Life On Mars - episode two (and a bit about Night Watch)

[raven]

Ahhh. Episode two of Life On Mars. Very much fun, though not as much as the first one. I shall review. Before that, though, am I the only one who's spotted the incredible similarities between the Life On Mars premise and the plot of Night Watch (the Discworld novel, not the film)? They both feature a copper as their protagonist, worried about change, both of whom are then thrown thirty years back in time on a day that is very important to them in their own present. They both end up in their own rough, tough past, which they have to survive by doing "what's in front of them" (and the same phrase is used in both). They both have to keep on solving crimes, regardless of time period. Oh, yeah, and they're both called Sam. Admittedly there are differences - Sam Vimes arguably has more of an idea what's going on, and he at least can remember the people in the past, as he's met their older selves, and isn't plagued with doubts, as Sam Tyler is, that he's in a coma or just gone crazy - but I thought the similarities were worth commenting on.

But I was talking about episode two. Which was, as said before, very much fun. I liked the cohesion of it, the way it all links back to itself and to the previous episode. Specifically, I liked:

-the beginning. I liked the suggestion that Sam's stint on the roof trying to commit suicide may possibly have all been a dream, or maybe not, and also, I liked the detail of the three-quarters-empty bottle of Scotch on the floor and the additional suggestion that Annie has put Sam to bed.

-the cracked mirror. The whole flat is very seventies, of course, but Sam standing there in front of it, saying: "Real. Unreal. Real. Unreal." - that's quite deliciously creepy.

-the ongoing theme of doors opening into other doors. The cupboard door becomes the swimming baths door, the car doors become ambulance door, it's all very cohesive. And then that segues into the utterly gratuitious shots of the gang of coppers running past the canal in their swimming trunks. (I liked the brief moment where the old biddy smacks Sam on the head with her handbag!)

-more cohesion, when Sam makes an apparently irrelevant comment about people throwing up in cells - carrot chunks, urgh - which sets up what's going to happen.

-the tension between Sam and Gene. I love, love how Sam thinks he's right all the way through, and so does Gene, and neither of them convinces the other even at the end. This reminds me again of Night Watch a little, actually; Sam Vimes, too, doesn't let go of his values, doesn't let himself descend to their level. Sam Tyler sums it up when he's on the floor, and says, sort of brokenly, "I am better than all this." Gene doesn't get how it's meant, but it's not meant for him.

-Gene. Oh, come on. Big, built-like-a-brick-wall, wall-slamming, punch-will-solve-everything, 1973 copper, and his name is Gene. Fantastic.

-all the fights between Sam and Gene. The first one on the road by the bloodstains, and the second one in the hospital room. (I like how they stop fighting just long enough to show the nurses their badges, and then they're back to it!)

-the bit - possibly a dream? possibly not - where the BBC2 girl and the clown come to life. I think Sam's reaction is note perfect. If that happened to me, I would definitely put my fingers in my ears and sing "lalalalala this is not happening lalalalalala...." Ah, Sam is lovely. He's just so lovely and angsty. I still need an icon of him being angsty. Why are there no icons of him clinging to his telly?

-Sam asking for Scotch. "A double. A lot. Half the bottle."

-the bit where Annie, once again, tries to convince him that he's not crazy. I don't know if I like Annie just yet. Maybe.

-the way it all comes full circle - first Sam makes a mistake, and nearly gets a girl killed, and then Gene makes a mistake, and nearly gets Annie killed.

-the scene in the hospital where everything shuts down. That was just brilliant; it's cohesive, again, because all the pieces fit. Sam can smell urine, and in the "real" world a catheter has broken, and then the life support goes, and inside his head the lights go out, and it's all so viscerally terrifying and evocative and eee, so good.

-the ending; I'm not so sure about that. I don't think the issues between Sam and Gene had been sufficiently resolved to allow that ending. Unless you decide that they've just decided they've got to stand each other, which may well be the explanation. We shall see. I am currently downloading episodes three and four. Good show.

