Let’s pray the stunt casting of Whoopi Goldberg as a ’70s-era gender-bending radio DJ named Brother Loverbutter (pictured) brought in some more viewers — even if yesterday’s episode’s really wasn’t up to Mars’ usual quality (“Ice Ice Baby,” Sam, really?). Well, at least not until the end when Gene punched Sammy in the gut and growled, “Draw your gun at me again and I’ll knock you so far back you’ll think it was 1933 and there was a Kosher butchers’ strike.”
But a female lawyer speaking in singsong? That was just way, too…I don’t know…out of a movie. Which made me think that maybe the fakeness of the show’s ’70s — and the anachronisms we’ve already pointed out — are hints that this world must be inside Sam’s brain. Just mull it over: If he was a kid in the ’70s, all these little details would be bubbling around in his mind. And who has a perfect memory? I certainly don’t. I grew up in the ’80s, but I couldn’t tell you off the top of my head if Poison hit it big before Bon Jovi, or vice versa. Yet, I’m sure that I used to jam to both of them in the bedroom I shared with my sister during elementary school.
addCredit(“David Giesbrecht/ABC “)
So, now that we’re six episodes in, let’s discuss: What do you thinkis happening to Sam? Sure, if you watched the British versionobsessively, you have an idea. But that’s assuming this show followsthe same course. And that (SPOILER ALERT for the next two sentences)ABC has the guts to be that dark. Or that bold. But this episode,titled “Things to do in New York When You’re Dead,” was just full ofclues that should lead us to something. We know Sam sees flashinglights at the oddest times. We know he can hear Maya’s voice talking tohim in the present. We know he sees dead people — like little girlswho’ve fallen off roofs. He’s being followed by a strange drifter, fondof cryptic remarks. Lastly, Annie, who says she doesn’t believe Sam’sstory about being sent back in time, ended the episode by telling himit was good that he got to say goodbye to Fletcher, who was waiting forhim. Then we find out Fletcher died in 2008.
Oh, my brain hurts. Of course, if you just watch the show as aprocedural then you don’t give a hoot. And though I may have ragged onthe episode above, I really did like House’s Edi Gathegi’s turnas Fletcher. Somebody get this guy his own Ashes to Ashes. Though the night’s best line belonged once again to Gene: “Nobody hurts littlegirls in my kingdom, and it is my kingdom. Huntlandia. Home of theblueberry crepe, where little kids are off limits.” Best song:Definitely the opening number, Garland Jeffreys’ "Wild in the Streets."
So what’s your verdict on yesterday?
The BBC version already addressed all of this when it finished the series after season 2. I still can’t separate the two, with the original winning every time. Keitel and company do a good job, but the show lacks spark. So I guess I don’t care about the “subtle” subtext of the new version as it a pale in comparison to the one that I loved on TV already.
Was it me? I found this ep so confusing.
And a waste of Whoopi Goldberg. This show is sinking. Sad.
I thought this ep was sad with him having to say goodbye to his surrogate father. Am I the only one? And I also thought it was clear (he sees dead people) that he died and was either reincarnated into 1973 to teach them or is doing this as someone “sent back from heaven” to do a job. This seems the most plausible scenerio and I don’t think it will go the way of the British show. For one, they want it to last more than 1 or 2 seasons. This is NOT the BBC!
Since I didn’t see the original and have thus far ket myself from trying to find episodes online or look up info on it, I’m just enjoying the show. To this point it seems most likely that Sam is in a coma although the scenes at Keesha’s “memorial” seemed to indicate that maybe he had died. So that would make him in purgatory??
Also, is it just me or does Jason O’Meara sometimes look scarily like Mel Gibson? I think it’s the facial expressions ut it’s weird.
I love this show. I just hope it sticks around.
I find the story very interesting. Have not seen BBC version, hadn’t even heard about it. I like the series- hope it last 2 seasons to the end.
I like this show and while I know what happened in the BBC Life on Mars, I kind of don’t understand it (and Ashes to Ashes which is supposed to explain hasn’t started yet). I kind of hope that “Clams” becomes a regular character. I keep wondering though, if this show is only intended to last for two seasons and a show like Ashes to Ashes is actually already in the pipeline.
I think the old homeless man is Sam’s father, who may or may not be dead. Nonetheless, he is trying to make amends to Sam for deserting him.
I do have to wonder why Angel & his pregnant girl friend weren’t married.
This episode was a virtual “Wire” reunion – Cutty, Lester and Sobotka all in one episode? Sweet. Big Love didn’t seem old enough to be a detective though, goatee or not.
This was an excellent episode. I really feel for Sam. The gravity of the end really hit hard. It’s odd, though. The story wasn’t funny, but it was fun, and then BAM! the ending got me. Well done.
I love this show. With all the Female shows that we have on ABC, This one is a breath of fresh air. Not to mention it fills the void that The Journeyman left when NBC Canceled it. Loved the “Freestylin” to Ice Ice Baby, I might have had to rap Ice Cube’s “Today was a Good Day!” If I were back in time, I’d be writing down all kinds of today’s music and getting rich off of it!
I was actually LMAO off at Sam singing “Ice Ice Baby”.
All in all, I liked last night’s episode and it appears to have done slightly better in the ratings last night as opposed to last week (which was even better than the week before). It’s good that its holding its own and even slightly improving – I hope this means that ABC will give it a full season pickup very soon.
Doris,
I also thought about the possibility that the old homeless man was Sam’s dad.
The show is quickly becoming somewhat formulaic. And please, somebody issue a memo to stop giving Whoopi Goldberg acting jobs. Leave her to “The View.”
While it may confuse some people I do like this show, I just like the original better. Kind of like cover songs, some times a cover is better, like All along the Watchtower when Jimi did it, and other times the original is untouchable.
The BBC cast had me from the first seconds of the show and regardless of how many stars they put in this version is still does not favorably compare to the BBC TV series. I think that the vagueness of the original is what is so appealing to me. Besides, this American show is based on it.