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Ashes to Ashes 3.03
A Ray episode catering to my inner Alex-Ray-friendshipper.
Of course I'm in squee mode. Mind you, it's not that this episode is full of stunning new revelations - we already know Ray worships Gene, that Gene is his replacement father (Gene standing in for other people's fathers is something that happens in the first seasons of LoM and AtA with Sam's and Alex' fathers respectively, too) and that he never feels he's good enough, as opposed to the favoured kids (*cough* Sam *cough*). But the way it plays out is beautifully done, plus Ray's thing with the army, which has been referenced for several seasons now, getting explained was new, and Dean Andrews never had so many meaty scenes to play in either LoM or AtA. Which he did superbly. The big climactic confession/disarming scene, of course, but also the earlier rooftop scene with Alex and also the later scene with the two of them in front of the car, complete with Ray kissing Alex on the cheek, which is when I really couldn't stop my squeeing anymore. Among many other things, it's a great pay-off for what happened in the course of s2 when Ray started to show interest in Alex' psychological take on cop work, and she started apprenticing him somewhat. He probably would not have been able to choose connecting with Andy as a way to disarm him if not for this, let alone lay himself open like that. And I love that it's a given between him and Alex that Ray said the truth, that they don't have to go through the manly pretense of "I was just trying to talk him down" the way Ray does with the others. Lastly, that he uses her first name now and then. In conclusion: SQUEE.
Meanwhile, in terms of ongoing plot developments: Shaz seeing stars, Alex doing the same, Alex' recurring Dead Young Copper flashes and Ray, when given praise by Gene, having the same fade-in/fade-out LoM music experience Shaz did last week, combined with Jim Keats' "if you get the chance of promotion, take it" spiel all feed into my "they're all dead, Gene actually is supposed to help them deal with their pasts and then move on but keeps them because he got attached, and if one of them genuinenly decides to leave Gene, they transition for good, which Jim Keats knows" theory. We know about Sam's and Alex' traumas which were dealt with in their respective first seasons. I wouldn't be surprised if what actually happened to Shaz involved stabbing, considering she had to through this twice in show time already, while what happened to Ray involved fire (with or without bombs; as I recall in the second season of LoM Ray nearly got blown up as well). Chris? I suppose we'll find out next week.
The Shaz-Alex exchange re: idiotic wars (Tories/Falkland, Labour/Iraq) and the fact this episode is broadcast now when election time is coming closer in Britain is a neat coincidence (the show's producers couldn't know when Gordon Blown would announce the next election when they wrote the episode), but makes for a depressing feeling of plus ca change. Kind of Alex to spare Shaz the spectre of Tony Blair's New Labour, though. Incidentally, Gene and Ray being Thatcherites, Shaz Old Labour, and Alex a Liberal, that leaves Chris as undecided (or rather, influenced by either current mentors or Shaz depending on his state of relationships). Go figure.
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar: I still think what Ray's repressing is (homo)sexuality in addition to feelings of inadequacy and daddy issues, and if there is no coming out before this season ends, I'll pout.
Of course I'm in squee mode. Mind you, it's not that this episode is full of stunning new revelations - we already know Ray worships Gene, that Gene is his replacement father (Gene standing in for other people's fathers is something that happens in the first seasons of LoM and AtA with Sam's and Alex' fathers respectively, too) and that he never feels he's good enough, as opposed to the favoured kids (*cough* Sam *cough*). But the way it plays out is beautifully done, plus Ray's thing with the army, which has been referenced for several seasons now, getting explained was new, and Dean Andrews never had so many meaty scenes to play in either LoM or AtA. Which he did superbly. The big climactic confession/disarming scene, of course, but also the earlier rooftop scene with Alex and also the later scene with the two of them in front of the car, complete with Ray kissing Alex on the cheek, which is when I really couldn't stop my squeeing anymore. Among many other things, it's a great pay-off for what happened in the course of s2 when Ray started to show interest in Alex' psychological take on cop work, and she started apprenticing him somewhat. He probably would not have been able to choose connecting with Andy as a way to disarm him if not for this, let alone lay himself open like that. And I love that it's a given between him and Alex that Ray said the truth, that they don't have to go through the manly pretense of "I was just trying to talk him down" the way Ray does with the others. Lastly, that he uses her first name now and then. In conclusion: SQUEE.
Meanwhile, in terms of ongoing plot developments: Shaz seeing stars, Alex doing the same, Alex' recurring Dead Young Copper flashes and Ray, when given praise by Gene, having the same fade-in/fade-out LoM music experience Shaz did last week, combined with Jim Keats' "if you get the chance of promotion, take it" spiel all feed into my "they're all dead, Gene actually is supposed to help them deal with their pasts and then move on but keeps them because he got attached, and if one of them genuinenly decides to leave Gene, they transition for good, which Jim Keats knows" theory. We know about Sam's and Alex' traumas which were dealt with in their respective first seasons. I wouldn't be surprised if what actually happened to Shaz involved stabbing, considering she had to through this twice in show time already, while what happened to Ray involved fire (with or without bombs; as I recall in the second season of LoM Ray nearly got blown up as well). Chris? I suppose we'll find out next week.
The Shaz-Alex exchange re: idiotic wars (Tories/Falkland, Labour/Iraq) and the fact this episode is broadcast now when election time is coming closer in Britain is a neat coincidence (the show's producers couldn't know when Gordon Blown would announce the next election when they wrote the episode), but makes for a depressing feeling of plus ca change. Kind of Alex to spare Shaz the spectre of Tony Blair's New Labour, though. Incidentally, Gene and Ray being Thatcherites, Shaz Old Labour, and Alex a Liberal, that leaves Chris as undecided (or rather, influenced by either current mentors or Shaz depending on his state of relationships). Go figure.
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar: I still think what Ray's repressing is (homo)sexuality in addition to feelings of inadequacy and daddy issues, and if there is no coming out before this season ends, I'll pout.