seeing stars, and a guess
So far, Ray and Shaz are the only ones besides Alex who've both had a Bowieflash moment and seen the starfield. (I reckon Alex had a Bowieflash too, only backwards: it was set to "My Way" instead of "Life on Mars?" as io_aenaria so brilliantly pointed out. I think this is a clue that they, besides Alex, are the only "real" souls in the copper's limbo; everyone else is either a figment of Gene's imagination or a manifestation of his subconscious.
I don't much like this idea, mind; but it sure looks like that's the way the writers are taking it.
My guess: if it's Shaz or Ray that "comes a cropper" in 3x06, then their body will disappear, just like Sam's did. Because the characters who exist as a facet of Gene Hunt's inner world can have imaginary funerals, but the "real", exterior-to-Gene characters physically move on to whatever comes next...the starfield, I'm guessing.
Which begs the question: before the car in the river, did Sam Tyler see stars too?
Q
crossposted to a2ashes