It’s too bad I missed last week’s episode due to a cold, because that was the week in which Reaper took the leap from “merely good” to “potentially amazing.” But now I’m back to make amends and put things right again.

I’ve enjoyed the show, don’t get me wrong, but with the introduction of Sam’s contract and Andi’s mother into the show, things have gotten spectacularly interesting on this show. Unfortunately, this week’s episode did nothing to follow up on this juicy mythology, and with the mythology on Heroes muddy as hell, and months to go before Lost kicks back in, let’s just take a quick glance at what we know, or rather, what we think we know at this point in Reaper.

Sam’s parents made a deal with the devil at some point before Sam’s birth: Satan would spare Mr. Oliver’s life in exchange for the soul of their first-born. When a doctor told Mr. Oliver he was infertile, the couple rejoiced, unaware the doctor was under the Devil’s thumb as well. Out popped Sam, and here we are.

That’s the story we’ve been told. But it’s clear that’s far from the whole story, and may in fact be a huge fabrication.

The introduction of the contract gave the first hint that all was not as it seemed. Neither Sam’s Mom nor Father seemed particularly interested in finding it, and there’s every indication their conversation on the phone was in code (ie, “Where’s the faux contract, which is really just a dust pile left in case Sam ever asks for it?”) The Devil for his part seems likewise hesitant to produce the document. When he does, it’s an enormous tome written in Latin. Sam’s father all bit relieves himself in public upon seeing the document in Sam’s locker, and immediately asks for a meeting with the Devil.

The Devil, heretofore all smiles and charm even as he delivers the worst of news and the biggest of threats, for once drops the smile and goes mega-creepy on Sam when learning of Mr. Oliver’s request. By episode’s end, Mr. Oliver has gotten a hold of the contract, and has ripped out and burned one page in particular. So what’s on that page that’s so important? What is Mr. Oliver hiding? And when the Devil says his business is done with Mr. Oliver, what exactly is he talking about?

The answer may lie in Andi’s mom, seen onscreen for only ninety seconds or so. But this is a woman clearly disturbed at seeing Sam at her doorstep. She’s barely able to look him in the eye. But even more puzzling, after initially closing the door on him, she re-opens it and asks Sam to tell his father hello. Which begs the question: what if Satan’s bargain with Mr. Oliver has absolutely nothing to do with a medical condition, and everything to do with Ali’s mom?

Ali, by association, becomes infinitely more interesting as a character, since she’s potentially the checkmate the Devil’s looking to achieve with these two families. By constantly trying to block Sam from ever being with her (without truly making it impossible), the Devil could be placing Sam and Ali ever closer, towards an endgame Sam’s parents and Ali’s mother have long feared.

Let me know what you think of the show’s mythology so far: let’s crack this sucker together!