In other news, I rang up Tony and have my old job back - he did talk at me solidly for ten minutes, and I really felt like I was home - and having a lazy week at home and being fannish are the best things in the universe.

Comments

[casirafics.livejournal.com]

heh. You know, I've been wondering, after hearing much generalized fannish babble about this show over the last few days, what it was actually ABOUT. Thanks for finally giving me an idea...!

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

*g* Heeee. It's a wonderful show that most DW fen seem to like (hint, hint). And barring the dwarfs, the wizards, and the revolution, basically it's Night Watch.

[thegreatesthits.livejournal.com]

I really rather like Annie. Come on, she is far too cute to not like, really. Unfortunately this means that my brain is constantly like "Sam/Annie OTP? Sam/Gene OTP?! Wah omg!"

(...though on the Sam/Gene lines, is it me or does Sam actually yell for him in that last hospital scene, where everything's going wacko? Eeee!)

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I don't know. I can see both. Perhaps I shall be an Annie convert before too long.

YES HE DOES! I rewatched that bit, and omg yes he does! Eeeee!

[helz3000.livejournal.com]

Hmm, why can't we have an OT3? Sam/Gene/Annie. In ep 6 when they were in the cupboard together, Annie deffo gave the Guv a "look" lol

Helzxx

[starlaces.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure I have seen an icon of Sam with his telly on lifein1973 couldn't tell you where... but it wasn't one of mine... probably.

I am very relieved I'm not the only one to be sitting there with Discworld parallels going on in their heads.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

I've had a dig round and not spotted one. I might just have to make one myself.

Ah, Discworld is love, and similarities are there.

[korilian.livejournal.com]

Here are two telly themed icons, plus the screencap of Sam and his sockpupet. I liked the puppet one base, but the icon was made in a frantic scramble to get a life on mars icon of my very own ;). You can have them if you want.

http://photobucket.com/albums/a142/korilian/th_lom53.jpg
http://photobucket.com/albums/a142/korilian/th_lonmars.jpg
http://photobucket.com/albums/a142/korilian/th_0057.jpg

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much!

[antimorph.livejournal.com]

Glad I'm not the only person who anayses random things. LoM and Night Watch are most definitely more than coincidently similar, although I think Vimes is more like what you'd get if you crossed Sam Tyler with Gene Hunt. The instinctive policing, the severe dislie of unecessary clues and the loud shouty violent bastardness of Hunt, with the oddly sensitive, protective, suffering slight mental breakdown Tyler.
I think I have an idea for a crossover... but not yet.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Oh, I love that way of describing Sam! He is suffering a continuous slight mental breakdown. And "loud shouty violent bastardness" is Hunt all over. I'd be very keen on reading a crossover.

[korilian.livejournal.com]

It's more like if Captain Carrot got send back in time, only without his magickal *cough*royal*cough* ability to sway the common people... Well, a little swaying is going on me thinks.

[elanorkat.livejournal.com]

Well, I hadn't spotted it! But now you mention it - wow! Interesting.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure if it's a coincidence, or if it's really a conscious allusion. Hmmm.

[the-acrobat.livejournal.com]

Stop it. *flailing*
I really don't have time to add a *fourth* new fandom since Christmas (and I'm already throwing tantrums of the "No! I will not let you make me watch that because you are bad, bad, bad for me!" at certain friends of mine over other shows) and you are making this sound far too delicious.
*grumps*

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

*points at icon* Says it all, really! Don't resist the joy that is Life On Mars! It is sexy and cool and delicious and atmospheric and a little crack-addled and has the most wonderfully angst-ridden protagonist. *points at icon again* See? See?

[the-acrobat.livejournal.com]

But... I don't have time. I don't! *flails*
Fine. FINE. I'll do it.
... just need to find a reliable source.

[gamesiplay.livejournal.com]

Raven: I am beginning to feel the same way. I am watching about 5,000 shows via DVD/download, and I DO NOT NEED ANOTHER. Maybe I'll get lucky, though, and discover it's totally unavailable in the US...?

