The essential episodes of Reaper
Watch these 15 in order and you've got Reaper — each pick states its reason.
- 01
Sam Oliver is a slacker who still lives with his parents and who is a below-average employee at The WorkBench. He dropped out of college after only six months because it made him "sleepy." But the day of his 21st birthday is life-altering, as Sam learns that his parents sold his soul to the Devil before he was born. Now it is his responsibility to recapture souls escaped from Hell with the aid of vessels: magical objects specifically designed for the confinement of a soul. His first assignment is a fireman who enjoys setting fires. Along with his friends Sock and Ben, Sam goes after his first target using his new telekinetic power and a magical Dirt Devil vacuum vessel, while simultaneously trying to kindle a romantic relationship with his co-worker Andi.
- 02
The second soul assigned to Sam is something of a shocker--an energy salesman whose escape from Hell is accompanied by electrical storms across town. But Sam is not too eager to adopt the bounty hunter mantle, instead fleeing from his responsibility, and the vessel (a Daredevil radio-control monster truck). Meanwhile, lying to his mother about his involvement with The Devil is beginning to tax their relationship despite the gift of a brand new hybrid. Eventually, Sam collects the rogue soul with a little motivation from The Devil, and a little help from his friends. And, with the truth revealed to his mother, mother and son decide to say nothing to younger brother, Kyle.
- 03
Andi follows Sam after she hears him talk with Tony about his plans to defeat the devil, and sees Sam behead a soul. Andi confronts Sam about it and, believing that he has killed someone in cold blood, she threatens to go to the cops. Desperate to tell Andi the truth, Sam makes a deal with The Devil. Meanwhile, Ben gets married (guest star Lucy Davis) under strange circumstances, and Tony reappears in his true demon form.
- 04
Andi's ex-boyfriend Greg reappears on the scene and asks Andi out on a date. Greg has sold his soul to The Devil in order to win back his one true love. Sam nearly gets his head taken off by a supposed escaped soul (Leatherface from Texas Chainsaw Massacre) and gets no help from The Devil regarding who the soul is or how to capture it. He takes his problem to Gladys, who then takes Sam and Sock to a self-storage facility to meet Denis, a demon friend of hers. Denis first refuses to help but when he learns that Sam's parents sold his soul, he feels for him and gives him a homemade vessel to help capture the soul. It later turns out that the "soul" is actually Greg's manifestation of his anger due to the Devil's deal. Sam confronts Greg and Sock knocks him out, temporarily destroying the alter ego. In the end, Sam uses his "Get Out Of Hell Free" card, given to him by The Devil in the "The Cop" episode to restore Greg to his original state by releasing Greg from the deal.
- 05
After Sam turns in a soul who somehow keeps returning to Earth, The Devil tells him that there is a leak in Hell and to find out who is responsible. Sara and Ben fail their interview with the Immigration officer. Sara tricks Ben into giving her money to bribe the officer and runs away with his money. Sam, Sock and Andi think that Gladys is dead when the soul stabs her with a knife, but Tony proves them wrong. The Devil finds out who the leak is and transports her back to Hell. Andi thinks it is unfair that Sam's parents sold his soul, so Andi asks Tony to look over his "contract" and he discovers that every page linking Sam with his dad is ripped out. This allows them to give the conclusion that Sam is The Devil's son.
- 06
The demons target Sam when they consider that they may not be able to stop The Devil, but they can hurt Sam, who they believe to be The Devil's son. Sam thinks he is seeing Steve everywhere. Sock falls for a female demon - a succubus - who feeds off human life and whenever she kisses him, he gets a rush of energy but loses a year of his life. The soul tells Sam that The Devil and his father are lying to him about his birth, leading him to find out that he may be The Devil's son. Tony and the demons attempt to lock them up, but Steve appears and changes Tony's mind to save Sam, leaving Mr. Oliver behind. In the final scene, Mrs. Oliver is seen digging in the darkness at Mr. Oliver's "grave". After a few moments of digging, the voice of Mr. Oliver asking "what took you so long?" is heard.
- 07
Sam and the boys return from a road trip and discover that they have been fired from their jobs and evicted from their apartment. Meanwhile, Andi refuses to patch things up with Sam, and the Devil returns with a new assignment. Sam must capture 20, then later 40, souls - all of whom are extremely violent. Sock and the guys move back in his mother's house, looked after by his new step sister, who Sock is very attracted to. The devil tells Sam that he is nothing special and all his children have failed him in his hope of bringing chaos to earth. Sam douses the souls with water and sends electricity through it, thereby electrocuting them back to hell. The Devil takes back his statement at the end of the episode. Sam asks for Andi's help in looking for an escaped soul, who somehow broke his deal with the devil after escaping, so they can have a relationship.
- 08
Sam's been given a new assignment from the Devil to capture a Mongol, but all he can focus on is finding out how Alan Townsend (guest star Sean Patrick Thomas) got out of his deal with the Devil. However, after Sam and Alan are attacked by two demons sent by the Devil, Alan refuses to talk to him any more and disappears. One of the demons takes a surprising interest in Ben. Ted is fired for harassing a secret shopper.
- 09
The Devil orders Sam to teach his spoiled son, Morgan, to have a stronger work ethic so he can take over the family business. Sam reluctantly takes Morgan with him to capture an escaped soul. Meanwhile, Ben believes Nina is turned off by his human form, and Sock uses Ted in a scheme at the Work Bench. Sam later finds out that his dad has come back from the dead.
- 10
Sam seeks help after returning an escaped soul to hell, who has left her baby behind; the baby is adopted by the returning Tony who names the baby 'Little Stevie' but the devil orders Sam to take the baby back from Tony. Andi learns that Sam is the Devil's son from Morgan and starts to feel uncomfortable around him.
- 11
The guys go on a road trip to locate an escaped soul, and they encounter a tentacled beast that is taking over a small town and is eager to dine on them. Meanwhile, Ben tries to give Nina more freedom, and Sock finally sleeps with his stepsister. The episode ends when Andi reveals that Sam's devil life is too much for her, so she breaks up with him.
- 12
Sam is tasked with getting Gary, a spoiled rich guy the Devil wants, to sign a contract selling his soul. Unfortunately, Gary is too clever, and manages to avoid all Sam's attempts to get him to sign on the dotted line.
- 13
Sam, Sock, and Andi go after their old high school teacher, Mr. Sprong, assuming he is the current soul they are trying to catch. The only problem? Mr. Sprong is still alive, and none too happy when they take him hostage to try to convince him not to press charges. Sock becomes the Work Bench mascot and competes with the Bargain Bench mascot in a mascot brawl.
- 14
Sam gets into a confrontation in his new job that ends badly. Sock tries to date a demon who has the ability to be anything she desires.
- 15
When Nina returns from Hell with the information Sam needs, he's given a chance to fight for his soul. Ben's grandmother has Nina perform an exorcism. Sam decides to challenge The Devil to a game of quarters, which ends in a draw [which means Sam loses]. Later Andi puts up her soul as collateral so Sam can have a re-match.
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