NYPress.com
THE DEVIL YOU KNOW
Chuck and Reaper, both separated at birth
Some TV characters are born innocent, others have innocence thrust upon them. The protagonists of NBC’s “Chuck” and CW’s “Reaper” fall into this latter category. They’re slackers who, by no fault of their own, are forced to deal with fantastical, life-threatening scenarios while still holding fast to their inner-cluelessness. And that is not the only similarity between these comedies. In fact, the shows are totally identical except that in “Reaper” the Devil himself is the villain, and in “Chuck” it’s the U.S. government. Guess which one is the more demonic.
Sam, in “Reaper,” is a salesperson at Work Bench (i.e. Home Depot) while Chuck is a salesperson for Buy More (i.e. Best Buy). Sam’s best friend/co-worker is a Jack Black wannabe who looks after Sam’s love life. Chuck’s best friend/co-worker is a David Schwimmer wannabe who looks after Chuck’s love life when he’s not busy obsessing over his own. Sam adores a bright, pretty co-worker named Andi. Chuck adores a bright, pretty sister named Ellie. Andi and Ellie (Missy Peregrym and Sarah Lancaster) could pass for twins.
Sam learns, on his 21st birthday, that his parents had long ago sold his soul to Satan and that now he must get busy giving the devil his due by capturing fugitives from Hell. Chuck, on the night of his birthday party, opens an e-mail attachment and accidentally downloads a server full of government secrets directly into his brain. Guided and manhandled by agents from the CIA and NSA, Chuck must now get busy capturing terrorists and assassins.
“Reaper” has the darker, deeper pool of legendry at its disposal, but the results are lighter and shallower. An alarm clock set for 6:66 and a Lil Devil min-vac is about as wry as it gets. As Satan, Ray Wise (who gave the quintessential performance of a man possessed by evil in “Twin Peaks”) is failed by the writers and left stranded in a one-dimensional role. And while both shows pile on the special effects, only “Chuck” is blessed with the kind of immediacy, superior editing and fight sequences that can keep it from the fiery pits of cancellation.
-November 7, 2007
