This show is: Not Rated
George (Ellen Muth) is only eighteen when a toilet seat that has fallen from the Mir Space Station kills her. Now she is amongst the undead and learns that she has a new job as a Grim Reaper. Unfortunately, this is not a paying gig so she must also learn how to support herself. Her new boss Rube (Mandy Patinkin) can at times be quite gruff, but he also serves as a surrogate father figure for her.
She and her fellow reapers must remove the souls from the dead, which are then in their custody until they move on to their final destination. Other reapers that work for Rube are Mason, Roxie, Betty and eventually Daisy. Each of the reapers have distinct personalities, philosophies and ways of dealing with the dead.
George has a lot of trouble with the fact that she died before she really had the chance to live. She also has a hard time dealing with the fact that she has to take people’s souls and tries to find ways to work around the system. It’s also hard for her to let go of the family she has left behind. I guess it’s fair to say that death is an issue for her.
Rube is a no nonsense kind of guy. He expects you to do your job without question. Even though he can come off as tough and unfeeling, he has some wonderful moments where he takes care of the others when they are having a difficult time. There are lovely moments with Mason, Roxie and especially George; where you see that he is a caring individual.
Mason (Callum Blue) is my absolute favorite character. The fact that he is British doesn’t hurt (yeah! British accent!), but he is also such fun. He would definitely be considered a partier (wait until you find out how he died), but he is also incredibly sweet. Mason believes in living off the land, which generally means getting money through various illegal methods.
In the first episode there are some great bonding moments between Mason and George when he helps her settle in. He shows her what she looks like to the living, they look different so that they won’t be recognized (only the dead and undead see their true identity). She goes with him on one of his reaps to learn the ropes. Mason also finds her a place to live and even brings her some clothes to get her started out. I love it when those two have scenes together. Ellen and Callum play off each other so well, it’s just great to watch.
Some of my favorite scenes, without being too spoilery:
Mason stealing money from parking meters. Roxie is a parking enforcement officer so needless to say she is not pleased about how he is earning his money and decides to put a stop to it. The way she goes about that is surprising to say the least (my husband always has to replay this one several times).
Roxie and Mason’s conversation about her wanting to get a bird for a pet is just hysterical.
Nothing is funnier than Mason being heavily under the influence of drugs after a smuggling venture goes badly.
I absolutely love Mason’s interaction with Florence, an old woman he has to reap. Their banter back and forth is just great. There are also some very sweet moments between them.
Some of my favorite quotes:
George – “Frog was an a$$hole.”
Joy – “There’s gonna be a funeral if you don’t get you’re a$$ out of bed.”
George – “Those are the last words my mother will ever say to me. Boy is she gonna be sorry.”
George – “Who had the nerve to name you Joy.”
Mason – “Alright, I’m willing to entertain the possibility that it might be the banana peel. Now sit back down.”
Roxie – “Are you high?”
Mason – “I’ve got illegals in my bottom.”
Roxie – “Why do you do this to yourself?”
Mason – “But he likes you George. He’ll stay mad for less time.”
George – “Days, weeks?”
Mason – “What is that other one … after that one?”
George – “Months?”
Mason – “Yeah, yeah that’s the one.”
Mason – “I’d feel like sh*t if coyotes ate my mum.”
Florence – “Damn right you would, cause you’re a good boy.”
Mason – “Do you believe in love at first sight or should I walk by again?”
Mason – “Ok, here’s to George … dead like us.”
This is a show that my husband, my 19 year-old son and I all like equally as well. It’s a combination of dark comedy and drama. Some of the deaths are comedic, while others are just tragic. Parts of the show are funny and light-hearted and other parts are very meaningful and really make you ponder life. It is a terrific show with great actors.
This originally aired on Showtime, so be prepared for a lot of language, some drug use and some sexual content.
I was pleasantly surprised to see a “30 Seconds to Mars” poster on the wall of George’s apartment.
Jan
P.S. Comments are welcomed. Scroll towards the bottom of the page (below the spoiler section) to where it says “Click Here to Make a Comment”. Or on entries from previous days there is a comment box.
Following is additional information about the show that contains spoilers. If you don’t want to be spoiled don’t read any further.
That fact that George’s first reap is a young child was just devastating. You can totally understand her wanting to save the girl and her utter despair when she learns that she can’t.
Betty and George are bonding and it looks like they might become good friends. Betty then decides to leave by piggybacking with one of the people that died. George takes it very hard and I felt so sorry for her. It is also interesting how they left it as a mystery, we never find out what happens to Betty (what the consequences of her jump are). In a way it’s frustrating but it’s also kind of good to leave it as part of the great unknown.
I loved the episode when Mason has to reap the gay men that have been a couple for thirty years. It is so well done and incredibly emotional. Cary dies by a freak kitchen accident. Then Mason is faced with Henry wanting to commit suicide but he is not allowed to stop him, even though Cary is begging him to. At Cary’s urging Mason does convince Henry to take pills instead of slitting his wrists, because it will be more peaceful. It’s just heart breaking and it’s such a moment of emotional growth for Mason.
Tags: callum blue, dvd, ellen muth, grim reaper, mandy patinkin, review, television
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