Yesterday’s hour was for all intents and purposes a remake of the best episode (and season-one finale) of the original British Life on Mars. So it’s only fitting that it was also the U.S. series’ most enjoyable, most interesting, and most exciting show so far—as well as its mid-season closer. But no more new episodes until January 28th? ABC, you’ve shot me in the gut and stranded me in the woods! Though I do commend the timeslot switch from Thursday to Wednesday. Lost is going to be a much better companion to this type of drama than Grey’s Anatomy.
So Sammy’s got a bad dad. A tongue-slicing, limb-chopping gangster, to be more accurate. Who didn’t see that coming? Few TV lawmen have kind-’n-cuddly fathers. But Dean Winters as papa Vic was a perfect (if not original) casting choice as a father for Sam, and he cut a pretty good likeness to Jason O’Mara to boot. With Lee Tergesen also in the episode, it was also a regular Oz reunion. (First The Wire, now Oz. That’s a lot of HBO. When is Michael Imperioli going to get some Sopranos pals on the show? Or maybe the Sex and the City gals can help Gene bring sexy back.) My only misgiving: That Gene—as Sam’s surrogate pops—didn’t have a stronger presence in the goings on. It felt like he should have been there with Sam at the party, in the forest, and definitely in the hospital. And his mistrust of Vic (“this cretin’s every shade of shady”) should have played a bigger role in Sam’s own fears (or at least second thoughts) about his dad.
addCredit(“John Clifford/ABC”)
Yet, with Gene there, Vic could have never pulled his ninja catmoves on Sam and (if unknowingly), nearly murdered his own son, whichleft me with my arms too numb from the shock to keep taking notes. Evenmore exciting? When Annie’s statement that Sam’s police work was whyhe’s in 1973 led him to back to his old case files and helped himfigure out he needed to go to that freaky cabin on Stewart Drive. Theempty house with the creaky door was a little cheesy. But the voice onthe phone, saying “Hello, Sam…I need you to go to the basement”?Chilling. My hypothesis: He’s now in a coma in ’73 (from the bulletwound) and that’s a clue for a whole other mystery he’s going to solvethere once he wakes up.
Well, that’s it for this year. I’ll leave you with the tie forbest line of the night, which was between Ray’s “Yeah, and I’ve gotzero interest in jacking up Brigitte Bardot” and Gene’s “Get off yourrusty dusty.” And the best song, “Everything I Own” by Bread (who alsosing the song I’m named after). Check it out below, then tell me yourthoughts on this episode and the season so far.
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Dean. Freaking. Winters. That’s all I have to say.
Glad I didn’t bother starting up watching this show. Cause I probably would be totally pissed off about this announcement right now. Yay me!
Is EW finally listening to it’s readers because I don’t see one ‘Twilight’ headline in PopWatch, or is it because it hasn’t gotten great reviews?
Quality episode. Coma theory has some credence – Sam did seem to moving around a little too well after getting shot in the gut twice.
I want to know why Sam does not want to see himself as a child in 1973. He *very deliberately* did not look at himself last night.
Is that foreshadowing something? Or did I miss the reason from an earlier episode?
Really great episode and really great series… Fantastic acting. I agree that Gene should have played a bigger role–in fact it was a bit weird that Sam was dealing with the ’suspect’ all alone. But I really enjoyed the epi and it’s not fun to have to wait until the end of Jan for another epi…
who knew that Sam’s father will one day be in Oz, almost marry Sara Conner, and also be the beeper king of NY?
That guy gets a lot of work….love the show and congrats to ABC for once again hiring moron executives. I am sure the ratings will go down with a two month hiatus, thus insuring a great show gets killed off.
I loved this ep, and am so happy so much story line was solved early on.
Though I can’t quite wrap my head around whether he is in a coma back in present day and only in 1973 in his mind to solve his own life mysteries, if that was the case, it worked and solved the problem of him blaming himself for his dad leaving. He had to know the truth about his dad, and his blocking out the critical forest scene his whole life had to be unblocked!
I am a little worried about the house though, the ending was frightening to me.
I’m unbelievably embarassed to know this, but the dude that played Vic was on Sex and the City (as a booty call for the foot-faced one, I think). Maybe I redeem myself by saying that I first recognized him as the Beeper King from 30 Rock.
Oh, and one more thing – the songs are so genuine and wonderful and add to this show. I was around in ‘73 and I vividly remember the Bowie Life on Mars (and that whole album of great music) and the Nilsson “Spaceman” being huge at the time. Both were played last night – much better than the Bread memories! Sorry Aubrey, even if you are named after another lame Bread song. Mandi Bierly has it all over you.
This may have been the best episode of the season since the amazing pilot episode. However I have enjoyed every episode so far. Glad the best new show this season will follow the best show on tv LOST.
