fastidium

Many reviewers have compared two new shows, Reaper (CW) and Chuck (NBC), because they feature responsibility-dodging slackers who find themselves in out-of-this-world situations as main characters.

In Reaper, Sam Oliver (Bret Harrison) is a typical just-turning 21 year old who works at the local Work Bench (i.e., The Home Depot) and lives with his parents. But Sam finds out that his parents actually sold his soul to the devil before he was born and now that he’s “of age”, he must take on the role of bounty hunter in apprehending escapees from hell. Where does he take them? He takes them to hell on earth, the department of motor vehicles, to send them back.

The main character of Chuck is, of course, Chuck Bartowski (Zachary Levi). He’s a slacker too except that he works at another cleverly named chain store, Buy More (i.e., Best Buy). Chuck is a part of the Nerd Herd (i.e., the Geek Squad) and his computer-proficiency enables him to help those with computer needs. The main plot point of Chuck is that his college roommate, a rogue spy in the CIA, sends him encrypted intelligence information hidden in images in an email. Once Chuck is “exposed” to the images, the information is, unbeknownst to Chuck, trapped in his brain. Chuck is now a walking secret intelligence risk that must be either killed or protected.

On the surface of their synopses, Chuck seemed like the most plausible of the two. We’ve all, at least, heard of encrypted information hidden in images, so its just a little step in believing that those images could somehow be imprinted on the human brain through visual input. On the other hand, most “dramedies” that feature an incarnation of Beelzebob almost always seem too corny to be real. Throw in the question of why any parents would sell their first born’s soul to the devil and you have the makings of a major flop.

However, one the best things that Reaper has going for it is that, if the devil were to take human form, he would probably look and act like this one (Ray Wise). He’s suave and he’s serious. There’s no indication that Sam could “foil” this devil. He tells Sam that if he were to go back on the deal, Sam’s mother would be the price that needed to be paid. Furthermore, this devil knows that his time is running out and he’s not the winner in the battle for this world. Hence, the need to act fast and get things done now. I’d say that Reaper’s devil is the most convincing of all dramedy devils.

The best plot point of Chuck is also its worst. I’ve already mentioned that its not too implausible to imagine encrypted images being imprinted on the human brain as memories, but the bigger question is why would our government have one computer with every known intelligence secret (or at least, enough of them to make the show last) and why would they be made “brain imprintable”? I’m going to let the show explain this fact as it progresses. Perhaps I’m being too critical and it will just pass. They’ve already explained that it was a joint system put together after 9-11 by the CIA and the NSA but I’d like for the information on it to relate somehow to why Chuck can put together bits of information (i.e., knowledge) in order to figure out a terrorist plot that was unknown by either organization.

Chuck does have an emotional center that is only developing in Reaper. Chuck lives with his sister and she seems very influential in Chuck’s life. Sam has only the love interest, Andi, who works at the Work Bench.

I thought the dilemma of how the writers of Reaper were going to make it plausible that Sam’s parents sold his soul to the devil was solved quite well. Sam’s dad was going to die and in return for his life he promised the devil his first born. Thinking they were going to foil the devil, they never intended to have kids. But, the devil schemed and worked it out that Sam came along.

I think I’m more convinced of Reaper being more “realist” than Chuck at this stage. But, that’s doesn’t mean that one is more entertaining than the other. They are both good shows. I just hope that the writers don’t disappoint us. Since the inclusion of any actor that was a part of Firefly is always a plus in my book, the casting of Adam Baldwin in Chuck can’t hurt. As far as Reaper, I really enjoyed Sam’s friend, Bert Wysocki (Tyler Labine), for his comic relief and his devotion to his best friend. You know what true friendship is when someone decides, without hesitation, to help you apprehend the undead. Stay tuned.