The_Collector_(TV_series)

The Collector (TV series)

The Collector is a Canadian supernatural drama television series about a man attempting to help save people who have bargained their souls with the Devil. After over 600 years of "collecting" the souls of people at the end of their 10-year deals, Morgan Pym (Chris Kramer) negotiates with the Devil for the ability to aid the damned in redeeming themselves rather than sending them to Hell. Under the Devil's mocking gaze, Morgan assists his "clients" in undoing the damage their deals have done by shifting good luck towards themselves and away from others.

The series is set in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, where it was also filmed. CHUM cancelled the program, but a number of fans are campaigning for a revival through internet petitions and mailing/emailing. On his blog on the show's official website, creator Jon Cooksey has stated that the show is being sold for US syndication in Fall 2007 and that Canadian and international DVD releases should follow in late 2007 and beyond. He has also indicated the possibility of new episodes if its US run is successful.

Character descriptions

Morgan Pym (Chris Kramer) is a collector of souls damned by their deal with the Devil. He was a fourteenth-century German monk who fell in love with a woman named Katrina, breaking his vows. She began to show symptoms of the plague, and Morgan sold his soul for ten years of life with the woman he loved. In return for being spared from Hell, he becomes the first collector. More recently, the Devil agreed to allow him to seek redemption for his clients. Morgan has 48 hours to help redeem each client or they are sent to Hell, and the time remaining is displayed on his cell phone.

Jeri Slate (Ellen Dubin) is a reporter who regularly encounters Morgan Pym in her investigations and is professionally obsessed with him, as he always seems to be "around" for certain controversial incidents and/or high profile deaths. But as she digs deeper and gets closer to the truth, she begins to sense a prior, unknown influence of Pym in her own life--which renders the obsession increasingly personal.

Gabriel Slate (Aidan Drummond) is the son of investigative reporter Jeri Slate. Gabriel, addressed as Gabe in the series, is an autistic child who is somehow connected to Morgan Pym and is regularly visited by the Devil. Some of Gabe's actions influence the stories and he displays an amazing perception of Morgan's experiences. His connection to Morgan is explored progressively throughout the series.

Taylor Slate (Christine Chatelain) is Jeri's younger sister. She's sweet and smart, but when introduced, seemingly ill-suited for long term responsibility, as she isn't able to hold a job well or reliably for very long. But this "freedom" in her schedule lets Jeri call on her to look after Gabe when Jeri's out pursuing a story. Taylor's aptitude for responsibility is unexpectedly tested, however, when the burden of Gabe's care and upbringing suddenly and unavoidably becomes hers.

Maya Kandinski (Carly Pope in Season 1, Sonya Salomaa from Season 2 onwards) used to be a well-adjusted person until her father started sexually abusing her at a young age. Eventually she ran away from home and took to the streets of Vancouver, where she became a heroin addict, prostituting herself for the money to buy the drug, and eventually contracted AIDS, which she was dying from when Morgan met her. The first client Morgan tried to save cured her AIDS by inflicting it upon himself, with the Devil's help. Morgan befriends her and helps her with her addiction.

The Devil is portrayed by a different actor in each episode. To identify him (or her) to the viewer, his eyes appear to fill with fire at times. Gabe is the only person besides Morgan who sees through his disguises. The Devil does not do anything good without doing something that does more damage, to create more evil and strife in the world. In the last 48 hours of a deal, the Devil begins to undo the effects of the deal on his client (for example, if they sold their soul for a normal family, their family life will begin to fall apart). The client's collector will normally approach the client at the 48-hour mark to inform them that they can elect to go to Hell early. The Devil states that the client gives up and goes to Hell early, or the Devil enjoys watching the client squirm for their last hours on Earth, before he takes them to Hell. In both cases, he 'wins.'

Vow of secrecy

Morgan and his clients are bound never to reveal the true nature of their situation to anyone else. Revealing the truth to an innocent results in both parties being sent to Hell.

The portal

When a damned soul is about to be sent to Hell, a portal opens up beside them. Only a collector and the client are able to see this portal. For people who happen to be nearby, the taking of a soul is witnessed as an accident or some other fatal event. Later, it is revealed that the portal can be seen by any person who sold their soul, as a preview of what will happen when their time on Earth is up.