76 replies to this topic

[TWoP Roxy]

From zap2it.com:

Still tortured by the turn of events in his life, Sam focuses on a series of fatal robberies, and tries to prove himself to Lt. Hunt and the rest of the squad members.

NOTE: Going forward, no discussion/comparison of the UK version of the show will be allowed in the episode thread. We have a UK/US comparison thread, and that's where all of that talk should go. This thread is for US episode discussion only.. Any posts that contain UK episode discussion or comparison will be either edited or deleted, and warnings will be passed out.

Thanks.

Edited by TWoP Roxy, Oct 16, 2008 @ 12:25 PM.

[Last Time Lord]

The little memory/vision thing WALL*E sparked in Sam was weird.

Windy is a fun character. Seems to be there so Sam can unwind a bit.

Was Chris wearing water-wings at the beginning? Hee!

[pacejunkie]

Oh excellent. I really laughed out loud watching this one. I actually love the chemistry of the four of them -- Ray, Chris, Sam and Gene. The opening scene at the river was a riot. I wish Chris had been in it more but I love what they're setting up with Ray making him a real nemesis of Sam's. Ray really has it in for him and it will be interesting to see going forward.

I thought Windy was adorable and the dream robot scenes were cool. Great music as usual. I actually like Sam/Windy better than Sam/Annie. I don't really feel the Sam/Annie thing. This episode did a good job of keeping Sam an outsider even as it may seem like he sometimes fits in. The way Ray set him up to look like he betrayed Gene was great.

[Khajiit]

Really enjoying this show so far! Lisa Bonet is definitely the weak link, but luckily she isn't on very much.

[Last Time Lord]

I loved the fight in June's hospital room.

The way the camera stayed on the bed, and Sam and Gene fought towards the left of the screen, then fought toward's the right of the screen, and the fought towards the camera was very funny and nicely shot.

[MagnoliaMer]

Anyone know the songs in this episode? I think the one at the beginning, which was repeated throughout the ep, was a Peter Frampton song. I recognized the one at the end, but I don't know the name of it either. Help!

So far I think this show is 2 for 2. My husband and I love it.

The squad room reminds me a little bit of Barney Miller in terms of look and feel.

[Ginn]

Oh my god, Sam's a freaking idiot. Who on earth didn't see Ray's setup coming?

The 70s cultural references were way too numerous and on-the-nose this weak, and 90% of the "quips" fell completely flat, which is a shame because O'Mara is quite decent at dry, character-based humor, like his facial expressions talking to Windy the first time.

That said, the crazier Sam gets the more interested I become. WTF is up with that robot?

[Khajiit]

The song at the end that Sam and Windy danced to was "I Am A Rock" by Simon & Garfunkel. During Gene and Sam's hospital fight it was "Get Down" by Gilbert O'Sullivan. I'm not sure of the song that played at the beginning and at the big drug bust at the end, but I thought it was another Bowie song (?).

[AimingforYoko]

Lee Tergeson! Not happy to see him rat out Sam, but it will be interesting to see how Sam interacts with him in the future. I like how they showed the advantages and pitfalls of Hunt's POV. If they had followed Gene's original MO, that last robbery wouldn't have occurred and the girl wouldn't have gotten hurt. But by going with Sam's plan, the found out the girl was in on it and they rounded up the whole crew and found all that heroin.
Ray was much more interesting this ep, It will be fun to see these two clash. Sam's got him on IQ, but Ray's sneakier.

[pacejunkie]

Anyone know the songs in this episode? I think the one at the beginning, which was repeated throughout the ep, was a Peter Frampton song. I recognized the one at the end, but I don't know the name of it either. Help!

I'm not sure of the song that played at the beginning and at the big drug bust at the end, but I thought it was another Bowie song (?).

All the Way to Memphis by Mott the Hoople.

Edited by pacejunkie, Oct 16, 2008 @ 10:17 PM.

[Toy Purple Belt]

So, if I'm in the past but possibly not really there, do I graciously eat the marijuana-laced lasagna my neighbor baked for me?
Side note: Sam looked like Mel Gibson tonight.

[Jacob's Hair Dye]

The little memory/vision thing WALL*E sparked in Sam was weird.

It's not WALL*E, it's the Mars Rover - Spirit and Opportunity. Very clever.

I just have one request for the writers. PLEASE stop making the characters refer to the 1-2-5 every 5 frakkin' seconds. It's irritating as hell.

The fight in the hospital was hilarious, especially with Sam's Morpheus move.

[Walden1]

I loved the fight in June's hospital room.

It never ceases to amaze me that after two men fight it out, they can be more comfortable around one another.

I'm really liking the music used.

[braggtastic]

Weiner Dog & Beecher! Way to go, casting director! It's always great to see Lee Tergesen, especially in a quality project. I approve heartily.

[NumberSix]

I agree that the soundtrack is awesome, but the original score really struck me as overbearing tonight.

Imperioli had a much stronger ep and I think the writers are getting a better handle on the character. He was much sharper (no awful puns like last episode) and his conflict with Tyler, and apparent resentment of Hunt, was much better defined.

[pacejunkie]

I love Ray so so much. The running gag with Sam over the definition of an analogy was brilliant. He screwed Sam over so smoothly I didn't see it coming, I really believed that he was carrying a grudge with Hunt for passing him over. He's turning out to be a very complex character and I like how you don't know what to believe with him. He's cracking jokes all the while he's stabbing Sam in the back.

