Life On Mars - Series 2 Reviews

[Highly rated reviewer]

Is it enigmatic, or is it from Barnsley?

On hearing that the second series of Life On Mars was to be the last somehow the expectation quotient went up , after all if this was the final series then the writers had to bring the whole story of Sam Tyler to a definitive conclusion .....or did they . After all it's considered the province of writers to leave an ambiguous ending where they see fit, though I often think it's just lazy writing or that they genuinely haven't a clue how to conclude their work. The American series 'Lost' is a pertinent example of this .

Series Two was always going to struggle to match series one which felt audacious , fresh and exigent and the first three episodes though covering pertinent and composite issues such as racism , terrorism and an old staple of sci-fi -corrupting the timeline felt a little jaded and lacking the innovation of previous episodes. In fact it has started to feel like most other cop dramas , though obviously a very good one. Episode four where Sam( John Simm) and Annie ( Liz White) infiltrate a swingers network under the pseudonyms Tony And Cherie Blair and where Gene Hunt ( Philip Glenister) crashes the first party so they have to introduce him as Gordon Brown see's the drama truly regain the impetus from last series.

With a truly exceptional 'Camberwick Green' pastiche starting episode Five where the team investigate the disappearance of a young girl the series hits it's stride with the lines really starting to fizz between the characters Hunt: 'Look at her ,she's as nervous as a very small nun at a penguin shoot '. Episode six introduces a very topical element of casual anti Muslim sentiment from members of 'C Division' 'They all look the same to me ' says DS Ray Carling (Dean Andrews) though it's cleverly flipped on it's head when a Muslim says the same thing about white people. There is also the quite brilliant moment when Annie says as they crowd round a body lying on the floor 'Boss there's a viscous yellow liquid leaking from his ear' to which Gene Hunt replies 'No that's a drip from my fried egg buttie love ,well done Miss Marple' . Episode seven has Gene Hunt accused of murdering a suspect and started to drop tantalising hints about how Sam Tyler's predicament would resolve itself with the introduction of Frank Morgan (Ralph Brown) who may or may not have some connection with Sam's life in 2006.

The final episode is an absolute tour de force of complex, tense drama as our expectations of what has happened to Sam are ripped to shreds before our eyes and them cunningly reassembled in something reminiscent of what they were previously. It's difficult to explain without giving the game away and even though Sam's final act slightly defies credibility (But at the same time harks back to the very first episode) or should i say the manner of his achieving it does, it brings the series to an emotionally satisfying and oddly moving conclusion. Some will view it as an ahem...cop out more 'Vanilla Sky' than 'Fight Club' but I feel it's very well handled giving the audience what they want , or what I assume they want, but without resorting wholly to cliché or gross sentiment. I also detect a hint of social commentary in Sam's reaction to modern policing by committee and his preference for the rough & tumble hands on and decidedly un pc policing of the 70,s .

The actors again do a splendid job, the production values are spot on (Was it nearly always sunny in 1973?) and the scripts while too often relying on Sam mentioning things yet to happen and thus getting quizzical looks from his colleagues is full of superb lines and interchanges between the characters with Gene Hunt again getting all the best lines . Though my favourite line of the whole series is when Sam says to Carling after finding out he has met a woman and receiving a vague reply about her :'She sounds enigmatic ', to which Carling responds perplexed 'No , she's from Barnsley'.

I am going to miss 'Life On Mars ', and I'm sure I am not the only one. though of course this DVD and the forthcoming box set of both series(Hopefully containing all the extras included on the single series versions) should go some way to cushioning the blow. The best TV drama series of recent times , but not for as Gene Hunt would put it - 'Great , soft, cissy , girly , nancy , French bender, Man Utd -supporting puffs'.

Top Telly!

Better than series one! If that's possible...Check out episode 5 of this the second and final series. The Camberwick Green surprise and Sam's drug induced sprint to the station at the beginning are entertaining and stunningly visual. It's a unique and engaging diversion from the usual LOM format. Quality writing and the direction is outstanding. I was on the edge of my seat throughout. It was like watching a movie. Superb. Gonna miss it.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Great comedy drama

The first series of Life On Mars was excellent, and this one continues in the same vein, finally revealing the truth about Sam's real life. The interplay between the ensemble cast , and especially DCI Gene Hunt's witty put-downs, continue to delight, and the concept of 21st century policing in 1973 makes for some interesting storylines.

Only 4 stars just because the ending didn't leave me quite satisfied. But a lot of fun.

Good old fashioned fun

I loved both series of Life on Mars. Clever writing, fabulous humour and some extremely good characterisations, particularly the hilarious but actually quite vile Gene Hunt.

