The 1981 party is over for Alex Drake. Well, not really. Since there is a season two on the way for Ashes to Ashes, not everything was cleared up during Saturday night’s season finale. At least the creators didn’t spring a Lost-esque maddening cliffhanger that we have to ponder for 16 months until the new season premieres. For that, I thank them wholeheartedly.

So, what the hell did happen? First, Alex did her very best to ensure her parental units not be blown to kingdom come by a car bomb. She flattened the car in question with a pink tank (don’t ask). Next, she arrested her folks after planting some nose candy in their flat. Then she tossed them in the pokey the night before the scheduled date of their demise. Sounds like she covered all the bases, right? Not so fast my friends.

Turns out the auto she destroyed was the wrong one. Ooops! Gene Hunt released her parents from jail. That’s not good. Finally, her parents borrowed Evan’s car, which was the exact make and model of the one she mistakenly crushed. Needless to say, despite her best efforts, mommy and daddy got blown up. It was fairly obvious from the start of the series that this was how it would all play out.

The major question left unanswered was who was responsible for planting the bomb? Daddy, that’s who. Huh? Apparently, Mr. Price was the mad clown Pierrot all along. Didn’t see that coming. He flipped his wig and decided to end it all for he and his. What a dick!

Little Alex was never told the truth. Now big Alex knows. More importantly, and this is key, she discovered her mother did, in fact, love her as a child. Her strained relationship with mum was the real reason for her mysterious teleportation back through time. She needed reconciliation to move on with her life. Man, those mommy issues can be a bitch.

As with most time-travel shows, Ashes to Ashes adhered to the long-standing theory that the past is set and cannot be changed. Don’t get me started on Back to the Future’s egregious bucking of this trend, or Lost, which may or may not be attempting to alter the fabric of time. At any rate, Alex Drake was never going to prevent her parents from kicking it; their deaths were inevitable.

All in all, I dug season one. It was a little slow at the start, but once it revved up around episode five, it got better and better each week. The character of Alex struck me as a little inconsistent. She had her feminist tirades, but also seemed eager to be “one of the guys.” I guess you could pass that off as struggling to find her place in the male-dominated, misogynistic 1980s. I did like the evolution of Gene Hunt, though. He developed a soft spot for Alex and grew to respect her as the series progressed.

One small problem still exists for Alex. Her incredible journey is not yet over. She has to make it home to her daughter, Molly. All along, she assumed that filling in the blanks about her parents would punch her ticket back to 2008. It seems that isn’t the case. As Alex sat in Luigi’s debating her next move, “Take The Long Way Home” by Supertramp filled the soundtrack. A not-so-subtle hint that her time in 1981 is far from over. How will it all end? I guess I’ll have to wait until season two for the answer.

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Well, she succeeded. After Shaz was accidentally stabbed by OCD robber Gil Hollis, Alex brought her back from the dead. Then she screamed, “I’m in control!” Her resurrection abilities convinced her that the future is not yet written. In three days, on October 10, 1981, her parents will fall victim to a car bomb. So, if Alex could save Shaz, it makes sense she should be able to save her parents too. Of course, things have a way of falling to pieces in the Ashes to Ashes universe.

Before I get to my main observation, I’d like to briefly touch on the gaggle of modern day references that popped up throughout the episode. Alex’s diagnosis of OCD left the gang puzzled. Whenever she throws out a psychobabble term, Gene just rolls his eyes. Alex also dropped “hoodies” into the conversation. I think Gene thought she was talking about cars. Then there was the comical discussion involving “New Kids on the Block” and “Backstreet Boys.” Gene and the boys used the names to describe a duo of thieves, much to Alex’s enjoyment. Oh, if they only knew.

The color red — which has been featured prominently already — really took center stage. Here’s a list of all things crimson: Alex’s sheets and the brick wall in her apartment; the bloody question mark on her calendar; cherry martinis; a Swiss Army knife; the red balloon that Alex chases after right before her parents are killed by the car bomb. What does it all mean?

Red symbolizes many things. It could be the Devil, but that seems too obvious. Red is also a power color. Power, or control, is something Alex is seeking. However, in my humble opinion, it’s being used as a caution, like flashing lights or a stop sign. It’s warning Alex that danger lies ahead; if she continues her quest, she may regret it. When she ran after the balloon as a child, her parents died. If she follows red again, it may be her that ends up a casualty.

