Ashes to Ashes - Life on Mars sequel

im still a bit dissapointed with this. the whole murdered parents thing, but to just comment on the sam dead thing, it is in her head that a second before you die can last many years (the life flashing before your eyes thing) so in her head sam would have lived for many years before dying, and the reason he is dead is because she knows hes dead in real life....if you see what i mean. i'll give it a few more weeks before i decide wether it is a good show or not.
 
I just finished watching this and, although it started out pretty rough, it got pretty good toward the end. Bolly and the Gene Genie don't need to hook up, though. That sexual tension is the only thing that sort of bothers me about the show still. But the last few episodes were solid and the final episode was on the same level as any of Life on Mars' best, as far as I'm concerned.

Oh, and I wish they hadn't made such a big deal about Sam being dead. They should've just said he's still in a coma in the real world and he and Annie went off together in coma-world. That'd at least leave an opening for Simm to come back at some point for a fun crossover.
 
Wow, I forgot I made this thread. I watched the first 4/5 episodes and then decided that I didn't like it enough. I thought the main character is very badly written and most of it is like a straight Life on Mars rehash. Gene Hunt is still cool, but with a bad leading character like DI Drake you realize that John Simm really carried Life on Mars and Gene was the perfect supporting character. I liked the first episode of ATA very much partly because Sam was mentioned a few times... Which reminds me, were there any more references to him in the show?

But anyway, I've watched some clips of Ashes to Ashes on youtube, and there were some quite good ones, like the finale. The people who make the show still know how to create absolutely awesome sequences with great music and trippy effects (the guy turning into the David Bowie clown!) but overall it didn't captivate me like Life on Mars did.
 
It's definitely not as good as LoM, and no, there aren't anymore Sam references beyond the first episode. I think it still manages to be a good series even though it's not as good as LoM, though.

Drake is a weaker character than Sam, but I think that's only because she knows too much about the coma-world. The show, through Drake, is too self-referential, which creates a gulf between Drake and the other characters, so she doesn't really treat them like people. That starts to go away toward the latter half of the series, though. I think the moment I started liking Drake was when she tells a certain character who's been injured that they're her "favorite construct" with genuine care and affection. In spite of herself, she starts to sympathize with the other characters and regard them as people instead of figments of her imagination.
 
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I didn't pay much attention to the first season, didn't do much for me.
This season though has been really good, on a par with LOM imo. Sam references are back and there's an interesting thing going on with Gene Hunt regarding him. I think he will probably show up at the end of the show or something.
 
Wait? Whaaaat? That would be awesome. I had no idea that a new season had begun.
 
I don't think he's dead but Gene must have done something bad unless he wouldn't be worried either that or he's made everyone think he did something so that he can protect Sam.
 
Im kind of hoping that Sam Tyler faked his death with the help of Gene and that John Simm will appear in the finale...
 
Only 2 episodes left !!!! I want the truth !!
 
i think the 'truth' gene is hiding has something to do with the stars and that it is not real, thats why everyone is freaking out. the world is coming to an end and it is all in her head and she is going to die. its confusing, and i have confued myself typing this. still hoping to see sam in the final ep. does anyone know if this is confirmed or not that he is/isnt appearing.
 
No one knows about Tyler coming back, would be cool.

I love how there are no spoilers about this show really, it keeps you guessing loads!
I saw a good theory bit long will post it later
 
No one knows about Tyler coming back, would be cool.

I love how there are no spoilers about this show really, it keeps you guessing loads!
I saw a good theory bit long will post it later

If this is my theory you're on about, I'm gonna need to demand some credit. :oldrazz:
 
That last episode was rather good. I've never liked A2A, always a LOM man; so seeing the barman again was awesome :D
 
Brilliant episode. Its a shame that Sam Tyler did not make an appearance but i suppose he and Annie already passed through the Railway Arms to the Afterlife.....
 
