The horror-comedy hybrid was labeled early on a spiritual successor to “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” And though the show never lived up to that promise, it has improved enough in its second half to convince me that it could really hit its stride in year two. Much like “Buffy” did, by the way.

The biggest reason for “Reaper”’s recent winning streak is that the writers have cut back on the repetitive demon-of-the-week tales to stress a larger mythology being woven from episode to episode. Last fall, every episode of “Reaper” was the same: A demon wielding some unique power escapes from hell.

The Devil tasks 21-year-old slacker Sam (Brett Harrison), whose soul was sold into servitude by his parents before he was born, with capturing the demon. Sam’s even-bigger-slacker buddies, Sock and Ben, come along for the ride. The good guys win, and the soul is dropped off at the local DMV to be returned to the underworld were it belongs.

But “Reaper” writers have recently pulled back the curtain to reveal more of the interesting universe these characters inhabit. We’ve found out that not all demons are pure evil. In fact, some — like Sam’s gay neighbors Tony and Steve — are pleasant conversationalists, excellent cooks and all-around nice guys. They even attend AA-like meetings to suppress their uglier demonic urges. Additionally, Tony’s leading a resistance to overthrow the Devil — a power play that unfortunately gets Steve killed and catches Sam in the middle.

That’s all Sam needs. He’s already got enough problems trying to hold down both a normal job and an awesome girlfriend, while still working as Satan’s bounty hunter.

The complexity is appreciated. “Reaper” has never had a problem with the “comedy” half of its genre. (Tyler Labine remains a hoot as the overenthusiastic Sock.) But for the “horror” half to work, the show must present Sam with tougher moral decisions than how best to kill that week’s escaped demon. Lucky then that Ray Wise’s Lucifer is slowly turning from just sleazy to downright sinister. When Sam promises the Devil a favor in return for his girlfriend’s protection, the Devil doesn’t take long to call it in by asking Sam to betray the people who trust him.

The next hurdle for “Reaper” writers to jump is to get a grip on their show’s wonky continuity. When we first met Steve and Tony, we saw them sandblasting their demon horns down so they can pass as human.

But later we learned they can just morph from demon to human form and back. And while the contract that gives Sam’s eternal soul to the Devil was made out to be ironclad in early episodes, a group of genial demons recently revealed that they could break Sam’s contract with a quick and simple sacrifice. Sam, of course, refused, but still …

Maybe the writers just need a little more time to effectively lay out all the rules of the “Reaper” universe. Or, more likely, to figure out for themselves what exactly those rules are.

It’s unlikely that “Reaper” will ever take a leap into “Buffy”-sized greatness, but this strange yet amusing little show deserves better than to be forgotten after a single season. We’ll soon find out if the CW agrees.

Remote control in hand, Bob Taylor monitors the TV landscape from his couch and diligently reports his findings to you. If you have a question or comment for Bob, e-mail him at bobtaylor52@yahoo.com. If you want your e-mail to be considered for publication, please include your first name and the town you live in. You can find Bob on the web and read past installments of “Taylor on TV” at www.robertbriantaylor.com.