In the first episode, Alex awoke in 1981 wearing a red dress and heels. Ever since, the color keeps appearing on a regular basis. I’ve been told everything in the series means something, so I would assume red is no different. Next week will mark the season one finale of Ashes to Ashes. It’s been a wild ride thus far. I’m certain the curtain call chapter won’t be any different.

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For the majority of the episode, she was convinced her body temperature was dropping and that she was in fact, dying. The pasty-faced clown Pierrot paid her multiple visits and her confusing flashbacks (or flash-forwards?) about her parents’ death were more frequent. She even went to see her mother one final time to say goodbye. Watching her struggle to find the words made for an emotional scene.

What about the Rubik’s Cube? What did it mean? This puzzling toy played a significant role throughout the proceedings. It provided Alex the necessary motivation to keep trying and as her mother told her as a child, “not to quit.” Not to quit attempting to solve a robbery and not to quit trying to figure out why the hell she’s stuck in 1981. Which brings me to the ultimate question: why is Alex stuck in 1981? There appears to be three plausible explanations. Let’s examine each, shall we.

• Alex is dead – Seems a little too convenient. If she’s a goner, is 1981 the afterlife? Running around chasing crooks in the decade of bad hair and loud clothes sounds more like hell, doesn’t it? Could she be trapped in some sort of hellish existence where she has to relive the days leading up to her personal tragedy over and over again? Alex isn’t deserving of such a cruel punishment. I say she isn’t dead, but then again the phrase says, “…for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”

• Alex is in a coma – She gets shot, lapses into a deep coma, and in her unconscious state imagines herself returning to the most tragic point in her life. If she prevents her parents from blowing up, will she awaken? And should she save mommy and daddy in this alternate reality, will that save herself from dying? Is the 1981 experience testing her will to live? All of this is reasonable, although it would be very similar to the ending of Life on Mars (not the US version). I hope the creators are a little more, uh, creative.

• Alex is in limbo – I recall the purgatory card being played during the first season of Lost. You know, they’re all on the island to be judged. It made sense at the time, but the vast complexities of the Lost universe won’t allow for such a simple interpretation. As far as Alex Drake is concerned, I guess she could be in limbo waiting for her ticket up or down. Maybe her ability to solve/stop the death of her parents is the deciding factor. Of course, this would also mean that Alex is dead and I’m still not prepared to commit to that line of thinking.

I’m of the belief that Alex will find her way back to 2008. Unlike Sam Tyler, Alex has a reason to return: her daughter Molly. Leaving Molly motherless would be a heartless way to wrap the series. Alex lost her mother at a young age, so she is fully aware of how damaging that can be on a child. For that reason alone, she will fight like hell to ensure Molly does not suffer the same fate she did.

Only two episodes left. Will all be revealed? Probably not.

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The plot last night had the gang of coppers trying to bring down a notorious crime boss named Simon Neary. Drugs, prostitution, murder and guns are some of Neary’s favorite past-times. He’s also gay, or a “pufter” if you prefer the eloquent term used by Gene and Ray. The gruesome killing of a police informant leads Alex and the rest to suspect Neary. In order to trap Neary, Alex gets chummy with his naive boyfriend, Marcus. Once Marcus learns Neary is a lying bastard, he agrees to help squash an impending gun deal.

This was easily the funniest of the episodes thus far. Gene unloads another clip of zingers (more on that later), but Ray Carling steals some serious thunder as well. Watching macho man Raymondo go undercover in a gay club is a riot. He takes to it quite naturally and Gene and Chris won’t let him forget it. The writers do an excellent job balancing the humor and drama, although Alex’s storyline often gets pushed to the back. They have so much fun with the character banter, you tend to forget Alex is lost in 1981 and we have no idea why.

About those guns. Alex throws a couple hissy fits about getting guns off the streets. She seems to surmise that ridding society of weapons will save her, and possibly her parents. Is this supposed to represent a general statement about the spread of violence or does it relate more specifically to Alex’s unusual predicament? Again, it’s not clear at this point. At first, I thought she was trying to find the exact handgun that shot her and remove it from circulation. Following this line of logic, if the gun is confiscated in 1981, then it can’t be used to shoot (kill?) her in 2008. However, this seems awfully far-fetched.

