If you’re like me, dear readers, you’ve noticed a shift in the tone in prime-time television this year. It’s not that über-serious drama has left the airwaves entirely, but a new breed of breezy, fun-minded shows have dominated the freshman class of shows. Reaper just might be the most pure fun of them all: it doesn’t want to change the world, it simply wants to entertain your socks right off. And after a stellar premiere, this week’s episode kept the momentum (and the charm) going at a devilish pace. (Get it? Devilish? I’m here all week, try the veal!)

Having established the slacker-as-Beezelbub’s-Boba-Fett in last week’s premiere episode, the show now turned to what a typical day in the life of Sam, our protagonist, will entail. This week’s escaped soul was one Arthur Ferry, former utilities trader, now lighting-storm producing demon. A wooden box appears early in the episode, constantly following our hero Sam despite his best efforts to dodge the box, and thereby dodging his responsibility. (Been a heckuva year for boxes, hasn’t it? Between Andy Samberg, Peter Petrelli, and now Sam, boxes are having the Best Year Ever.)

Sam’s vessel to combat such an enemy? Why, a remote-controlled monster truck, of course. The concept of an ever-evolved vessel for Sam to combat his weekly foe is a great conceit, and one I look forward to seeing each week. First a dustbuster, now a remote-controlled car: by season’s end, I’m hoping he’s upgraded his bounty hunter skills enough to earn a bazooka. But knowing the typical budget on a CW show, we’re probably only going to see him wield a Super Soaker.

The electrical-based powers of this week’s demon served to illuminate Sam’s status: namely, that he’s currently static. One of the interesting elements of this show is that the Devil, while standing in for all that is wrong and impure in the universe, also stands in as Sam’s life coach. Sam is standing still, stunted, unable (or unwilling) to move his life from its current, undemanding status into a life of purpose. The irony of irony is that it takes the Devil in order to unleash Sam’s positive potential. After all, at least for now, the work that Sam is doing falls under a relatively positive moral position. It’s difficult to argue that Sam is less of a person now than when we met him in the opening minutes of pilot.

If this changes as the season goes on…which is to say, it Sam’s tasks enter a more grey area, well, this show could change from mere frivolity into something a lot more interesting. But that’s all in the future, a future I’m not sure the show’s willing to even contemplate, nevermind execute. Luckily, even if the show does not morph from its current modus operandi, what we have is an extremely funny show with an even bigger heart. The unending affection Sam shows his best friend, Bert (aka, “Sock”), and his mother, would fill a sweeps period of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition episodes. (”Hulk need to smash?” might turn into my go-to phrase when my friends need to work out some anger.) This affection is abundantly demonstrated and completely earned, giving the show an emotional bedrock in which to ground the fantastical premise of the show.

In fact, perhaps the most unrealistic thing about this show? Andi, the love interest, is almost TOO good, TOO hot, TOO willing to jump Sam’s heretofore unmotivated, geeky, albeit sweet, booty. She’s cut from the There’s Something About Mary cloth: a woman that embodies the ideals of all men who can’t fathom why supermodels can’t act like one of the guys. There’s not a lot of work for Sam to do in order to make out with Andi, which both lowers the stakes of their potential romance and makes me wonder why my protagonist can stand toe-to-toe with demons and yet not ask out a girl clearly interested in him.

Then again, that might be exactly the irony that Reaper wishes to convey. Bravo, Reaper, you’ve sucked me into your lightning rod of awesome once again.