Recap 210 - My Brother's Reaper

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This Recap is by kathyk, I'm just posting! It's great!

Part 1:
Previously on Reaper: Instead of clips from last week's show, we are treated to a series of clips--one featuring Sam and Morgan, and one featuring Steve and Tony. What do the two storylines have in common? Watch and see.

The show opens as the guys return home. Nina is waiting with pizza, champagne, and her suitcase. She claims that Ben asked her to move in with them. Sock vetoes the idea, claiming that a "lady" will cause them to be on the same cycle. Jerk! I think Sock must have forgotten how he and Ben burned down Nina's lair last week. Sock is a moron.

Sam is also uncomfortable with the idea of Nina moving in with them. Nina drops the bombshell that she kissed Sam. Ben is hurt, and Sock slaps Sam hard on the cheek, claiming it's for Ben. I really wish Ben would learn to fight his own battles. Nina claims that she only kissed Sam because she thought he was evil. She states that now she knows Sam isn't evil, and she actually thinks he is is bland and boring. Sam is relieved at first, yet he is offended by her remark. (I'd love to know how she learned Sam wasn't evil. Was it the kiss itself or did someone give her new information about Sam?) Ben agrees to forgive her, and they agree to have Nina move in.

Sam takes out the trash, still seething over Nina's comments. He is attacked by Morgan, who blames him for being disinherited by the Devil. Sam continues to insist that he never wanted to be the Devil's right-hand man. They wrestle until Morgan's rage turns to self pity. Sam feels sorry for him and offers him a place to stay until he can get on his feet. Since Sam injured his ankle during their fight, Morgan carries Sam inside, claiming that he's light as a kitten.

At breakfast the next morning Morgan is entertaining Ben, Nina, and Sock with tales of his romantic conquests.He's shirtless (thanks, show!) which prompts Ben to suggest a dress code at the breakfast table. Where was this dress code when Sock was walking around half naked? Nina tells Morgan that she can sense he's full of evil charm. She discloses that she's a demon which makes him instantly attracted to her. Sock thinks having Morgan around will be great since he'll have a shot at Morgan's dates. Not a chance in Hell, Sock.

[cko]

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Part II:
The next day at the Bench, Sam is in the parking lot struggling with some shopping carts. The Devil pulls up in a cool convertible. He notices that Sam has an injured leg and tells him that all he has to do is deliver the car to Gary Martin, a man who has sold his soul to the Devil. Sam should be suspicious because the Devil never gives him an easy assignment, but he's thrilled to be driving that car.

The three amigos are at the customer service booth admiring the car keys when they get welcome visitors--Tony and little Stevie. They notice that Tony seems a bit frazzled, so they suggest going out for drinks. Tony agrees and leaves.
Ted uses the Bench's PA system to announce that he went on a date with an angel named Linda, and she has agreed to marry him. (In case you've forgotten, Sam's mom is also named Linda, so I hope the writers were doing some foreshadowing.) Sock is thrilled for Ted and offers to throw him a bachelor party. Sam and Ben look at him like he's nuts because they know he hates Ted. Sock admits that he just wants to throw a huge party.

Sam delivers the car to Gary's mansion. Gary is a spoiled rich guy who horrifies Sam by shooting his butler Benson with a paint gun. (Someone on the Reaper writing staff must watch a lot of tv, because Benson is the name of a fictional butler who was smarter than his employers.) Gary accepts the keys but refuses to sign for the car, since he would be signing over his soul. Sam protests that he knew nothing about that but Gary is furious and sends Beary Manilow after him. Sam thinks he means Barry Manilow but in reality it's a huge polar bear. Sam is terrified and reinjures his ankle trying to escape. He also has no way home since Gary has the car.

Sam goes to the hospital for x-rays and his leg is placed in a walking cast. He also receives a visit from the Devil who apologizes to Sam for not telling him about the bear and the true nature of the mission. He reminds Sam that he must live up to the terms of his contract, so Gary has to as well. I think the real reason the Devil misled him was so Sam wouldn't figure out a way to get Gary out of his contact like he did Ryan in Hungry for Fame. Of course Ryan never had a bear attack him as Gary did, so I doubt Sam would be willing to risk his life for him.

Back at the Bench, Sam is taking out his frustrations on a cash register. Andi comes over to see what's wrong and Sam tells her about his encounter with Gary and the polar bear. Andi thinks that it's funny and Sam is forced to crack a smile. Andi admits that being a manager isn't much fun and she misses going out soul-catching with Sam.

Sock and Ben are at a table planning Ted's bachelor party. Ben says that when he thinks of a party he thinks of clowns. How old are you Ben, five? Sock wants strippers so they decide to have--stripper clowns. They think this is great; I think it's stupid. They tell Ted what their plans are and he informs them that there won't be a wedding. Sock decides to throw the party anyway since Ted will never marry. Nice going, Sock.

[cko]

Part III:

Sam is determined to get Gary to sign his contract, and he enlists Ben and Sock for help. They drive to Gary's house and get him to sign a delivery slip for bear food. Sam is triumphant until Gary reveals that he signed a fake name on the delivery slip. I'm willing to bet that Sam isn't the first reaper who the Devil has sent after Gary. Sam is furious and yells that it doesn't matter if he signs his contract--his behavior is bad enough to land him in Hell anyway. Gary smugly replies that it doesn't matter what he does during his lifetime as long as he repents before he dies. Gary is correct that it is important to confess your sins before you die, but you also must be sincere in your desire to confess, which I doubt Gary would be. This is all new information to Sam, who we learned last week has had no religious education at all. They drive away before Gary sics Beary Manilow on them.

