The Dub's Reaper Back Tonight...

[Emperor]

Tuesday’s first new “Reaper” in nine months arrives a little listless – clumsy, predictable and kinda dull, with a too-familiar subplot about Sock (the fat guy from “Invasion” or “Surface,” I forget which) wanting to put the bone to his newly discovered hot stepsister. The installment’s only real saving grace is Ray Wise’s devil, who does a funny little heinie dance in front of a sportscar.

 

Having said this, I fully predict those who loved every episode of season one will like tonight’s.

 

I’m assuming next week’s episode sucks too, if only because the CW didn’t forward that one along.

 

The good news is the CW did forward the March 17 episode and it’s got a lot of funny stuff in it; I especially enjoyed the devil in full “Bedazzled” mode, making life tricky for recovering alcoholics. I makes me kind of wish the show would ditch the escapee-of-the-week formula and instead just follow the adventures of Lucifer and his slacker antichrist spawn.

 

(A parting digression: the limitations of Brendan Fraser and Elizabeth Hurley sunk the 2000 version of “Bedazzled,” but the 1964 Peter Cook-Dudley Moore version is comedy gold; “Reaper” fans are encouraged to seek it out, and perhaps even watch it in lieu of “Reaper” 2.1 and 2.2.)

 

8 p.m. Tuesday. The CW.