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Mar. 14th, 2008 10:09 amSo, after hearing "Life on Mars" come up on my mp3 player a few times recently, I decided it was time to bite the bullet and watch episode 2-8 again - for the first time since it was on TV nearly a year ago. I've been working my way through LOM recently, trying to get a better handle on Sam for fic purposes, and watching A2A means I ache for Sam.
A2A I think, is better watched as a completely new show, and sometimes I wish I could have watched A2A first, then watched LOM as a "oh, I want to see more of this" thing. Which, judging by the A2A comm, I think a fair few people have done. Those of us who have heavily invested in Life on Mars, and in particular, the Sam/Gene dynamic (make of it what you will - ultimate buddy cop, slash potential, whatever - the dynamic is there) will always struggle with it. I wonder if this is where some of the so called criticism of Keeley Hawes' acting is coming from - unrealistic expectations that she will turn out to be another John Simm. It's not that the woman can't act (because she can) but more thatbadsloppy writing and the weight of Britain watching, waiting for another hit, then crowing as it doesn't quite work.
Anyway, back to 2-8. I still get severely annoyed that they threw away all the intimacy and friendship that they had so painstakingly set up in the previous episode. It was like the sleep-over that never happened... But I for the first time I actually started to feel something other than just cold when I watched this episode. Ok, I still hate certain things, like the brain tumour out of nowhere, the whole Wizard of Oz thang that they had going on. But the superb acting from JS, combined with everything else made me not hate this episode a little more than last time - and appreciate the way it was directed. It will never be up there with my favourites, like 2-2, but at least I hate it a little less than I did.
A2A I think, is better watched as a completely new show, and sometimes I wish I could have watched A2A first, then watched LOM as a "oh, I want to see more of this" thing. Which, judging by the A2A comm, I think a fair few people have done. Those of us who have heavily invested in Life on Mars, and in particular, the Sam/Gene dynamic (make of it what you will - ultimate buddy cop, slash potential, whatever - the dynamic is there) will always struggle with it. I wonder if this is where some of the so called criticism of Keeley Hawes' acting is coming from - unrealistic expectations that she will turn out to be another John Simm. It's not that the woman can't act (because she can) but more that
Anyway, back to 2-8. I still get severely annoyed that they threw away all the intimacy and friendship that they had so painstakingly set up in the previous episode. It was like the sleep-over that never happened... But I for the first time I actually started to feel something other than just cold when I watched this episode. Ok, I still hate certain things, like the brain tumour out of nowhere, the whole Wizard of Oz thang that they had going on. But the superb acting from JS, combined with everything else made me not hate this episode a little more than last time - and appreciate the way it was directed. It will never be up there with my favourites, like 2-2, but at least I hate it a little less than I did.
