(S01E09) "I feel like the weirdest drug dealer of all time." -- Bert "Sock" Wysocki

If there were a country populated by MILFs, Julie Cooper would be the President. I never realized how much I missed Melinda Clarke until tonight. She must have a great time running down her resume for people..."I've played a dominatrix, a scheming predator of high school boys and the devil's girlfriend."

If there was ever a doubt about how involved Kevin Smith is in this series, tonight's episode should put those doubts to rest. Watching Sam, Sock and Ben discuss Sam's love trials made me feel like I was watching Jay & Silent Bob Chase Amy at the Mall. I really appreciate how the show has taken its time revealing the relationship between Sam and Andi. It's great when the character who is in an unreal situation still has to deal with very real problems. I know that no show can ever replace Buffy, but Reaper comes awfully close for me.

I love the little conversations these characters have about the existential aspects of their situation. I mean, if they now have proof that there is a devil then are they now forced to believe that there is also a God? The devil often references God but I have yet to see the hard evidence. By the way, how ironic was it when Ben's grandmother told him he was doing "God's work?"

When the show first started I was worried that they would spend a lot of the season doing what Smallville did and have Sam just fight "the monster of the week." But, so far, all of the escaped souls have been pretty interesting and this week was no exception. I like it when the writers realize that they aren't bound by any rules when they make up crazy stuff like this so they swing for the fences. Whether it's the insect lady or Patton Oswalt or a "ghost" I really look forward to seeing the new soul each week.

In the history of TV shows where the devil is a major character, the big problem is always making him two-dimensional. He's either pure evil all the time or he's a comic figure who scares nobody. The fact that Reaper has avoided this pitfall is at the core of it's brilliance. Seeing the menace that he is capable of when he warned Sam about his meddling was truly unsettling. Of course, much of the credit goes to Ray Wise, who has the amazing ability to seem friendly and dangerous at the same time.

I had almost forgot about the previews that hinted at Sam's new love interest. Just another added wrinkle to make the show as interesting as it can be. Now, I guess, it's Andi's turn to be jealous and the fact that Cady may be the daughter of the devil cements this show on my must-watch list.