[Jacob's Hair Dye]

OK, my google-fu is failing me. They way they kept referencing "lonely blue heart" made me think it was some specific reference I'd never heard of before, but all I can find is a song from 1994 by the same name.

Anyone got any ideas?

[clack]

Gah. The cultural references in the dialogue were groan-inducingly heavy handed. People don't talk like that, in 1973 or 2008.

[braggtastic]

Is Imperioli wearing a wig/fake mustache? They both look real to me, but I can't believe he'd really walk around like that, especially the mustache.

[Bulldog]

This show is quickly becoming one of my favorites.

[AurraSingKS]

I'm happy I was able to catch this episode-we missed the premiere last week thanks to holiday travelling.

Anyhow, I wanted to see for myself how the original series would translate over for an American audience. I guess the twist of trying to figure out what is really going on with Sam (and the inclusion of the robot and Windy to further muddy the waters) may help keep viewers watching and it's clear from how tonight's episode changed from the original's storyline that they are at least trying to incorporate new material into the show and not make it just a rehash...but I still find myself at odds with Keitel in the role of Gene. He's lacking the kind of charisma and physicality that Phillip Glenister so effortlessly brought to the role and as such, it's really hard buying Sam being both frustrated, overwhelmed and yet fascinated by his new boss, something which we all thought was one of the main pivots of the original series and part of the reason we kept tuning in. The rest of the cast is okay but some things just don't translate very easily and this is just something that for me is not going to work.

Oh well. Nice try and I wish the show the best of luck. The second season of "Ashes to Ashes" should start airing in the spring and I'll be patient and wait for a fix of the real thing!!

[MethodActor05]

Not as good as the pilot, but definitely holding its own.

I honestly didn't see Heather Matarazzo, aka June, being in on it. Then again, I dunno...Kim Trent looked pretty good in a speedo, so maybe I can't blame her.

I liked the element of the "space" robot. Something I'm sure Sam liked as a little kid. Neat little device plot.

Finally...Windy was fun. I liked the dance at the end. And I totally loved that she made him pot lasagne.

[fugefan]

I enjoyed this episode. I'm not crazy about Windy, since I never liked the ditzy new-age hippie chick cliche, but I will cut her a bit of slack since I also owned that Simon and Garfunkel 8-track back in the day. On a shallower note, I am enjoying the multiple chase scenes each episode. Jason O'Mara is clocking so many miles already this season he will qualify for a marathon soon.

[Fabrisse]

Great ID, Jacob's Hair Dye. So, if I'm reading your link right, the robot is a 2008 artifact? That's just cool. It really looked like it could have been a 1970s toy, too.

Mirrors and reflections, I wonder if they're going to be a running theme or if it was just used in this episode to highlight the unreal relationship between June and Kim?

The 70s cop show feel to the heroin bust at the end as well as theme music (before the rock came in) was great. If this is all in his head, it underscores where his image of earlier policing came from.

I felt Keitel a little more this week. I'm enjoying O'Mara more than I thought I might.

Plus the plot was good.

Edited by Fabrisse, Oct 16, 2008 @ 11:39 PM.

[Sugeatarc]

Every time Sam has a dream-flash forward to 2008, there's a woman in a red dress running through them. She's got black shoes on and I don't think it's Maya since the style of the dress and shoes looks like 1973, and the legs look Caucasian to me.

Anyone have any good guesses as to who that is and what her importance might be to Sam's situation? I've been single-stepping through the various scenes with this person in them and I still have no good clue.

[Chachi30]

I'm a little bit in love with this show already, and Jason O'Mara just may become one of my TV Boyfriends.

[rue bee]

I like the "Lost"-like aspect of the show where we have to guess what the truth is. So far, coma seems most plausible but evil space robots is definitely the most fun of all the theories.

Jason O'Mara just may become one of my TV Boyfriends.

He's pretty and manly all at the same time. Very 70s -- like Steve McQueen.

Ray combing his mustache is one of the best things I have ever seen on tv. MI is awesome in this part.

[Anime Nut]

As soon as Windy did her little curtsey and said, "Bayou," I uncontrollably blurted out a hella loud "ADORABLE!!!"

Tanya Fischer. I'm gonna have to keep a look out for that name.

So, whadda y'all think? Will this go-round of Life on Mars end with one of the items on Sam's list? Or will it be the enigmatic "?" that explains everything?

I haven't seen the BBC series yet, but I'm really hoping the US version goes with "?".

[Odac]

I'm guessing it was very deliberate on the part of TPTB (but in the end nothing more than their own little joke) that the robot is so clearly closely modeled on the actual rovers that in 2008 are tooling around on Mars looking for signs of life, especially with Bowie's "Life On Mars?" again playing on the soundtrack (with O'Mara sort of reacting as if he could hear it) in the scene where he first gets a good look at the robot.

[Anime Nut]

Jacob's Hair Dye wrote:

I just have one request for the writers. PLEASE stop making the characters refer to the 1-2-5 every 5 frakkin' seconds. It's irritating as hell.

AMEN! What makes it doubly annoying is how they keep stressing, "The 1-2-5." You'd think they wanted that to be the title of this series.