Time for the best of Gene Hunt:

• “Just follow him you dickhead.” Gene’s response to Chris’s pathetic attempt at being clever on the walkie.
• “It goes up your ass.” Gene explaining to Chris the appropriate location for a butt plug.
• “Get a waft of that. That’s man stink. Tell me that doesn’t moisten your gusset.” Gene really knows how to woo the ladies.
• “Might have fancied a punt.” Gene’s declaration at the prospect of Alex being a hooker.

Only three episodes remain. They got a lot of  ’splainin’ to do. Since there is a second season, I’m not expecting the riddle to be solved. If you need to catch up on any of the episodes tune in to BBC America today at 3pm for the first five installments of the series. Maybe repeated viewings will stir up a new theory or two.

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All of this surfaces when Alex and Gene investigate the murder of a socialist handyman named Martin Kennedy. They find among Martin’s belongings a scrambled code card and Alex’s mother’s phone number. Hmm… interesting. Mr. Kennedy also worked at a weapons testing facility. In his spare time, he liked to hang out with the anti-government Revolutionary Workers Front (RWF). Geesh, this guy got around, eh? Oh, one last thing; he enjoyed blackmailing certain people using compromising photos.

And by certain people, I mean Alex’s mother, Caroline Price. Caroline was sleeping with her colleague, Evan, who happens to be Alex’s godfather. Yikes! Martin took some lovely 8×10 photos of the affair in hopes of bribing Caroline out of some cash. In Gene’s mind, this provided Caroline motive to kill Martin, but it turns out momma Price told the bum to take a hike. However, Alex is none too pleased with her mother’s infidelities. Their confrontation makes for some tense moments.

The plot thickens after Martin’s body is swiped from the morgue by a mustached man claiming to be a DI. In reality, this mysterious corpse thief is an MI5 agent. Martin stumbled upon some top secret documents while working at the weapons facility and was planning on selling them to the RWF. His scrambled card contained the code to enter a file vault located in the bowels of the weapons testing facility.

Armed with the cracked code, Gene and Alex infiltrate the weapons facility to retrieve a filed labeled “Artemis.” After getting locked inside the vault and nearly suffocating, they escape with the file. Gene locks Artemis inside his desk. MI5 wants the file for fear it might fall into the hands of the Russians. The Russians? Wasn’t the Cold War grand?

Anyway, Alex’s parents were sympathetic to the RWF’s cause. Caroline tasked Sarah, a RWF member, to retrieve Martin’s secret information, but Martin became violent and raped the poor girl. So, Sarah iced him. Crime solved. Still unresolved is the exact contents of the Artemis file. Does it have anything to do with Alex’s parents being killed by a car bomb? Will Alex be able to save them? Is Alex really dead? Too many questions, not enough answers. Only four episodes remain.

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Since the episode was so-so, allow me to go off on a bit of a rant. I noticed something that used to irk me when I watched Life on Mars. One word: subtitles. The last time I checked, the British speak the English language. In fact, isn’t the language named after them? Well, that hasn’t stopped someone from subtitling a great portion of Gene Hunt’s dialogue. Is the heavy accent and street slang really that incomprehensible? I watch a good deal of Brit series, so perhaps I’m just accustomed to the dialect.

I still find this practice ridiculous. It’s not even used for every line. Hell, if they’re going to do it, why not subtitle the whole damn show? It’s beyond annoying when only a select few sentences are deemed too difficult to understand. How do they decide which lines to text? Is there some sort of focus group consisting of dimwitted Americans sitting in a room, raising their hands whenever they hear a phrase that frightens or confuses them? Or is it up to the discretion of a lowly intern at BBC America to pick and choose the dialogue that makes no sense? I’d like an answer. Who do I know over at the network? Oh yeah, that’s right, nobody. Shit.

Alright, I’m done bitching. I needed a forum to lodge my complaint; now I can go on living my otherwise peachy existence.

Here are a few of Gene’s best lines. Some were subtitled, others were left alone.

