Having watched the series all the way through a couple of times now, I can appreciate the pilot more than I initially did. It effectively sets up the show's concept and introduces us to all the characters in this quirky universe. The cast all excel at making each character unique the reapers themselves are a hodge-podge of differing backgrounds and attitudes. And George's off-screen narration makes some clever satirical comments about life and death her opening story about how death came into the world is a delight.
The main flaw of the episode is that it lacks a really likable character. The lead character George is a self-confessed shirker who's lost interest in the world. Her fellow reapers are aloof at best, downright mean at worst. Even her own family is unpleasant to watch. The story isn't funny enough to be a real comedy; it's more of a light-hearted drama with occasional touches of genuine pathos. If you stick around for the series, you'll grow to like these characters even for some of the very flaws that make them undesirable in this outing. My advice is to watch the pilot with low expectations. Just get to know the characters and the setup and proceed on to the next episodes. If you like a show that's truly different, you'll enjoy this in the long run. And later, when you watch this pilot again, you'll find it was better than you first thought.
The main flaw of the episode is that it lacks a really likable character. The lead character George is a self-confessed shirker who's lost interest in the world. Her fellow reapers are aloof at best, downright mean at worst. Even her own family is unpleasant to watch. The story isn't funny enough to be a real comedy; it's more of a light-hearted drama with occasional touches of genuine pathos. If you stick around for the series, you'll grow to like these characters even for some of the very flaws that make them undesirable in this outing. My advice is to watch the pilot with low expectations. Just get to know the characters and the setup and proceed on to the next episodes. If you like a show that's truly different, you'll enjoy this in the long run. And later, when you watch this pilot again, you'll find it was better than you first thought.