The Collector (2004–2006) User Reviews

I have not forgotten

[waitandhope · 8/10 · 13 August 2018]

The first few episodes make it seem just like any other drama on television. But after watching 5 or so you begin to see things differently. It was a brilliant concept with perfect casting, especially Morgan and Maya, the chemistry there was very real to me and felt honest. When she's later replaced the show never has the same feeling and something is certainly lost.

Unfortunately a DVD box set was never produced except for Seasons 1 and 2 and then only in the UK. I myself was able to purchase both before they went out of print. Season 3 was only ever released online through a recording off Citytv.

So what's the shows shining glory? Well........ Gabe certainly enhances the mystery around things, being able to see the devil and sometimes interfering in his plans. What's awesome is the little hints left in every episode that carry the story forward later, everything works out so well and you realize the entire situation is far more complex than we imagined. This is not simply a story about the devil and saving people from hell, it's designed to weave something intricate together that forms the framework of a deeper story. We catch a glimpse near the series end when Morgan is unsure whether the demon being exorcised is real or just the devil masquerading as a demon. We learn Morgan has never seen demons serving the devil and doesn't believe it's really one, but the demon puts forth a convincing argument. So just what is happening here? Was the demon real or just the devil pretending?

There are a few scenes that stick out in your mind, when the Devil goes to Maya right after we learn she made her own deal and can see the portals to hell, how Morgan discovers it is awesome! But why did the devil goto her and tell her he was lonely and heard everyone's pain in their hearts, was he regretful? Something here makes you realize he was serious and now we can glimpse something else is happening with the Devil and the over-all storyline.

Also Gabes father as an Angel telling him he found something that told him to have a child and make his deal, it was implied this was some sort of ancient artifact we might later find or hear more about but nothing else was done with it as the series was cut short. We did learn it was so ancient even Morgan wasn't able to read the language Gabe wrote down.

Now when they took Jeri to hell that was a remarkable moment because it was just absolutely stunning to me as an audience member. I thought they'd have her continue following Morgan until the end of the show but nope, they decided she knew to much and off she went. But there's more here, as if the deal Gabe's father made lead to it. Infact everything links together very well and I'm sure they had some reason the devil wanted her soul particularly. He later blames her for continuing to pursue Morgan even at the risk of ignoring her son Gabe, justifying that as a the reason she deserved to goto hell. But Gabe also knew ahead of time she'd be going, saying goodbye to her as she left. So clearly Gabe knows who the devil will take or wants, sometimes can interfere as he did with the girl being raped by her father.

There's a treasure of content we could explore here, shaping an entire universe unlike anything today on tv.

The best parts were Morgan learning the devil made the deal with him because he'd have ended up curing Katrina of the plague and bringing it to the world saving millions of lives. This was utterly crazy at the time and we were left wondering omfg how could he be so horrible, this devil.

Another moment we question what's going on is when Morgan's going to freeze to death in the meat locker at the restaurant, the devil reveals part of the deal made was to keep anyone from finding him for 30 years. So he'd remain frozen, eventually thaw out 30 years later since he's a collector he can't die. Yet the devil provides him a way out saying he didn't make the deal saying people can't find him who don't know where he is already, then hands him a phone. That's another moment we see that changes the dynamic in the show because the devil isn't doing it for kicks, or for compassion, what it appeared to me was something about the story was playing a part, the devil may have been changing or somehow Gabe's influence or Morgans interfering with his evil judgments. But let's not forget he says Morgan is special, and infact told Maya he was telling the truth when he said he loved her!

It's possible that in some moments the devil was actually god masquerading for some unknown reason, however we KNOW Morgan has never said god exists and thinks maybe only the devil does, though he believes in heaven. In one instance Morgan does see the gateway to heaven taking someone, and to me this implied something with him was changing too. Like the devil he was also not stuck in 1 kind of moment, unlike characters of today both were evolving.

My take on everything here was as much as the devil had deals that moved around luck, whatever was happening had a larger role in the devil and making him less evil or something like it. He helps Morgan in the freezer, helps Maya telling her Morgan's honest so she will trust him, even curing Maya of aids which he states himself as if proud of it. It's possible god was trying to balance the evil with good in the devil or something, giving him a chance for redemption also.

