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Reaper: Cancun

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So, there you have it. A season finale that set up more questions and answered none of the ones we had going in. Which you pretty much had to figure was going to happen, because why would Reaper wrap up the "Is he Satan's son or not?" question in a two-story arc when it's clearly the juiciest development we've had so far? (Not that they didn't try to imply that Sam was devil spawn repeatedly tonight. My favorite moment was when Sam and Satan shared a father-son catch, because the devil is a scout for the Yankees.) No, it was a smart move to keep us guessing going into season two while adding another enticing cliffhanger: What is up with Sam's so-called parents?

It appears from that last scene the whole buried alive bit on the part of Sam's dad was an act. Are Sam's parents demons? Or is the dad a demon married to a mortal woman? It sort of makes sense, seeing as how Sam's dad knew exactly where to find Sam right before he was about to buried. And he is a bit icky, no? But … I don't know. I'm sticking with last week's theory, when I suggested that this whole "Devil is Sam's dad" thing is a red herring meant to distract the demon revolutionaries and manipulate Sam. After all, if the devil knew that Sam's dad "died," he must have also known under what circumstances. (And that he really wasn't dead.) Plus, there are obvious benefits for Satan if Sam believes he's daddy. Maybe the devil is using Sam's parents as pawns to keep up the ruse.

But … there are plenty of holes in that, too. I really loved this episode until that last scene. Call me dense but I don't get it all. Obviously there is information we don't know yet, but something isn't making sense here. What is up with Sam's so-called parents? I worry that this final scene, while a good cliffhanger, is too big a stretch. One commenter last week oh-so-snarkily mocked the idea that a show that about a demon hunter has to be logical. No, smarty, it doesn't have to be logical according to the rules of our world. But every fantasy story establishes a certain set of rules that pertains to the world where it all takes place, and those rules need to be followed in order for the audience to be able to accept what's happening. Reaper is still establishing these rules but hasn't always been good about following those that are in place.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Reaper has earned the benefit of the doubt, at least until the next time it hits the skids. For all the ripping I've done of the writers for being pokey and directionless at times, the last two weeks (and, before that, three out of the previous five) have rocked pretty hard. Turning the tables on Sam this episode, and setting up a new dynamic next season where demons will also be hunting him, was another smooth move. Honestly, for all your TV Clubbers that have defended the episodes I hated, can you really argue that these recent episodes devoted to the show's mythology and larger story don't make the jokier, shallower episodes that dominated the season's middle section look friggin' weak in comparison? Look, don't admit you're wrong now. I'll accept your silence as a tacit admission of my superiority on this matter.

So, it's going to be a while before Reaper comes back, but we have a lot to chew on. What do you guys think?

Grade: A-

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