And Gene Hunt Is Still Weirdly Attractive.

[rionaleonhart]

Comments

[misskass]

Should I watch Ashes to Ashes? I think I should, considering you're enjoying it, but... I don't know. I feel it'll be too different to Life on Mars, and I really did like LoM for what it was, even how it ended. D8

[rionaleonhart]

That's interesting, because my problem with Ashes to Ashes at first was actually that I felt it was too similar to Life on Mars. I love Life on Mars, but I thought Ashes to Ashes improved when it managed to step out from beneath the shadow of its predecessor and become more of a show in its own right, rather than a photocopy of the original with Sam and Annie removed.

I'd suggest at least giving Ashes to Ashes a go. Alex may annoy you for the first few episodes (she certainly annoyed me), but give her a chance; she'll get better.

[wolfy_writing]

I keep somewhat intending to watch Ashes to Ashes, but between the difficulty of seeing it (my tendency to hop countries doesn't help on this front) and all the bits I'm meh about, I never get around to it.

It would help if they did something meaningful with Sam. I was discontented with the ending of Life on Mars, and a lot of what I've heard about Ashes to Ashes makes it sound like they're going in a direction that appeals to me more, so if they shift Sam's story so it's different, it's likely to be in a way I find more satisfying.

I do like that the Top Gear crossover is, in fact, already canon.

[rionaleonhart]

Ashes to Ashes isn't as good as Life on Mars, but I'd say it's worth watching if you have the chance. Every so often it will do something incredibly awesome (the finales of both series so far have been amazing).

I am so interested in seeing what they do with Sam's storyline. (And, yes, Top Gear showing up amused me quite a lot.)

[wolfy_writing]

I know there's been Top Gear/Life on Mars, but I don't think Top Gear/Ashes to Ashes has been done, oddly.

[dracothelizard]

Another case of the BBC beating us to it, really.

[th_esaurus]

did anyone else have the very strong impression that he was talking about us, about the viewers?

YEP. YEP YEP YEP.

I've always thought A2A suffered from a case of tell-not-show storytelling, and this episode was no exception. It bugs me that Shaz likes and respects Alex so much, because Shaz is the one that bears the brunt of Alex's crazy ramblings about going home. And Shaz always reacts to those outbursts as though Alex is a crazy nutbag. And then five minutes later she'll turn around and go OH ALEX YOU ARE THE BEST HOW DID WE LIVE WITHOUT YOU. Idk. That's always bothered me. It's always bothered me that Alex is much more vocal and less subtle about her belief that she is 'elsewhere' and none of this is real. Sam, at least, limited his crazy outbursts to mostly Annie. Alex just comes out with them whenever she feels like it.

MAYBE THAT'S JUST ME.

[rionaleonhart]

I suppose Alex would be more vocal about thinking none of this is real, though, because she knows what happened to Sam; she knows he was in a coma and hallucinating, rather than back in time, and so she has less doubt of the 'perhaps this is real?' variety, and that doubt would be an incentive not to appear insane to her colleagues in the eighties.

You've got a good point about the tell-not-show storytelling, though; it hadn't really occurred to me before, but it really is a problem that Ashes to Ashes displays a lot.

[urawrd]

...I'm just here to use this icon again.

[rionaleonhart]

It is so hypnotic.

[emmarrrrr]

I basically have no real opinion aside from "GENE HUNT IS AMAZING!" and the fact that I quite like Jimmy because he's a bit evil but also because he's making every mistake villians do. Mostly monologuing.

Also, the use of Every Breath You Take at the end of the episode caused much laughter amongst my family. My instant reaction was "As if it wasn't obvious enough already!" Because everyone loves creepy stalker songs right?

[rionaleonhart]

The soundtrack of Ashes to Ashes is excellent. I loved the use of 'Under Pressure' as well.