Ashes to Ashes

The reason why I hesitated watching it in the first place where two or rather three fold. I had and still have issues with the Life on Mars finale; moreover, I thought the second season in general, while not being bad, was noticable weaker than the first one and showed the writing staff losing interest in their main character while falling in love a tad too much in love with Gene Hunt; and thirdly, the premise of Ashes to Ashes as described basically sounded like a remake, only with the early 80s instead of 1973 and a female police officer to have het UST instead of slash UST. However, some people on my flst whose judgment I value seemed to like it, and when the entertainment program of the flight to Bali had the first two episodes, I was curious enough to watch. Now I've seen all eight episodes, and must say not only did I like it but I liked it more than the second season of Life on Mars, even discounting my finale issues. Which doesn't mean it's perfect. Gene has a speech in the Ashes to Ashes season finale which is one of these eye-rolling examples of the "pompous superior shows up just so Our Hero can show/tell him what's what" motif so beloved by show runners. (No, I didn't even like it when Joss did it with Buffy and the Watcher's council in season 5, and he's a far better writer.) But that's one scene, not a blemish of the whole season. The characterisation of Gene in general is one I'm happy with; the heroic introduction shot from the pilot is also full of irony, and the writing for him in general is full of affection but not uncritical or glorifying, larger-than-life personality notwithstanding.

Alex, I take it, had her detractors, expecially in the early episodes, but I like her, especially that she isn't written as a female Sam Tyler and doesn't have the same dilemma. (Alex doesn't wonder whether or not what she experiences is real; she's convinced and absolutely sure it's not, but can't help starting to feel for and interact with everyone anyway.) Moreover, by giving her a little daughter to return to, the creators seem to have gone out of their way to make sure ( something spoilery for the LoM finale )

. The coupling of Alex and her daughter in the present, and Alex and her mother in the past is also dramatically very efficient. As for the mystery/revelation at the end: ( I have spoilery things to say )

Ray and Chris got more narrative room here than on LoM, and Shaz, replacing Annie as the sweet and kind WPC in the team, is extremely likeable. (Also, with Alex and Shaz as regulars and Caroline as a semi-regular character, plus Alex' daughter Molly as not always present but very much thought of, we have four important female roles to balance the blokeishness. It's appreciated.) I'm not sure I buy Gene would have been able to take his sidekicks with him after being transferred to the capital, but I can see why they moved the location to London; it just fits more with the early 80s.

Lastly: you know how in shows, movies and films most of the time male characters are allowed one night stands without being characterized in negative ways, but heroic female characters don't have sex unless they're either seriously in love or evilly tricked? This show doesn't do that. Sadly, this is still worth mentioning. Makes me almost forgive the obnoxious "let's show it to the man" speech alluded to above.