audere_est_facere

If you watch Life on Mars in countries that are still running it, this isn't the thread for you as it gives the game away - you've been warned……

Well the best telly programme since - well since John Yogi Bear invented the telly has come to an end...


So compatriots; what was the ending of LoM? I've been talking about this with my colleagues all morning and we're conflicted.

Here's my take. The bloke who told him he was really undercover etc is actually the surgeon in 2007. Gene Hunt represented the brain tumour that was being operated on (hence the determination of the Dr as policeman to destroy Hunt). He didn't come to in real life, he only came to in his coma. He realised that life in 2007 wasn't as much fun and that he wanted to go back to Annie. That's why the colours in the 2007 were bleached out - it was a much les colourful existence. That's why he jumped off the building - to kill off his 2007 persona. He went back to 1973 but in real life the surgeons couldn't save him. He died - when the test card girl switched off the telly - in real life they turned off his life support.

Any other ideas?

Josser

One theory is that 1970s Manchester is Heaven

LoveItaly

Never mind your question audere. My question is this. I had a title of a thread (I don't remember what my question was) that used the word Brits. I got blasted for using the word Brits and was quite scolded as I was told it was impolite and not politcally correct or what have you.

But you are in the UK and you used the word Brits in this title of your thread.

Is it only acceptable for you folks in the UK to use the words Brits? And is it completely not proper for those of us not in the UK to refer to those of you in the UK as Brits?

You Brits completely confuse me!

caroline_edinburgh

Well I gave up after one episode - too shouty - but DH was hooked & here's his take...

Hmm, I'm having trouble with the 'Manchester is the afterlife' theory. I reckon either :-

(a) 1973 actually *was* Sam's proper reality. He'd had the breakdown/amnesia in his past, and so was only hallucinating that he'd ever been from the future. So the whole Dr Morgan / waking up from the coma thing was just within his head, and was his subconscious trying to make sense of everything. In the end, he makes the conscious decision to destroy his imaginary future self, and therefore arrives 'properly' in 1973.

or

(b) Waking up from the coma was only a dream-within-a-dream. Again, he makes the decision that he belongs in 1973, and effectively destroys his future self. Somewhere in the future, he's still in a coma, on a life support machine, but he's no longer fighting to wake up, as symbolised by him switching off the radio message at the end.

Oh, the maddest theory that was going around was : Life on Mars - made by BBC Wales - who have another series about a time-traveller - ergo, The Doctor was going to arrive to take Sam back to the present day!

PatrickLondon

These might throw a little light on it:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv_and_rad...054277,00.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/st...054107,00.html

Of course, if it were a simple soap opera, the answer would be easy. Sam would disappear on a holiday (to Leigh-on-Sea, Southport or New Zealand) and magically reappear in The Bill or Holby City.

audere_est_facere

I don'think he can be from 1973 - he knows stuff about now - like Mrs Thatcher being PM and the IRA ceasfire etc.

They're going to do one with Gene Hunt set in 1981 - how's that going to work then?

sheila

I saw it!!

It's all to do with what you can feel; and a) after he wakes up in 2007 and can't feel it when he cuts himself he realsies (because Nelson told hi "you're only alive if you can feel) that he's not alive, so 2007 is the parallel universe. So he knows he won't die when he throws himself off the roof and anyway b) he promised Annie he'd go back, and his mum says he always keeps his promises.

In other words, caroline's husband was right. The stuff in David's first post was the parallel stuff not the real stuff. The car crash he was recovering from in the first episode was real, and led to the amnesia stuff.

Ah, stuff it! It's still one of the best TV programmes ever.

RM67

LoveItaly - You didn't get blasted or scolded by anyone on the 'Brits' thread. Some people (including me) said they didn't particularly like the term, others said they didn't mind it at all - but no-one was unpleasant to you for using it. It was actually quite a good natured disucussion with people asking if other terms like 'Yank', 'Limey' 'Aussie' were acceptable or not, and joking about what they'd been called when working or visiting overseas.

If Audere has used the term 'Brit' in the thread title it's highly unlikely he or she finds it offensive - which is, I suspect why you came on here asking. Getting approval from someone who's not bothered doesn't make the views of others who don't like the word, invalid.

BTW, I loved Life On Mars - agree with most of your synopsis Audere, though I'm still not sure whether he (Sam)really did wake up, or just dreamed the waking up. Thought the lack of pain in 2007 might mean life was less exciting now rather than back then - not that he was still in the coma - ie he did wake up, but chose to commit suicide to get back to 1973. Got a bit confused about why Gene Hunt wasn't in trouble though, after the investigation - how did that all turn out alright?!

RM67

PS - I actually thought the idea of him really being in 1973, and 'imagining' the future (rather than vice-versa, as we'd been led to believe for the best part of a year) was fantastic - I was almost disappointed when he woke up!!!

audere_est_facere

I've watched it again and...

I'm sure he was in a coma in 2007. The waking up bit was part of he dream. In jumping off the building he was chosing to be in the 1973 dream. Also in killing himself he was also allowing himself to succumb to the tumour. The car radio was saying "we're losing him" and when he tuned it out he destroyed his last link to the present.

The little girl turning off the telly was the life support being turned off and him dying in the real world.

Well, that's what I think. I'm 'aving 'oops.

wellididntknowthat

I followed the first series religiously but, due to work, missed a couple of episodes at the start of the second.

So I avoided the rest of the series and will wait for the dvd of series two to come out to watch in one glorious 1973 night.

I will now cover eyes and put fingers in ears thus avoiding any further information about the conclusion!!

audere_est_facere

to watch in one glorious 1973 night. >>>>

You should do it while eating prawn cocktail; chicken in a basket and black forest gateau and wash it down with a nice Blue Nun. Or you could get a Party Seven in.

wombat7

Audere - at least the smell of the Hai Karate will mask the taste of Blue Nun!

audere_est_facere

I was more of a Blue Stratos man myself - 'cos I didn't have to try too hard.....(begging usually breaks 'em down after a couple of hours)

wombat7

AEF - figures - though I knew you didn't try and mimic 'enry with his "spalsh it on all over"

audere_est_facere

The girls at the time smelled of Charlie or Tramp.

I have often wondered at the name Tramp for a perfume. Did they want girls to smell of incontinence and stale booze?

Mind you I'd give anything for a couple of sniffs of charlie right now....

PatrickLondon

I'd have put you down for a Diamond White sort of geezer... or Bucky wine.

wombat7

There was also Cachet if memory serves

audere_est_facere

Nope I'm a classy sort of bloke - Piat D'Or, or Double Diamond.

I eat in Berni Inns I'll have you know.

RM67

Surely it should be Babycham for the girls! Or a Snowball!