This may have been the best episode of the season since the amazing pilot episode. However I have enjoyed every episode so far. Glad the best new show this season will follow the best show on tv LOST.
Believe it or not this was my first time being able to watch a whole episode. I love this show and I pray they will keep this time slot. I do not ER and have not caught an episode of that CBS show. This show is best show on television. I kinda was following the plot and loved the ending and also enjoyed is was easy to catch on. The best show!1
This is the first American cop show I’ve seen in years that actually has me transfixed, where I care what happens to the characters and how the story evolves. ALL the acting is first class, the story line is intriguing, the styling is perfect. In fact it looks like an HBO show – the greatest compliment I can give! Well done ABC. Please keep it going.
Love Dean Winters always. Life on Mars has turned out to be a very good surprise for me, and I’m happy it will be paired with Lost, my favorite show. No “come to the basement” invitation ever led to anything good, by the way. Sam needs to be wary…
Dean Freaking Winters indeed. I thought he totally nailed the transformation from good guy being framed/used by mobsters to still good guy foolishly trying to outsmart the bad guys to not-so-good after all but still a family man to complete monster. I believed and enjoyed the peeling off of every layer of this character’s personality. Emmy caliber performance, my friends. Too bad we have to wait till January to see what’s next for Sam, his daddy, the cabin (will he find Jacob in there?), Hunt’s sanppy white shoes, etc.
I love this show and I am so mad that it isnt going to be on until January!!! This is the only show I still watch since my life has become so busy and I am going to miss it for the next couple of months!
This is clearly the best new show on tv. I am delighted that it will be following another favorite show of mine–Lost, however I don’t get the logic behind the two month hiatus. I don’t think that ABC execs really care about the show at all. I have to agree with the reader who says that this looks like a HBO show. It truly does seem more like something that would be on a premium channel due to the excellent acting, incredible storylines and the fact that it isn’t pure fluff for dummies that is everywhere else that you look on tv. Excellent show that I would recommend to anyone. If you haven’t had the chance to see an episode yet then by all means go to ABC.com and watch the past shows (that is if ABC decides to keep it on their website instead of replacing it with Dancing with the Stars or some other such nonsense).
I am a staunch viewer of “Life On Mars.” Ugh…I missed last night’s episode! A dear friend who I haven’t seen for a year & I got together for a night of good food, humor & DVDs. I hope ABC will rerun this episode of “Mars” before it returns in January. But I’m sorry to hear that “Mars” won’t be on until January. I’ve got a countdown going for the return of “Lost,” & now I’ll have one for “Life On Mars.” Both are the best innovative shows on primetime today! I took have cable, but if I did, I’d
include “Mad Men.”
My last sentence in my comment should be
“I don’t have cable, but if I did, I’d include ‘Mad Men.’ ” Sorry about that.
I think that Sam is trying not to interact with himself as a boy because A) he doesn’t want to freak little Sammy out by blurting out something that a 4-year-old couldn’t handle or getting too emotional, plus he’s probably aware of the dangerous time travel paradox of encountering yourself and changing something in the past that will make your future self disappear.
Help! My DVR cut off the end of the show! After the voice told him to go to the basement, did someting else happen, or did the show end right there?????
Now that I’ve seen all the law and orders and don’t like repeats, I’m so glad for Life on Mars (and House of course!) Best show I’ve seen in a long time.
Thanks for the beeper king reference. It was driving me crazy where I’ve seen him before. I loved this episode, and my sadness that it’s not going to be on until January is tempered by the fact that it is going to be back on at all! It will be a great fit with lost. Can’t wait!
Great show. I am so glad ABC picked it up for the second half of the season. I think thats why we have to wait so long for new episodes. Anyhow the actors and stories are all first rate. My wife and I remember 1973 very well as were both 14 at the time. The music on this show is not only fantastic but used very wisely as the hour unfolds. Now that it will be paired with my other favorite show (Lost), Wednesdays this winter may now become my favorite day of the week.
Joules, nothing else happened. he did not go downstairs. The show just ended and then they went right into the promo about the show coming back on January 28th with some clips of future episodes.
Love this show, maybe because it reminds
me of past days.
In last weeks episode in the hospital did anyone notice the phone jack on the phone? It was a plastic plug in jack(whoops)they didn’t have that yet.
I hope they can keep coming up with new episodes and stay on awhile.
God, I love this show! So I am heartbroken that we have to wait over TWO MONTHS for new episodes! What’s up with that?
I LOVE this show ! I see that many people have a bit of impatience in letting a story develop. Guess it all paid off this week eh?
I love this show and really hope it lasts a while. My 13 yr old son has been watching with me and totally loves it too. He thinks it’s so cool that I was around in ‘73 and he feels like he’s getting a glimpse of my childhood. The music is awesome, the story line fresh/unique. January sure looks like a long way off…