These are some things to consider, as well as the Yogi episode where he vanishes and Morgan tells the devil he never saw the portal to hell anywhere. It's brushed off by the devil as meaningless but I suspect something else happened as the devil always leaves bodies behind when taking a soul. Perhaps it would have added more later to this dynamic going on, maybe the devil isn't what he seems?

Infact I am not sure the devil is what Morgan thinks, it was unclear because he did good things and states himself people always have choices. And when seeking redemption the devil showed judgment about what someone needed to do for it, saying a few times people shouldn't get it for doing just this or that.

I'd love a Netflix reboot but since nobody's ever heard of this show I doubt we'll ever get one, but it was amazing and truly wonderful to see.

Unloved rough diamond

[Amadio · 8/10 · 27 January 2022]

Certainly this series has issues. The acting is patchy, but in some parts truly outstanding. The weekly stories could be a bit repetitive, though several were excellent; unpredictable, imaginative, and gripping. The production values are low, quite budget, and again, at many times this did not detract from the good writing. At times, the dialogue was laugh out loud funny, and at others rather perceptive and insightful.

I certainly got a lot out of watching this. I watched the first season on Amazon, and would like to watch more. It appears not to be available in form anywhere.

It is not 10* as several reviews say, they must be crew as they have made no other reviews.

Give it a go, watch 3/4 episodes and hopefully you will enjoy some pretty good TV.

sophomore slump

[stormy_daze · 6/10 · 27 December 2010]

Watching this show because I work with Faustian bargains (selling your soul) in post-grad academics. I wasn't really expecting something brilliant, just wanted to see how they use the Faustian themes.

Okay, the first series was certainly better. As another reviewer pointed out, they often use and reuse too many clips too often. It wasn't the most brilliant show, but it was okay. Carly Pope and Chris Kramer had great chemistry and made the stories worth watching even if they weren't always great stories, acting or directing.

Then came the second series. I'm unclear why Carly Pope was unable to return to the series, but replacing her with Sonya Salomaa was a dreadful mistake. Carly Pope could act a lot better, and Sonya just can't cut it. The writing disintegrates, and it becomes rather clichéd and trite. The first series, Maya is trying to get her life together, has issues, but whatever. Interesting enough. Second series, Maya dissolves into a stagnant drug abuser with no purpose.

The second series just turns into fluff - the could have done a lot with it. Instead they replace a character who can act with a blonde bimbo and resort to having the main character always in vests to attempt to show off his arms. If you can't have a show with good writing, directing or producing, might as well put the bimbos out.

Anyway, the first year is okay, it's not brilliant but it's interesting enough. The second year.... really just spirals down. I'm not convinced it's worth it.

Lost Jewel

[Freemheart · 9/10 · 9 September 2007]

I cannot say less, at the beginning I didn't want to watch it, I thought: "another mix of gore and mystery with nothing good to make you think" (something like millennium) But finally I found at least three good reasons because the Collector it's one of the best shows 1- Unpredictable: from the first episode you'll never know when there's a "happy ending", the stories are very dark but there's no use of unnecessary violence, everything has a reason. 2- Deep: "The collector" it's not an "easy to watch show", there's always a message to think, some lesson, reflection about life and the way we live. 3- Epic: "the collector" talks about the inner war, I mean: the battle between light and darkness of every human being, for their own private desires, the price to make the dreams come true specially when we destroy the life of other people. The stories have a lot of symbols, lot of fantasy but the way the producers use it end in a very realistic message.

More reason: the acting it's good, the specially effects, and as I said in the first point: This is the kind of show where the producer don't have fear to make the necessary changes to make the stories better, so it's very unpredictable. It's not the kind of show about mysteries: you know from the beginning the rules of the main story but as the season goes you are gonna find the details, the true reasons a secrets of every character, everything from the autistic boy to the past of Morgan has a reason, and that make this a better far better than many things we usually find in the TV.

