Reaper: "Love, Bullets and Blacktop" (Episode 107)

Doin' the Sock!

And the countdown of new material is on. This is the seventh episode of Reaper and the word on the street is that they could have completed as few as nine episodes prior to the start of the WGA writers’ strike. Sigh. And it’s only appropriate with the strike beginning that Reaper features a guest starring role with Curtis Armstrong, who somewhat famously killed time during the last strike with his impromptu performance on Moonlighting when the finale ran short. At any rate, enjoy Reaper while it lasts, because with the faltering ratings, this may be the last few that you ever get.

We begin this week with the boys all gussied up and ready to pick up chicks. Well, Sock is ready to pick up chicks and ready to foist them upon Sam whether he’s willing to move on from Andi or not. For some reason “Radar Love” is playing on every radio station, and even though they get the message, they’re not about to do Satan’s bidding tonight. At the bar, the boys are positively subdued, but Sock decides to mix it up. He throws a song on the jukebox and starts his little dance. The girls from a nearby bachelorette party are so into it that I start to think that the ability to attract women may be this week’s skill. That wouldn’t be a bad one, right? But alas, they’re just drunk. One girl rolls up on Sam and plants one on his lips with no prompting whatsoever. She gives Sam her number and instructs him to call her. Andi who?

Cue name tag credits.

At the Work Bench, the boys are right into Sam’s mission, checking out the vessel this week: an old 8-track tape of the soundtrack to Love, Bullets and Blacktop. Sock’s distracted though by Sam’s new ladyfriend. They make plans to listen to the tape, but of course the Bench doesn’t sell 8-track players, despite selling all kinds of things that a Home Depot wouldn’t have. Andi happens across Sam looking confused and offers up her Dad’s old 8-track player, right when Sam takes a badly timed call from Taylor, the new ladyfriend.

Sam tries to make some coffee and Satan whisks him away to the scene of a train crash, run off the track by a totaled blue muscle car. Satan is especially excited about Taylor as well. Why is he trying so hard to keep Andi out of Sam’s life, but not the others? Nonetheless, he tells Sam about the souls that caused the accident, two of them were riding in the car and caused the wreck… and they’ve been pulling the same bit a lot lately. Back to Taylor, Satan tries to Sam what will drive the girl crazy and Sam is understandably freaked out.

Booger's just lookin' for love!Back at work, Sam catches a news report about another accident caused by the souls, again in a blue muscle car. They need an old muscle car expert, which leads the boys to Russ, the middle aged employee that skeeves everybody out. Despite the skeeviness, Russ knows his cars and would be glad to help the boys… if they want to party. He shows them his orange classic and Ben can barely keep his enthusiasm for the human race in check. Russ is useful though because he puts the boys on to a classic car show downtown where they might be able to scare up some leads.

Down at the car show, Sam takes a chance and pulls a Say Anything with the 8-track and Andi’s old player. As “Radar Love” plays above the crowd, they mostly get strange looks, until they spot one couple that can’t help but groove to the tune. It looks like it’s going to be an easy catch until someone turns off the deck with the ever present demand of “Freebird”.

The hood of the car isn't the only thing that needs changing...Sam and Sock chase the demon couple up to the roof, but they throw themselves off in a suicidal gesture, smashing cars below… including the hood of Ben’s. Ben screams out in horror only to watch the couple get up again and twist their body parts back into place and leave the scene.

At the Bench, Taylor shows up looking for Sam and Andi is starting to look a bit jealous. Meanwhile, Sock has a plan. He takes a photo of a “For Sale” sign on Russ’s muscle car and Ben digitally changes the color to attract the souls through Craigslist or some such. Andi tries to convince Sam that he should take his chances with Taylor and makes faces to let us know that she’s only partially okay with the idea.

Much more attractive that her "hot" bar get-up...Satan snatches Sam up again and plops him down in a church courtyard. He gives Sam some more insight on the escaped souls, but really he brought Sam to the church where Taylor is serving as a bridesmaid for the bachelorette from the opening. He again urges Sam to give into his primal instincts. Whenever Satan is that motivated, you have to be suspicious. Still, Sam makes a date because after all, she’s attractive and Andi won’t let anything happen between them.

By the time Sam gets back to the Bench, the two souls are on their way to scope out the muscle car. The plan goes a little awry as the car is obviously orange and not blue, but Sam still manages to soul-suck one of the two. But the blonde chicky makes her escape. The only clue they have to where she has gone is a statement that the guy made “See you at midnight.”

Poppers! Free for the asking!Their long sought after copy of Love, Bullets and Blacktop arrives; only it’s on Betamax. Only one guy can help them in a situation like this, so they head to Russ’s home. They just want to watch the movie for clues, but Russ is more interested in “partying”. The boys are saved from a peer pressure moment though as the blonde soul suddenly crashes her car through the wall of Russ’s home and demands the 8-track with her lover trapped inside. Sam luckily finds another 8-track tape and hands it over. Thinking she has what she came for, she climbs back into her car and drives off into the night. Conveniently, Russ was knocked unconscious and didn’t comprehend anything that happened.

Andi's "special place"Sam tries to hook up an old Beta player in the Bench to watch the movie, but once again Andi happens by. She has a better idea and leads Sam to an absolutely surreal TV viewing room that she created for herself among the big boxes of the big box chain to hide out from the bossman. Sam and Andi get cozy while watching the flick and he finds a clue in the form of where the film’s heroes meet back up… at Midnight Auto Body.

Sock's a tough manly man...The team heads to the location and confront Blondy, who puts up a mean fight, making Sam lose the tape. Sock puts the girl through a wall, but isn’t able to slow her down long enough for them to get the better of her. Later, the boys bound, she struggles with the fake 8-track to get her lover free. She threatens Sam with a blowtorch for information, but while she’s distracted, Sock and Ben start to sing “Radar Love”… badly. Nonetheless, she’s forced to dance, giving Sam an opportunity to trip the girl and grab the 8-track. Sam seemingly gets crushes under a car, but somehow he pops up a second later unscathed and free of his bonds. Copperfield? He uses the tape and snatches the soul up.

While celebrating at the bar, Sam catches up with Taylor and while they have a connection, she wants more. Sam can’t help but remember the tips that Satan gave him, leading him to cool off the whole situation.

Sad Satan.When he heads back to the bar, Sam finds Satan waiting for him, thinking that he’s a homosexual. Sigh. The Devil is a dick. Sam calls it for what it is though, Satan trying to convince him that there’s no such thing as true love. He doesn’t believe that Satan believes that either. He doubts it when Satan says that he’s never been in love since the beginning of time. While he denies it, Satan’s choice of song and forlorn expression imply that there’s something that he’s not telling us. Was he in love with Sam’s mom?! I’m reaching here.

NEXT WEEK: Sam has a run-in with AD Skinner.

Oh Harm, Angel would be so disappointed...