Narnia and Ashes to Ashes
Reading through the reaction post to episode two, something fireangelaw said jumped out at me:
"I do feel like I should have read 'Narnia' though... with Gene keep being mentioned as a 'lion' and Alex's father talking about their 'paradise' (at the end of season one) and I think he was reading a book to Alex as child in one scene; I'm not sure what book, or what that was all about though..."
Thank you to fireangelaw for making those connections :)
Which got me thinking - I read the entire series a few years ago and fireangelaw's comment reminded me of the ultimate ending to the books and, if Aslan is in some way important to Gene's storyline, got me thinking about what that might mean for Ashes to Ashes:
From the Wikipedia summary of the last Narnia book, The Last Battle:
[preceeding this there's the eponymous Last Battle of the story title, then:]
Aslan appears, and as they watch...all of the people and animals, including those who had previously died...are judged by Aslan. Those who have been loyal to Aslan or the morality upheld by Narnians join Aslan in Aslan's Country. Those who have opposed or deserted him become ordinary animals and vanish to a fate unknown.
As the children watch, all the vegetation is eaten by dragons, salamanders, and giant lizards and Father Time calls the stars down from the skies into the sea, which rises to cover Narnia. The Sun expands and draws in the moon. Father Time then puts it out, freezing Narnia. Peter closes the door, and Aslan leads them to his country, telling them to go further up and further in, to a country which is revealed to be the "real" Narnia (the one the Narnians had previously inhabited was only a copy).
They move up a waterfall to some gates, and are greeted by the heroic talking mouse Reepicheep. Here they meet the primary characters from the earlier novels, and the series ends with the revelation that "for them, it was only the beginning of the true story, which goes on forever, and in which every chapter is better than the one before."
It is revealed by Aslan that the Pevensie children have been involved in a train crash or railway accident that claimed their lives.
So, we have Aslan/Gene judging the Narnians&Pevensies/CID or police officers or similar? If they've been loyal, they can "move on" to the real Narnia/afterlife?
So, there we are. Personally I'm not making any assumptions (save for doubting that any of this post is actually relevant) because come episode eight (and probably earlier) I'm sure the rug's going to get pulled way, way out from under our feet, but it's fun to speculate :)