Sock is losing patience with Morgan who has eaten all their food and deleted his soap operas from the DVR. I love that Sock is getting a taste of his own medicine here. Nina and Ben return from a run, and Morgan continues flirting with Nina, who appears to welcome his attention. Sock and Ben go in the kitchen while Nina takes a shower. Morgan decides to be a peeping tom which Nina quickly stops. Morgan doesn't realize that it isn't a good idea to get a demon mad at you.

The guys go out for drinks with Tony, who keeps calling to check on baby Stevie. Sam confides to Tony that he is having difficulty getting Gary to sign his contact. Tony warns Sam that if he gets a human to sign over his soul, he will be just as evil as the Devil himself. I think Tony is being a hypocrite here. He's a fallen angel who left Heaven, while Sam is an innocent person who is paying the price for his parent's deal with Devil. Tony almost had Sam killed last year and he left Mr Oliver to be buried alive in Solomon's cage. Tony is no expert on morality.

Sam however is receptive to Tony's argument, and he admits that he's lost sight of the big picture. Tony invites them back to his house. When they arrive they hear Steve singing really bad karaoke. I agree with Ben that Jesse's Girl is a great song. Tony explains that there were some demons who survived the rebellion last year and they are dedicated to following Steve's path into Heaven. The guys are shocked to see a familiar face at the meeting: Nina. Ben takes Nina into the kitchen and demands to know what else she's hiding from him. She apologizes and says that Ben inspires her to be a better demon. They embrace and kiss in a truly sweet scene.

Sock goes into Andi's office to ask if he can use the Bench to host Ted's bachelor party. She initially refuses, but Sock lays a huge guilt trip on her and she gives in. Sock's contempt for anyone who acts in a responsible manner really annoys me. He is very lucky that Tony didn't hear him say that he was babywhipped. I haven't enjoyed the Sam and Andi storyline until the last two episodes but she has been great as manager of the Bench.

[cko]

Part IV:



Sam is in the kitchen fixing himself a snack when he's transported to a meeting with the Devil. The Devil asks for an update on Gary. Sam tells him about Gary's plan to repent right before he dies. The Devil confirms that repentance will get someone into heaven, but he has a plan to get Gary. He tells Sam that he will hire an assassin to kill Gary before he has an opportunity to confess. Sam is terrified at this thought.

The guys have a house meeting where Sam worries about what will happen to Gary. Sock reassures him that he knows Sam will do the right thing. This is the only time I liked Sock during the entire episode. Sock and Ben fill Sam in on Morgan's bad behavior and they tell him Morgan has to leave.

Sam tells Morgan that he is lucky to be free of the Devil and that he needs to find a goal in life. This may sound strange coming from Sam, but Sam does have two goals: getting out of his contract and winning Andi back. Sam tells Morgan that he needs to get out of the house, and he leaves to warn Gary.

Sam goes to Gary's mansion and informs him that the Devil wants him dead and that he should start repenting now. Gary admits he has no clue about how to repent so Sam takes him to Tony's house.

Sock and Ben hold Ted's bachelor party and Ted appears to be enjoying himself. Andi arrives and starts to drink. Ted reveals that he called the corporate office and Andi is busted. I really hate Ted. Andi did use poor judgment in allowing them to hold the party, but she wasn't the reason he was fired in the first place. She also hired him back as a trainee when she didn't have to.

Morgan and Nina are alone in the house and Morgan is doing his best to seduce her. She claims that she is trying to stop her attraction to bad boys. Morgan is willing to do anything to get her into bed so Nina invites him to her prayer meeting.

Sam and Gary are at Tony's house where Tony is explaining The Way of Steve to him. Gary thinks this is a huge joke until Steve starts speaking to him through the tv screen. Gary convinces Tony that Steve is sending a message through him by giving Tony a kiss. He explains that Steve wants to warn Sam.

Nina and Morgan arrive at Tony's house, where Morgan draws a gun on Sam, threatening to kill him. He states that he wants to get back on his father's good side and the best way to accomplish this is to kill Sam and turn in the rebel demons. The rebel demons pounce on Morgan, killing him instantly. Sam watches all of this horror--he's too terrified to speak.

The demons remove Morgan's body and Nina explains that they are required to kill the Devil's offspring in order to prevent the end of the world. Sam asks why Nina didn't kill him since is also the Devil's son. Gary informs him that he is different from the Devil's other children and has his own destiny. Gary states that, thanks to Steve, he's motivated to give away all his possessions and help the needy. Tony looks pleased, but I was disturbed by this scene. Gary sounds like he has been brainwashed. Plus, Tony could have prevented Morgan from threatening Sam, and he should have been honest about the purpose of the group.

Sam and Nina return home and Ben can tell Nina is hiding something. She admits that she flirted with Morgan in order to trap and kill him. Ben is just relieved that Nina isn't cheating on him. I think Ben is clueless. Sam is drained but before he can go to sleep he's transported to a meeting with the Devil. The Devil admits that Gary has turned over a new leaf. He's also upset with Sam for his role in Morgan's death. He says that Morgan is being tortured in Hell and he's calling for Sam. I wonder if Morgan is calling out for Sam to forgive him.

Andi and Sam are playing tee-ball with soda cans. Why are they wasting good soda? Sam states that he is different from the Devil's other children. Andi has been demoted but she's not upset, since she has more time to spend with Sam. This is the kind of cute scene that I've missed this season. Bret and Missy have such nice chemistry.

-the end-

Great job, kathyk!