Ashes To Ashes

[Earl of Erimus]

Did anybody else watch it ???

Personally loved it especially Gene Hunts one liner "so were looking for a man who's done time, that narrows it down to half the world and the whole of Sunderland"

[Gerontophile]

Ashes To Ashes

Watched it yesterday with the usual mixture of bafflement and enjoyment.

The soundtrack wasn't as good as I expected (Trio, The Police) this week, but fully expect this to improve.

[Tony C]

Ashes To Ashes

The plot of this episode was desperately thin and even Gene Hunt's patois seemed a bit laboured.

It's been fun but the show has run it's course.

[Max Payne]

Ashes To Ashes

It soon got into normal mode again. I was expecting her in the present day with a trapped in 80's Gene Hunt communicating with her but that premise was bumped immediately for more hallucinatory conspiracy theries. Still enjoyable tosh though.

[Spearmint Rhino]

Ashes To Ashes

I enjoyed episode 2 a lot more than 1. The Billy Joel bit was gratuitous but made me laugh.

I can't bear to look at Keats, though. It's his slimy hair and mis-shapen mouth. I remember him as the leader of the Millwall crew in The Firm, and he creeped me out then too.

One thing they've got wrong is the diegetic music. The new series is set in 1983, but we still keep hearing songs from 80 and 81 ("Video Killed The Radio Star", "Under Pressure", "Don't You Want Me" etc). That's not how it was in the 80s. You didn't hear stuff that was two or three years old on the radio. You heard bang-up-to-date stuff from that week's Top 40, or you heard real oldies (60s/70s).

Also, it bugs me that the show starts with "I'm Alex Drake. I was shot and woke up in 1983." NO YOU DIDN'T! That makes a nonsense of the previous two series.

One even more minor complaint: the bullet you see flying towards the camera in the opening credits spins one way when it comes out of the barrel, then spins the other way. Now, I'm no ballistics expert, but that doesn't happen, surely? (Unless there's some sort of coded clue intended in that.)

[Spearmint Rhino]

Ashes To Ashes

I loved the Blue Peter garden gag in the latest episode (although they bottled it by cutting Percy Thrower's "mentally ill" outburst).

[Spearmint Rhino]

Ashes To Ashes

I had no idea Roy Hudd was still alive until I saw the latest Ashes To Ashes.

Gratifying to see a 'Ben Elton' character getting shot.

[Gerontophile]

Ashes To Ashes

And Roy Hudd has lost a shitload of weight since I saw him on a tube a few years ago (before his 'New Tricks' appearance), and he wasnt looking at all well.

I think it continues to get better, but I am still bewildered, although I think I can see what's coming.

And yes, I was pissing myself about the Blue Peter thing, previously.

Unfortunately, the extra character is starting to get on my nerves (not old enough), and the Manc cops were facile to an extent. Story? It was OK, and maybe we won't know until the next few weeks.

If I was to fall (as a watcher) into an episode, I would hate it. But, I have the background, so I am giving them the benefit of the doubt (see Fringe, Lie To Me, and Burn Notice... I will watch them until the end.)

[wingco]

Ashes To Ashes

You're right about the extra character. I could just about have gotten away with playing that character back in 1983.

[Gerontophile]

Ashes To Ashes

*************SPOILERS**************

I KNEW that twat was going to be a Rank Bajin.

*******END SPOILERS****************

(Dont actually know why I bothered with the spoilers thing, as apparently, no-one is watching it.)

[Spearmint Rhino]

Ashes To Ashes

Rank Bajin?

[Gerontophile]

Ashes To Ashes

Glasgwegian-ism meaning a 'bad lot' (rank bad-yin)

[Guest]

Ashes To Ashes

It’s been doing my nut in for weeks. I think Gene is the dead copper, I think Keats killed him and they are in some sort of afterlife. Basically they are all dead, Sam Tyler died when he jumped off that building, Alex was investigating his death and when she was shot she entered Gene’s world in her subconscious mind. If she does survive this (the bit at the start of this series where she was in the modern world was again in her subconscious) she will look up old files and may well fine a PC Gene Hunt who disappeared in the 1960s

[Vicarious Thrillseeker]

Ashes To Ashes

I've just watched an episode of the American version of 'Life on Mars', having never seen the original. Chuffing hell, that's Harvey Keitel and Michael Imperioli, that is - sort of like seeing Tim Robbins in 'Midsomer Murders'.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Ashes To Ashes

I can't bear to look at Keats, though. It's his slimy hair and mis-shapen mouth.

I'm about four episodes in but I'm amazed at what a blatant rip-off of the Forrest Whittaker character from The Shield Jim Keats is. Not so much they way he's played, but the way he's written. I can only assume the producers feel there's no crossover between the audiences.

[Taylor]

Ashes To Ashes

I'd given up on this very tired series until I happened to see last week's, and somehow it was brilliant. I even had to get on iPlayer and watch the episodes I missed, so I could be up to speed for the last bit, which I'm going to watch now - despite knowing deep down that it's going to be a load of utterly preposterous hogwash (just like the end of Life On Mars).

[Spearmint Rhino]

Ashes To Ashes

Tell you what, I wish the writers could be arsed researching authentic African surnames other than the already celeb-associated 'Sarpong' and 'Ndlovu'.

Also, Keeley Hawes' hairline give me the fear.

[Spearmint Rhino]

Ashes To Ashes

So, what the Hell did that all mean?

[wingco]

Ashes To Ashes

*****SPOILER**************

They're all dead cops. Eventually, they all go to the Railway Arms, Cop Heaven. (I hope journos have the same fate). That's where Sam went - gagging for a pint. Gene Hunt, who himself is dead, stays behind as a sort of boatman in order to shepherd them to said Pub, once they've worked on a few cases in order to fulfil themselves as the cops they were denied being in real life. He stays behind, in his continuing work with new dead cop souls in limbo, including the iPhone guy in the final scene. Keats offers them the allure of the transfer, but ultimately, as signified by the liftshaft, this is a descent into some kind of oblivion.

[wingco]

Ashes To Ashes

As to what all that means, well, they were clearly making the whole thing up on the hoof. The transformation of Keeley Hawes's character from a smug know it all into the compassionate character of series 3 was clearly driven by critical reaction. Personally, I think the whole idea posited in this last episode is theologically and existentially unsound.Enjoyed it.

[Gerontophile]

Ashes To Ashes

Loved it. Total bunk, but highly enjoyable nonetheless.

[Taylor]

Ashes To Ashes

Holy shit, they're still paying Sam Wollaston???

[Moonlight Shadow]

Ashes To Ashes

Just caught up with the last episode. I think the writers did a far better job to tie up the loose ends that with "Life on Mars", Gene as Charon helping lost souls cross the Styx is a good one.

Keats was played well up until the end when they had to crank up the "He is the Devil you know" bit which all a bit silly (well, sillier).

Enjoyable guff actually.