Ashes to Ashes 1.1

[sir_guinglain]

I was sorry to see that so many Life on Mars fans seem to have disliked the first episode, because I think that this opened out the Genesphere rather well. The most obvious change from the world we saw in Life on Mars is that Gene, Ray, Chris and co have existences beyond that experienced directly by the trauma-suffering fantasiser. The implications will doubtless be explored further; the audience is being encouraged to think of this world as Gene's (and Philip Glenister is billed above Keeley Hawes in the credits). Has Alex done her research, one wonders - are Gene Hunt, Ray Carling, Chris Skelton in long-term hospital beds, or graves, somewhere? A commentator on the former Outpost Gallifrey forum's Ashes to Ashes thread (registration required) suggests that the Geneverse is Purgatory, where Gene is a presiding angel/demon, and all the other police characters are dead or almost so. Note the careful structuring of the dialogue where Ray explains how Sam disappeared, explaining how he seemed to have run out on his colleagues but came back and saved the day, and then stayed seven years, a significance that Alex Drake misses.

Looking forward to seeing the opening titles next week, as those of Life on Mars - likewise introduced from episode two - helped set the tone.