My take on seasons 1 & 2

[Ryououki · 12 June 2005]

I've watched both seasons of The Collector. I must say that I do like the series.

The only thing I don't like is the constant replaying of the same scenes of his past over and over again. I would say they took about 15 minutes worth of footage and used it to fill in about an hour or two worth of playtime throughout the 2 seasons.

I really like the diversity of characters they bring into each episode, including the ever changing Devil. Some characters you find you want to be saved and others you just wish Morgan would push the button and send them to hell.

I won't say what happened to Jeri Slate, but I definitely didn't expect what did happen to happen. You'll just have to watch to find out. :) Definitely give it a chance, I think most people will enjoy it. It's not quite as fast paced as most American TV shows, which is good and bad, but instead keeps it's own unique pace.

This series is really quite awful

[jonnithomas · 3/10 · 28 October 2015]

The scripts are appalling as are the actors. I guess it's hard to act when you haven't been given anything worth saying.

The scenery is cheap and frankly unbelievable. It's done to a budget suitable for a cheap children's show about ducks.

Frankly how anyone could vote this as 10 amazes me. It's plastic drivel for those of limited demands.

I think it was good that these actors had work but it's a shame that the director and scriptwriters didn't attend.

I would suggest that you don't waste your time. Don't look for any depth as there isn't any.

Well Written, Well Acted, Surprising.

[MagnumOpie · 10/10 · 14 March 2005]

I'm glad to see such an exciting, innovative and yet accessible television series produced here in Canada. The character of Morgan Pym, the slow revelation of his past, the evolution of the mysteries that exist in his present (especially with the boy Gabe) are all deliciously well wrought. The guest stars are varied and fascinating, allowing each episode to have a fresh and intriguing spin, while the long term story arcs keep the viewer coming back week after week. I like the mix of drama and occasional dark comedy, and the cynical humor of the devil, which remains consistent whether he appears in the form of a skateboarding kid or a ventriloquist's dummy. A show made in Canada, but not strictly specialized to appeal to only Canadian tastes, the themes and stories are universal. This one's for keeps.

Great show...deliciously dark and twisted, but still fun

[loco_73 · 9/10 · 7 December 2005]

I really like this TV show. When compared to most of the refuse that populates TV land these days, this show is refreshing, fun, poignant and very engaging. I cannot wait until the new season starts. I like the premise of the show, the cast, the plot/storyline and the production. I hope this show has a good run. What I find interesting, is that the actors that impersonate the devil are dead on...and very well chosen for that part. You never really know what the devil will look like in any episode. For those that think that this is just a campy and light show, pay more attention to the content. It deals with very heady topics like addiction, prostitution, violence, greed etc. and all other kinds of vices, to which people succumb and become such enticing prey for the devil. Chris Kramer's character, Morgan Pym, symbolizes the eternal desire of man for understanding and boundless love as well as a never ending search for redemption. All I can say is that The Collector is excellent. A viewing pleasure...more please!

If you want a super show with great acting this is it!

[Gina_89 · 9/10 · 24 August 2006]

Wow! The first time I saw it was last year and I thought it was intense. I have been following as regularly as I can and I thought it was incredible as time went on. The way the devil has a different face is really good and the way it goes back in Morgan's life is helpful to new watchers who may be confused as to why he's not dying. There are some really good morals in it too. Morgan meets people who think that hey're helpless and tries as best as he can to help them find their redemption. Most of the time he does help them in the end but the devil is very tricky and usually turns up to throw a wrench in Morgan's plans. This is an amazing show all in all and the characters are great!

Enough twists to keep it interesting

[bedlam-7 · 26 August 2005]

When I first saw the trailers for this series I was concerned that it was going to be incredibly clichéd, but I'm impressed so far by the way that it keeps you guessing - you can't work out how an episode is going to end just by watching the first 10 minutes, and it doesn't always automatically have happy endings.

The only complaint I would have is that the acting standards are a little variable. The regular cast are great (and Chris Kramer is incredibly good looking), but some of the weekly guests have been over-the-top.