• Alex asked him if they had a “rape suite” for conducting discreet interviews with victims. Gene’s response: “Is that with or without the mini-bar?”
• “Don’t you ever get brain ache?” Gene’s retort to Alex’s psychobabble.
• “Sometimes I hate you, Drake.” She has a way of getting beneath Gene’s skin.
• “Got a dose of the old pox, Raymondo?” Gene’s not-so-subtle inquiry into the burn on DS Ray Carling’s lip.
• “Anything you say will be taken down, chewed up, and spit down your scrawny throat!” Gene Hunt’s version of the Miranda rights.

I’m still liking Ashes to Ashes, although Gene, and to a lesser extent, Ray, carried this episode on their backs. The sexual tension between Alex and Gene continues to build. She even left him an opening; however, he didn’t snatch the bait. I doubt anything will come of it, but it does add flavor to their combative exchanges. Hopefully, next week’s chapter will be a tad more revealing.

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In episode two, Alex, Gene and the rest of the fantastical coppers are after a mad bomber threatening to blow-up the wedding of Lady Diana to Prince Charles. Bundles of dynamite are popping up across London, much to the chagrin of Alex and a poor little pooch. Explosions don’t do much to ease Alex considering her parents were killed by a car bomb.

Speaking of Alex’s mum, she makes an appearance, which leads to some interesting mother/daughter banter. Her mother, Caroline Price, is a defense attorney representing the leading suspect in the bombing case. One of their first exchanges ends with Caroline calling Alex “stupid.” Alex counters with a “rude bitch” slur. Gotta love those warm and fuzzy moments between family.

Clearly Alex has a few unresolved issues with mommy dearest. Could it be the reason for her sojourn back through time? I vote yes. By episode’s end, Alex concurs. She circles the date of her parents’ death and reaches the conclusion that she has been tasked to either prevent the tragedy or at least discover who is responsible. The question as to whether she’s dead, insane or trapped in some sort of purgatory remains to be answered. I’ll offer my thoughts on that subject down the road.

There were plenty of ’80s references to point and laugh at. My favorite was the DeLorean. Now, any time-traveling junkie knows the significance of a DeLorean, right? If not for this overly-extravagant sports car, Marty McFly wouldn’t have been able to return to 1955 to ensure his parents met and fell in love in the fantasy classic Back to the Future. If not for this seminal film, a gigawatt would not have become part of the vernacular. At any rate, the writers cleverly slipped the DeLorean into the plot without ever calling attention to it. Subtle as she goes.

Here’s the best of Gene Hunt:

• “Excuse my colleague. She has the education of a tuft and the manners of a sewer rat.” Gene apologizing for Alex’s behavior in his own, unique way.
• Gene’s interrogation techniques might border on the extreme. He has a dimwitted crook spread-eagle nude on a snooker table and shoots a cue ball into the poor chap’s bollocks.
• “The trouble with being posh; there’s always someone posher.” A sort-of compliment to Alex.

I have to say, two episodes in and I’m hooked. I can sense its building toward something much bigger. As I wrote last week, I’m treating Ashes to Ashes as a separate entity from Life on Mars. To compare the two would be wrong, especially since they are very different from one another. If you have yet to tune in, give the series a try, Saturday nights at 9pm on BBC America.

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The series stars Keeley Hawes (MI-5) as DI Alex Drake, a psychological profiler living in 2008 with her daughter Molly. An opening hostage situation leads to Alex being kidnapped by a pale-faced stranger who claims to know her long deceased parents. After babbling incoherently, the criminal shoots Alex, which in turn ships her back to 1981, where she awakens on a party boat dressed as a hooker. Ahh… the ’80s – when there was a hooker on every corner. Pardon my nostalgia.

Warning! Warning! If you’ve never seen the original Life on Mars you may want to stop reading and attend to some overdue yard work. SPOILERS DEAD AHEAD!!

Before I carve into the meat of the debut episode, here’s some backstory. We learn in the opening scenes that Alex has been studying Sam Tyler’s file. Apparently, Sam died in April 2007 after being in a deep prolonged coma. Stamped across his photo is the word “suicide.” If you recall the last episode of the series, Sam jumped off the roof in order to return to 1973. I guess that’s why they labeled him a suicide. At any rate, Alex is well-versed in Sam’s time-traveling ramblings and therefore equipped to decipher her 1981 rewind, or so she thinks.