Meredith: this piqued my curiosity. Besides House and SFU (the first four seasons of which I am currently bidding for on Ebay, because I must have it), what's the third since Christmas? And, also, if you need any more people pimping fandoms on you, you know where to look. :)

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

It's totally unavailable here, too; no DVDs for a long while and the series has gone off air. I am torrenting like a crazy peson to grab all of the episodes. But, but, but there are only eight of them, and it would be the work of a moment to put them in the post, and they are so good and I have a feeling you would really, really like them... *wheedles*

[gamesiplay.livejournal.com]

Well, I may go check out that community people have been referencing, although usually our school firewalls prevent big downloads. If not... we'll see.

(Regarding the post: I suppose you never got my package? Someone's gonna die.)

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

If you manage to watch the first episode, and like it, I shall send you the rest. Did you say that the parcel I sent did arrive, or did I imagine that?

I never got it! I made all the requisite enquries, and no parcel for me did arrive. Someone is going to die. *g*

[gamesiplay.livejournal.com]

It did arrive! And that reminds me that I haven't finished off the last of the chocolate (which was sublime). Must go do that now, and thank you again!

Argh. I'm hoping it's just stuck in limbo somewhere and will eventually get through--that's happened before--but it's been two whole months. That's frustrating; I was really excited about the thing I found for you.

[the-acrobat.livejournal.com]

Oh oh oh... SFU was before Christmas, so it doesn't count as the third "since Christmas."

ekaterinn has me watching/writing about both Stargates. *cries*

[korilian.livejournal.com]

GO WATCH

[the-acrobat.livejournal.com]

FINE.

[korilian.livejournal.com]

I would definitely put my fingers in my ears and sing "lalalalala this is not happening lalalalalala.

Really? Samara's evil half sister crawls out of the telly, rhyming about clows and that's how you'd respond? I'd throw the damn thing at her and make a run for it myself! ;)

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Well, it couldn't possibly be happening, so there'd be nothing to throw things at, now would there... *g*

[versaphile.livejournal.com]

I didn't see an implication at the suicide attempt wasn't read. Well, at least no less real than the rest of 1973.

I totally agree about the Real/Unreal and Hospital Blackout scenes. So creepy and evocative and cool! Those are some of the moments that really make the show for me.

Big, built-like-a-brick-wall, wall-slamming, punch-will-solve-everything, 1973 copper, and his name is Gene.

I don't get it. Is Gene an unusual name for that time/place?

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Mmm, I don't know. Something about the beginning of the episode had that suggestion for me; it is quite possible I am overthinking it, but dammit, the show merits overthinking.

Re: Gene... well, I don't know if the name has the same connotations where you're from, but here it's sort of a "sissy" name, the name of the kid that gets picked on, the stereotypical nerd, and hence the slight irony of Gene-the-well-built-tough-copper.

[mswyrr]

I'm enjoying your shiny, shiny thoughts (love what you said about the doors & the hospital scene and... oh, everything!), and really glad you posted links over on lifein1973.

I have nothing of interest to say myself, of course. Just, go you! :)

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Hee, thank you! I'm glad you like.

[ch1pper.livejournal.com]

I agree, I love how everything always ties together even *censored* at the end...

heh

I did just make an icon of Sam looking at the telly but you can't actually see the telly, it's where he's crying at the telly.



I need to find a cap of him hugging the telly.

::toddles off::

[ch1pper.livejournal.com]

And the fight scene is so hilarious!

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

It is! And so is your icon! So very beige, indeed.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

*melts* Awww, Sam. Teh angst!!11! If you made an icon of him hugging the telly, I would love you forever. *hint hint*

[ch1pper.livejournal.com]

Haven't found a decent cap of him hugging the telly, it's just him crying with his head down on top of it.

Oh man it was hard watching that in slow mo. I get sad, Sam is so angsty.