We're way behind on this - only halfway through Season 1. I came in to check if this went on to further seasons. Glad to see that it did.

Outstanding TV show

[PeteRoy · 10/10 · 29 January 2006]

There is so much crap on TV, too many reality shows, bad sitcom shows.

But this show is like no other, it stands out with it's interesting story about a collector of the devil who tries to save the souls of the people who made deal with the devil.

The collector in this show is limited to one city, he can't tell anyone about what he do or else that person will go to hell if he know about it.

Also every person who made a deal with the devil can't tell anyone about his deal or he will go to hell with the person he told about the deal.

I still don't fully understand but apparently that kid Gabe knows about the collector and he can see the devil and has something to do with the redemption of the collector himself.

The show is not confined to one set and in every episode you see a new place and new guest stars.

Highly recommended.

Excellent series

[aliciagayol · 10/10 · 17 August 2006]

In Argentina we have seen many Americans shows, but really lately the Canadians don't have nothing that envy to the Americans. Example this is The Collector, for many years we don't see a show like this, so amazing, so entertainer, please we don't let us shutout the collector. We need him, we need Morgan Pym.

The performances are really good, the scrip is fantastic, the performance of Chris Kramer is wonderful, we can't imagine someone else.

The boy, Aidan, the autistic boy, his job is extraordinary.

Maya is just who Morgan needs.

Criminally Underrated

[maertyonboard · 9/10 · 18 March 2016]

This a rare kind of show, because most genre TV tends not to stray too far from the action-adventure template that usually makes it lucrative, and it shows because it got canceled after three seasons and way too soon in my opinion because this is an excellent supernatural drama, emphasis on "drama".

The premise goes thusly: In the 13th century, at the onset of the Black Plague, a young monk named Morgan Pym (Chris Kramer) is tricked by the Devil into selling his soul to him, in exchange for not going to hell after the 10 year contract has expired, Morgan is tasked with collecting the souls of other people who dealt with the Devil after their 10 years of enjoying the outcome of the deal are up, and is effectively immortal.

However, at the beginning of the new millennium, after meeting with a junkie named Maya (Carly Pope/Sonya Salomaa) and nursing her back to health, he rediscovers his desire to help people and manages to persuade the Devil to allow him a 48 hour window to help find redemption for the people who dealt before their time is up and their souls are sent to hell.

Unfortunately not only is the Devil constantly throwing curveballs in Morgan's direction to distract him and impede his progress in saving souls, but intrepid journalist Jeri Slate (Ellen Dubin) begins to suspect Morgan of being trouble due to him being in the vicinity of several high-profile deaths (from his job as a collector) and serves as a constant annoyance and an impediment to his progress, all the while her autistic son Gabriel (Aidan Drummond) has an unexplained connection to the Devil, Morgan and the people he's trying to save.

If the show seems very formulaic to you, Morgan has 48 hours to save someone before they go to hell, many episodes do something to shake up the formula, the most common method being Morgan failing to save the person from going to hell, as such the show never loses its tension due to a 100% success rating on the part of the main character. Also the running B plot of Maya trying to stay sober and the C plot of Jeri trying to figure out who Morgan is while struggling to care for Gabriel, may seem out of place in a show like this but are always amazingly written and performed by the cast and never feel like they don't belong given the dramatic and mature nature of the series.

And speaking of which, this is not an action series like Buffy or Angel or Supernatural, there are no monsters of the week and Morgan rarely fights something and every time he does we know he won't die since so long as he continues to be a collector (even if he's actively sabotaging his job), he's completely immortal and heals almost immediately from any wound. This is a drama, and the climax usually involves people talking rather than people fighting (even though sometimes fighting happens anyway). If this sounds boring to you then I don't recommend but if you would like your genre TV with more drama and less action then the Collector is the show for you. Just keep in mind that it was canceled before all of its story arcs were resolved so you won't be (crushingly) disappointed once its over and it's really the only thing stopping me from giving it a 10.

The show is only available in its entirety on Amazon Prime, as the third season never got a proper home video release, so if you don't have an Amazon Prime subscription yet, this show (and The Man in the High Castle as well) makes it worth it on its own.

