Voyager,) is a character bound to come back. Having a colorful resource for bootleg Hell vessels is a brilliant move on the writer's part. "This vessel will send anything to hell... soul, live body, frickin' Space Needle man!"

Musically there were a couple of interesting choices, first and foremost being the use of The Gossip's "Fire Sign," a great song from their 2003 album Movement on Kill Rock Stars (long before singer Beth Ditto was topping anyone's cool list). While Ditto sings messin' around with the fire sign," Sam befuddles the Devil by using his 'Get out of Hell Free' card for Greg. The look that Ray Wise' Old Scratch gives Sam as he walks off was classic ("my boy's becoming a man!).

Elsewhere, as Ben gets raked over the coals by his trouble and strife, I'm pretty sure we're hearing the song "Married Young" by Robbers on High Street, with the lyric, "married young what's done is done." Ben's problems with Sara (Lucy Davis) bring to mind another lyric from the song: "is there a sliding scale in Hell? Does the devil grade on a curve?" Thankfully, Ben grows a pair to keep Cassidy (Kandyse McClure) as his understanding Green Card mistress - "all of the excitement of being the other woman...none of the guilt!"

Playlist: Reaper - Episode 1.16
1. "Married Young" - Robbers On High Street - Sara scolds Ben in the Work Bench parking lot
2. "The Good Life" - Five Times August - Sock, Ben and Sam in the bar
3. "Fire Sign" - The Gossip - Sam plays his card to the Devil in the bar

Previously: Devil's Deal (Episode 1.15)