Ashes to Ashes

[teyla]

So. I watched A2A s1 back when it came out, but wasn't overly impressed, so I didn't watch s2 or 3. Until last week, when I had some downtime and decided I wanted some mindless television to keep me entertained. So, I marathoned s2 and most of s3, up until 3x07--and I just saw the finale.

. . . sorry. I cannot quite take it seriously. So . . . Gene Hunt's Charon, guiding dead cops across the river Manchester Styx into the afterworld? Okay then.

That said, they did do a good job of not being ashamed of their crack. The worst thing about shows is when they're afraid to go for the full-blown crack or cheese because they're worried they won't look high-brow anymore. House does this, never commits to anything, and it's not good. A2A didn't do that. Once they knew what they wanted, they went for it, and I have to count that in their favor.

Nice things:

- Gene Hunt and gang pulling up to the high noon confrontation to Michael Jackson's Beat it.
- Shaz and Chris getting back together. Yes, I ship it. They're cute together.
- Gene Hunt shopping around for a Mercedes. Oh Gene, you have no taste.
- NELSON. Omg I've missed Nelson.

Not-so-nice things:

- they did make Nelson into a "magical n*gro" character. So he's the pub owner of the afterworld heaven pub? Well, that's not stereotypical at all. I mean, in Life on Mars, I could see him as a self-created character--someone who plays towards a stereotype for his own protection. But like this, that explanation's out the window. Which did irk me.
- . . . that's it, really. That's the only thing that really bothered me. Apart from the fact, of course, that I still don't want this canon to have anything to do with Life on Mars. But hey, that's me personally, that's no critique of the show itself.

I did never manage to warm to Alex. Sorry, Alex. You're not my type. And I think if they wanted Keats as the persuasive devil figure, they should have cast someone who has a bit more appeal than that. Make the audience like him, make the audience actually question Gene Hunt. I mean, who actually liked Keats? He wasn't a character made out to like. He should have been. It would have made the story arc more interesting.

Ahaha the dude stumbling into the office at the end of the finale. That was a nice touch. I mean, I think they did do a good job of pulling it all together in the end, but of course there are still giant, gaping holes, because this finale is not what they set out to do when they started A2A. But, you know. Considering that, it worked quite well.

And now I think I will go and rewatch LoM. Because LoM is awesome.


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Comments

[explodedpen.livejournal.com]

I loved it, loved it lots and lots and lots :D Although apparently they were thinking that it was going to be Sam that came out the pub to greet Gene's team but they shelved it partly because they had no idea if John Simm would go for it and partly because they didn't want to detract from Alex's story.

Plus s3 of Ashes to Ashes is apparently what would have been s3 of LOM had they gone for another series with that.

Either way, so very shiny and brought me much joy :D Especially because it didn't just turn out to be 'and then I woke up and it was all a dream/simulation programmed into my head while I head off to Mars'

Good times!

[teyla]

I'm really glad it wasn't Sam. I like to keep A2A and LoM separate in my head, thanks. xD I liked LoM the way they wrapped it up; if this would have been series 3, then I'm glad they never made it. I loved the LoM finale exactly the way it happened.

I thought the A2A finale was very nicely done on an emotional level. If you look at it from any other level, it's a bit shaky, but hey, it worked, so I'm not complaining. Too much. ;)