Series 2 was much anticipated and apart from a couple of episodes which were a little below par from the quality I'd come to expect - it did not disappoint.

Knowing the final episode would be the end of the story, I was very keen to see whether Sam Tyler really was in a coma or had actually gone mad. The episode was brilliant in twisting the story and having you wonder how on earth what you were hearing and seeing could be true!

The final scenes finished the story off neatly, and left me feeling very pleased for Sam. Although it's a shame we won't be seeing any more of him, I think the series finished at the right time, before it got tired, leaving me with mixed feelings about the return of Gene Hunt in his new series.

It gets top rank rating from a Glaswegian -

It just get's better and better by the episode and I can't believe it's coming to an end soon..... only thing I don't like is having to wait for the next episodes disc!!

I never watched this on TV (and how I regret this now) as I was put off by the silly title but I completely understand now the reason for the title and it fit's perfectly!!

The plot is clever, the storylines pacy and often very very funny .. the one-liners from the 'anti-hero' are particularly hilarious ...but this wonderful humour is laced with large doses of pathos which makes you really feel for the hero and his strange sad and bewildering situation.

The music is fab - I'm of an age that can relate to all of it - the clothes, the hairstyles, the cars - the whole shooting match just takes me back in time and memory and reduces me to a squishy nostalgic!

I can't wait to find out everything at the end but will be so so sorry to see it finish!!

[Highly rated reviewer]

Tremendous

We love this programme, absolutely love it. Just sorry there aren't anymore to watch, we'd happily have watched 10 series. Gene is a genius, the fantastic one liners are even better because he says them. Has there even been a sexier, rougher, sexist git as Gene Hunt? Probably not. Annie is lovely, even with the big curls and nasty 70s clothes. Sam is believeable - even though the premis isn't. Chris is soft. And even Ray is entertaining - plus when I was a kid in the 70s there were loads of blokes like Ray, most of them were even called Ray - go figure!

But for us give us more of the Gene Genie!

Life on Mars...

My boyfriend and I decided one dreary afternoon to hire out life on mars season 1 just to watch an actor we both liked and a series that had got rave reviews. Lets just say, we were very anti-social that day!!! I'm not going to be a spoiler, but lets just say if you want a master-class in British Drama then this is the show to watch (after Doctor Who of course!!) I've not finished watching the second series but so far it lives up to the standard of the previous. I'm not giving any plot, this is just and absolute must see and shameless publicity for a fantastic series!!

Life on Mars - Series Two

Excellent. If you haven't seen this series give yourself a treat. If you haven't seen series one, give yourself a double treat!

Turn off with 5 mins to go!

No spoilers contained.

What a great series and what a great soundtrack...

The ending though was a dreadful abomination and utterly trashed all the good will I had for the project... Do yourselves a favour and turn this off with 5 mins to go so you can appreciate the wit pace and tension without the letdown universally felt by myself and my friends.

Perfect

This series is nothing short of brilliant. Id heard a lot about it but totally missed it on the tv, and Im kind of glad I did. Watching both series on dvd after all the hype had died down and being able to watch them all without having to wait a week for the next one was a definite bonus.

The fact that i was so eager to see the next one I couldnt wait a week, is tribute to the series.

It has come to be one of my favorite ever television experiences and Ive gone out and bought the whole lot to watch again.

The concept of Life on Mars seems and sounds a little daft. But from the moment Sam is hit by a car and wakes up in his cuban heels and flares, you are totally hooked.

Its not only funny, but incredibly moving.

Ive never been a fan of 'cop shows' but this is one with a twist. With characters you grow to love, and brilliant stories each episode that seem to parallell and reflect whats happening to Sams body and mind.

The ongoing question of course is Has Sam travelled back in time, is he crazy, or is he in a coma?

And throughoutt series 2 particuarly, my own thoughts on the answer changed several times.

This is a complex, yet veary easy-to watch drama/comedy that has left a real mark on me somehow.

I was almost dreading the final episode, incase it didnt turn out how I wanted it to. However, the ending-without giving too much away-is both a satisfying conclusion, but ambigous enough to let the audience make up its own mind.

I think its a travesty that John Simm never won any awards in Britain for his performance as Sam Tyler...hes the perfect anti-hero, and plays it wonderfully. Philip Glenister as Gene Hunt is pure genius. He has some unforgettable and utterly delicious one liners that made me laugh so hard I cried. Then in the next scene, I really would be crying because it moved me so much. A perfect balance, and a perfect viewing experience. I cant fault it. I defy anybody not to fall in love with this, as I have.