Reaper burst onto the TV landscape last fall as the critics’ favorite new pilot. Directed by quirky film dude Kevin Smith, the show was the perfect blend of horror, action, romance, dark mythology and—above all—comedy. Many feel Reaper really hit its stride in the post-strike episodes, when we learned about the demon rebellion and unearthed questions about Sam’s parents, lineage and that contract with the devil. Bret Harrison (Sam) recently gave TV.com some insight into what makes the series “click” with viewers. First, “Ray Wise (the devil) is such a professional; he’s got these huge monologues he has to spit out every week and he nails it in two takes.” Wild-haired buddy Tyler Labine (Sock) takes the opposite approach. “Ty is completely on his game. He wants as many takes as he can possibly get, and that’s why I think he’s so funny. When they cut the show together, he stands out—he’s brilliant.” Bret, himself, likes to mix it up. In shooting, “I’ll think, wait a second, I’ve seen this scene before…how can we make it different? Let’s constantly be trying to change the attitudes of these characters and make it more interesting to watch.” And how’s the cast chemistry? “We hang out probably more than we should,” he laughs. Season two is set up for some interesting family dynamics, to say the least. Hopefully, Sam’s younger brother, Kyle (Kyle Switzer) won’t suffer the same forgotten fate as Richie’s older bro, Chuck (Gavan O’Herlihy….who? Exactly.) on Happy Days. After all, if Sam’s parents are supernatural, both sons have some eerie genes. Kyle appeared in two episodes this year, while starring in the Canadian series 15/Love, shot in Quebec. You can see one of his Reaper scenes this Tuesday night. And if you haven’t caught the cast-and-crew’s jiggy backstage video that Valarie Rae Miller (Josie) put together…check below!
Reaper / Tuesday 9pm