Alex joins a vice unit led by misogynistic son-of-a-bitch DCI, Gene Hunt. Philip Glenister reprises his role, as does Dean Andrews as Ray Carling and Marshall Lancaster as Chris Skelton. Together, the team of four work to uncover the identity of a big-time drug dealer. Alex tracks down the pale-faced stranger, a bloke named Arthur Layton, who she believes holds the key to getting back to 2008. Layton is the real kingpin, so she busts him. However, arresting him does nothing to alter her location. She’s still stuck in the decade of bad hair and worse music.

We also find out what became of Sam Tyler in the past. He was killed in a jewelry heist in 1980. Gene has not yet recovered from Sam’s death. On his office wall is a clipping about Sam’s funeral. I would gather his feelings about Sam’s passing will be revealed throughout the series. In all likelihood, while on a bender with Alex.

Thus far, the show captures the loud, awkward silliness of the ’80s perfectly. The writers/creators do their homework when it comes to depicting styles and trends. Life on Mars was a spot on representation of the hip, laid back ’70s. Ashes to Ashes looks and feels like an episode of The A-Team, done so on purpose I imagine. There’s even a scene where Gene, Ray and Chris (the “A-Team”) commandeer a speed boat and fire an Uzi at the bad guys. I kept waiting for Gene to utter, “I love it when a plan comes together.” I realize The A-Team didn’t hit the air until 1983; that’s why it’s amusing.

I was also happy to hear Gene’s signature off-color dialogue. After seeing Alex in her prostitute garb, he says, “If that skirt was any higher, I could see what you had for breakfast.” His response to Alex’s analytical detective techniques: “Where did you learn this hippie shit?” Gene Hunt never disappoints. The For Your Eyes Only poster hanging in his office was a nice touch too.

Overall, I’d give the initial installment a thumbs up. The beginning was choppy and Alex’s disorientation seemed a little forced, but I’ll pass it off as first episode jitters. I don’t anticipate the series being comparable to Life on Mars, so I’ll try to judge it on its own merits or faults. That being said, I’m looking forward to Ashes to Ashes, Saturday nights at 9pm on BBC America.

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• Mistresses – Debuts this Friday night at 8pm. Its normal time slot will be Fridays at 9pm. Four 30-something friends ponder their relationship woes. They all share one thing in common: infidelity. Looks like a Brit version of Sex and the City. Let’s hope it’s not as obnoxious. I’ll give it a watch and do a more extensive review down the road.

• Ashes to Ashes - The eagerly anticipated sequel to Life on Mars is set to premiere March 7. I’ve been looking forward to this, being a huge fan of the original series. This chapter has female Detective Inspector Alex Drake being transported from 2008 to 1981, where she puts her psychological profiling skills to work. Gene Hunt, Ray Carling and Chris Skelton return from Life on Mars. Executive producer Jane Featherstone describes the series as, “a touch of Moonlighting teamed with a measure of Miami Vice.” Sounds good to me.
• Season 3 of Skins – The teen dramedy will return in the spring with a brand new cast of problem-laden teens battling the demons of adolescence. I’ve watched a few episodes from season two. It’s a pretty gritty show; the complete opposite of Beverly Hills 90210 and Gossip Girl.
• Season 12 of Top Gear – I really dig Top Gear. If you don’t believe me, read my review here. The new season debuted Monday, February 9. You don’t have to be a car person to like this show. It’s damn entertaining, so check it out.

In addition, the top-rated Torchwood will be back sometime this year for a five-episode run, as will the full ten-episode season 3 of Primeval. I haven’t come across exact air dates for either, but I’ll be sure to update everyone when I do.

BBC America has also acquired two new sci-fi dramas set to premiere late in 2009.

• Being Human – This has an interesting premise: an exploration into the dark, secretive world of a werewolf, a vampire and a ghost. Feeding off the popularity of the Underworld movies, it has potential. Six one-hour episodes have been ordered.
• Survivors - A post-apocalyptic thriller about life on earth after a deadly virus annihilates 99.9% of the population. Yikes! Centers around Abby Grant, the leader of a group of survivors, who is searching for her son. Similar to the 28 Days Later movies and I Am Legend. A 90-minute pilot and five one-hour installments are slated to air.

There seems to be a something for everyone during the coming year. So, if you’re an Anglophile like me or just an admirer of cool, inventive series, stay tuned to BBC America in 2009.

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