Why I Love British Television, Part I

You know, with most TV, after I watch, the overall themes and plot is digested, only to be thought about again when the next episode is on. However, there are very few times when an episode will clearly grab my attention for a few days after, as I continually pour over the nuances, over and over again. In this case, it has happened to me twice in one week. I will share this with you because I know you care.

The first happened around the middle of last week when I finished up the second and final season of “Life on Mars”. Stop reading now to avoid spoilers and just wait for Part 2 about “Doctor Who” (coming either later today or tomorrow). First, let me say that the great thing about British TV is the fact that they don’t beat an idea to death (don’t think about the irony of having this line after mentioning “Doctor Who”). “Life on Mars” could have gotten real old real fast. Thankfully, they only had it last two seasons with a grand total of 16 episodes. That’s not even one full American season. Now, on to the actual episode.

You know how a lot of series finales never meet your expectations and you are completely let down by them? Well, think of the exact opposite of that feeling and you have the finale of “Life on Mars”. The storyline completely drew me in, I didn’t think they would resolve it by the end, yet it went out in a blaze of glory. If you have ever watched the show, you know by the episode before this that Frank Morgan is the mysterious voice on the other end of all the phone calls Sam has been receiving this season, telling him they will be getting him home soon. We start the episode with Sam hearing voices from 2006 telling him that they will operate to remove a small tumor in his head and that should bring him out of the coma. The surgeon’s name is Frank Morgan. The 1973 version of Frank Morgan tells Sam that in order of the operation to be successful, that he needs to gather up evidence on Gene Hunt so he can be arrested. Sam does this, but finds out that the operation is an actual undercover operation (codenamed Metropolitan Accountability and Reconciliation Strategy (MARS)), not the surgery he thought. It turns out that Frank Morgan was his DCI in Hyde, who sent Sam to Manchester for the undercover assignment and the accident he suffered in the first episode caused him to close his mind which has caused his amnesia. To further illustrate the point, Morgan shows Sam the gravestones of his parents, then of “Sam Tyler”, from which his persona was created. Sam is then torn; as he is not sure which is version of his life is real. He comes to accept that he is a policeman from Hyde sent to Manchester to clean up the division. He confesses this to the other members of his division, but not Gene, who is currently undercover with a gang of thugs who will soon attempt a train heist. Instead of calling in for armed personal, Gene feels that his own division can handle the situation, going undercover on the train that will be hit. Morgan has given Sam a radio to radio in for armed help when needed; not believing Gene has taken care of the operation. When the heist happens, the radio admits static and then all hell breaks loose. The team and robbers get into a vicious gun battle. Sam radios for help but nothing comes up. He makes a break for it to round up help, promising Anne that he won’t leave them behind. As he runs away from the train, he runs into Morgan in the tunnel near by, saying that he doesn’t have a team waiting, and to let the criminals take care of the division. He then turns and sees the team making a break for it, running toward him. Sam sees Chris and Ray get shot, with Anne kneeling down to help Chris, then sees Gene get shoot and falls. At this moment, at bright light appears and envelops Sam. He wakes up in 2006 in his hospital bed. He was in a coma the whole time. He then is greeted by the surgeon, who is Frank Morgan. After a little bit, he gets dressed and goes home. The End.

Okay, not quite. He talks to his mother and says that he made a promise to someone, in which she responds that he has nothing to worry about since he always keeps his promises. He finds it tough adjusting to the present and relating to his colleagues. He accidentally slices his finger with a razor, but doesn’t notice it until someone points it out. He remembers the conversation he had with Nelson where he told him that “You know you’re alive when you feel.” With that, Sam goes to the roof of the station and jumps off. The End.

Okay, not quite again. He arrives back in 1973, back in the tunnel. He then pulls his weapon and guns down the remaining bad guys. We next see Ray and Chris in the bar with Sam, seemingly having forgiven him. He leaves the bar and runs into Anne. She tells him to stay there forever, and they kiss. With that, Gene speeds in and tells them to get in, as they have a new case. Chris and Ray jump in with Anne and Sam. Same hears over the radio the voice of doctors from the future, saying that they are losing him and then a flat line. He changes the channel and gets David Bowie and they speed off. Then a few kids run out into the street with the little girl from the Test Screen who runs right up to the camera, looks directly into it, and reaches up and switches it off. The End (no, really this time).

I just loved it. It gave us a finale, and added a little ambiguity in it, so I actually have to give it some thought. My personal opinion is that his life in 2006 was real, and that 1973 is the afterlife. However, you can make the argument of some sort of time travel, considering that he saved “the woman in red” at the end of season 1 and that his coma-self was attacked by the escaped mental patient he put in stir in season 2. I was thinking about it for days. We might even get some more answers when “Ashes to Ashes” premieres, which is the spin-off featuring Gene, Chris, and Ray in 1980’s London with a new officer involved in a near fatal accident (God knows when or if it will be on BBC America). All I know is that David E. Kelly will muck up the American version. He’s too full of himself and he’ll over-think the whole thing. It’ll last 5 episodes and be cancelled. And that’s a success for Kelly nowadays.