9/10 (Excellent)

The best show ever

[videotvguy · 10/10 · 26 June 2006]

I found the Canadian show this year, and i really loved the first time i saw it, first i thought it was a movie, but it isn't. It was actually one of the most dark shows and it's almost in the same level of Spawn. The character of Morgan Pym, it's one of my favorite characters ever, close to solid snake, because he's tough but out of clichés, the guy also have feelings inside, which is actually good. Chris Kramer put the skills on this, he's a great actor.

The other characters have deep questions like: i need a life, how can be good for something. The guest stars are wonderful, with a lot of conflicts and problems. The themes are excellent very dark, themes like: alcohol, murder, incest, mental illness, money, and on and on. You can see there is some silent hill elements on this series, silent hill the game of course, not the movie.

In some way this series is put solid snake on silent hill town and some Spawn spots, brilliant combination.

Finally there is an evil agent in all this, very interesting, and with different faces all the time. The main theme is excellent: "you are good but you are working with the evil". The twist of the stories are very well done, you really can open your mouth really wide when you see the ending of the episode.

If you want horror, action and dark places, The collector, it's your best choice.

Kinda...

[kent666 · 1 October 2005]

The Collector is a great TV series. Well, for me in my own opinion.

I liked the TV series though it has a slow pace and has nowhere to go. I guess they did it on purpose. But the thing is if there are more to the series they should have at least prepared a script for a whole season at a fast pace because most of the 1st season of many TV series has this one just to introduce the main story of the series.

Another thing is I hate the flashbacks which is played all over again and again and again. I know they do this specially when the main character always tells something about his past but they don't really have to do the flashbacks a simple short conversation of the main character about his past would do.

And oh by the way I said it was kinda slow because most of it are repetitive which has really got nowhere to go. And now i'm repetitively saying this over again...(lol) The good news is that the ending isn't that predictable because you wouldn't know if his clients are redeemed or not and there are some twists about this boy Gabe... and it will uncover a little more as the episodes progresses.

I would recommend for you to watch it and you'll be in for a great surprise, then judge it for yourself. You'll never regret it though.

A genuine "Lost Gem" of TV

[neilwilkes-46501 · 10/10 · 12 April 2020]

The only bad thing I can find to say about this show is the way it was cut after only 3 seasons and now seems to be totally unavailable on either DVD or Blu-ray unless you are prepared to buy a set in poor quality DVD-R format, which is a real shame as I for one would immediately buy a Blu-ray series of this if it were done properly.

The premise is well covered in these reviews already, so I will not add to the clutter except to point out the absurdity of it not being legally available to buy and forcing people to buy from, shall we say, "unofficial" sources?

Highly recommended if you can find it.

Gabe's role

[lefesue · 4 August 2005]

I really have become a "Collector groupie". I love the show and can't wait to see the next episode. I will watch reruns consistently. I did not get to see the beginning though, but have found out some of the details through the back flashes.I have only found the show this year and wish I had seen it in the beginning.Please someone help this confused viewer!! I am having a problem though! I know that Gabe fits into the picture, but HOW!I guess I am not the sharpest tack in the box, but I just can't get it!! I think that we as Canadians can sure be proud of some of shows put out.I hope someone out there can clear up Gabe's role in the show and hope that the series continues for a long time. Thanks everyone for your time. Sign me as confused!

Wasted potential, wasted time.

[TooCynicalToSpeak · 27 November 2004]

Okay, I admit, I only saw one episode of this so I'm not exactly an expert but in my opinion this show is a mess. The story behind it is interesting, more or less original and has a lot of potential for a fresh looking, dark and good TV series. It has room for complex characters, and a brooding-like struggle for the main character Morgan. But in The Collector all this potential is wasted on a sloppy script, bad acting, and a generally poor look. The characters, as well as the main one are pretty much flat and the episode itself very predictable. Maybe I just saw a bad episode, but I have a feeling that I can watch the rest of them and not have a pleasant surprise to see I'm wrong. Which is too bad, because it could've been a good show.