STUDIO: Lionsgate
RELEASE DATE: November 4, 2008
STARRING: Bret Harrison, Tyler Labine, Rick Gonzalez, Missy Peregrym, and Ray Wise
CREATED BY: Tara Butters & Michelle Fazekas
FEATURES: Audio Commentary
Deleted Scenes
Gag Reel

I think there are evil forces at work at The CW. After years of struggling separately as The WB and UPN, they decided to amplify their bad decisions as a partnership in The CW. The beginning of their partnership produced nothing of quality, but, lo and behold, Fall 2007 saw two of the ten best shows of the year debut on the network many people still didn't know existed. Aliens in America featured some of the best comedy writing of the season and Reaper was even better. Well, Aliens was given the axe (R.I.P.) and Reaper's return was delayed until 2009. Why? Ask anyone who's seen the ridiculous Stylista or the two or three people who watched Valentine or Easy Money if they think those were good replacements for two of the best-written shows of 2007-08. And Reaper is being as mishandled as possible. Go talk to the producers of the increasingly in danger of cancellation Pushing Daisies and Chuck about if waiting a long time between episodes is a good idea in today's what-have-you-done-lately market. I have a bad feeling about Reaper's return. And it's not helped by the season one release, which almost feels like an afterthought. I bet you even fans don't know Reaper: Season One is landing from Lionsgate this week. Everything about this set, from the lackluster technical presentation to the shoddy packaging, feels like an obligation instead of what it needs to be - a tool to get people to tune in and keep one of the best shows on TV on the air. I might be overly critical of Reaper: Season One on DVD but it's only because I love the show that much and I'm nervous about its fate.

Despite a pilot directed by Kevin Smith, Reaper actually took a little while to settle into its groove. Don't judge solely on the first few episodes. But once the very talented young cast and the team of writers realized the show's strengths, Reaper clicked into a very high-caliber groove. "Leon" was where it really started for me with a fantastic guest appearance by Patton Oswalt. Later episodes like "The Cop" (where Sock became obsessed with Gladys), "Unseen" (which introduced the amazing arc by Michael Ian Black and Ken Marino), and the excellent finale, "Cancun" stand among the best hours of TV in the last year. And the cast just kept getting better. The scene-stealing Tyler Labine gets better with every episode and Ray Wise is one of the most snubbed-by-Emmy people of last season. He should definitely have been nominated for Best Supporting Actor after giving one of the most clever and creative portrayals of Satan himself ever. Reaper not only surpassed Supernatural and Smallville in its genre but started to deserve comparison with Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The X Files as one of the best shows of its kind. The first season is a must-see for any fan of fantasy/horror shows from The Twilight Zone to Eureka.

Clearly, I love Reaper. So, I'm disappointed by a number of things related to the season one DVD. First, the packaging looks like a bootleg that you would find on 5th Avenue. It's cheaply made and when people are deciding which expensive TV set to buy this holiday season, how it looks in their hand at the DVD store matters. Even the packaging once the shrink-wrap is gone looks half-ass. And don't get me started on the logo. I'm not the only fan aggravated. Check out this article for more on the packaging controversy. And the presentation for a show that looked so amazing in HD when it aired isn't up to snuff. Every new show should be released on Blu-Ray. Why go from HD presentations when they air to standard on DVD? It makes no sense. There are a few special features including deleted scenes, a gag reel, and one lonely audio commentary (the back of the case lists plural commentaries but that's simply not true) with the creators but it's not a lot of love for a show that might not have much of a second season volume.

Fox recently "made amends" for the lackluster first season presentation of 24 by re-releasing it in a more souped-up special edition. If my deal with the devil works out, we'll get the same treatment for Reaper: Season One in a few years, after the show has become a massive hit. Then again, the confusing decisions made by The CW and Lionsgate when it comes to Reaper may be more than a deal with the devil can correct.