Absoultely fantastic finale. Everything was spot on. The writing, acting and directing, especially the scene in the farm house between Alex, Gene and Keats. All three of them deserve awards quite frankly. :up:

And America, for future notice, THAT is how you handle a finale, don't have them as astronauts in a VR thingy gone wrong. :cmad:
 
There is only one thing I don't get;

How come only Sam and Alex were aware of their being in the wrong time? How come Ray or Chris or Shaz didn't realise?

This may have been addressed, but during the scene on the moor and digging up Hunt, my sister decided to phone the house and no one could hear what was being said. Did they explain the time periods at all?

I still got the jist, it's just I get the feeling a few key details were lost due to irritating family members :(

Also, the only reason I watched it last night was to get a glimpse of Sam, and it turned out to be one of the best hours of television I've watched in ages.
 
There is only one thing I don't get;

How come only Sam and Alex were aware of their being in the wrong time? How come Ray or Chris or Shaz didn't realise?

This may have been addressed, but during the scene on the moor and digging up Hunt, my sister decided to phone the house and no one could hear what was being said. Did they explain the time periods at all?

I still got the jist, it's just I get the feeling a few key details were lost due to irritating family members :(

Also, the only reason I watched it last night was to get a glimpse of Sam, and it turned out to be one of the best hours of television I've watched in ages.

The way I see it is that Sam and Alex weren't entirely dead when they got there, so they still retained some memories. And the very nature of that "Copper Purgatory" is that you forget. Chris, Ray and Shaz had evidently been there a long time, and seemingly completely forgot about their past life.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00shqt5/Ashes_to_Ashes_Series_3_Episode_8/

Watch it again damn you! :oldrazz:
 
*shudder* iPlayer. the bane of my life. It NEVER streams properly on my mac :(

Ok, that sounds right... but why doesn't Gene help them move on? he OBVIOUSLY remembers at least to the point where he helps Sam cross over.... so why not help Ray, Chris and Shaz then? Why let yourself forget again.... DAMN MY SISTER!

She ruined the Ashes to Ashes finale for me, I'm totally ruining her wedding next month. That's just fair.
 
*shudder* iPlayer. the bane of my life. It NEVER streams properly on my mac :(

Ok, that sounds right... but why doesn't Gene help them move on? he OBVIOUSLY remembers at least to the point where he helps Sam cross over.... so why not help Ray, Chris and Shaz then? Why let yourself forget again.... DAMN MY SISTER!

She ruined the Ashes to Ashes finale for me, I'm totally ruining her wedding next month. That's just fair.

I reckon that they had to come to terms with their deaths, and iron out their inner demons first before Gene would let them pass on. As Gene said, this is a place for people to sort themselves out. By the end of the episode, all 3 realised where they were, why they were there and confronted it, allowing them to be at peace, and pass on.
 
Yeah, makes sense. I thought I over heard Drake saying somethng like "he's just forgotten" in reference to Gene while in the house (when Keats was there as well).

Damn it. It's not like I even particuarly like Ashes to Ashes, but missing the audio for the reveal scene has made me need to know. Ugh. At least Lost will make me forget all my Ashes to Ashes questions tomorrow :p
 
Yeah, makes sense. I thought I over heard Drake saying somethng like "he's just forgotten" in reference to Gene while in the house (when Keats was there as well).

Damn it. It's not like I even particuarly like Ashes to Ashes, but missing the audio for the reveal scene has made me need to know. Ugh. At least Lost will make me forget all my Ashes to Ashes questions tomorrow :p

Yeah, she did say that. Shaz's discovery of how she died in the real world was just horrible. Fantastic acting. :up:

And yeah, Lost finale at 5am on Monday morning. Joy. :csad:
 
It's ok for me. Luckily I don't work Mondays.

So it will be nice for once to watch Lost and NOT have to go and teach people straight after :D

PLUS, I'm in the middle of an insomnia attack. Three days, 4 hours sleep. Lost will mean I'm not bored for once :p
 

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