I have to give it to the Brits. They are the best when it comes to making police dramas. I am a late comer to the likes of "Life on Mars" and" Ashes to Ashes" but I am glad I found it. The ending was the only one that I could have wanted; it gave me hope and ended the show on a great note. Even though it was fantasy, it was the way I would have wanted it to end. Phil Glenister is great in this role and now I have to find his other work and appreciate them. The entire cast delivered fantastic performance. I could follow this program for another 5 years. I will not give any spoilers; I will just say it was a great TV cop show. I hope to see more like this in the future.
10 Reviews
A great way for the series to bow out on!
Trelloskilos24 May 2010
Warning: Spoilers
It's only to be expected. The finale of Ashes to Ashes was always going to be controversial, but without wanting to give away spoilers for whoever hasn't seen it yet (which would account for very very few fans of the series), I would have to say that there was absolutely nothing more nonsensical or contrived about the ending.
I mean, come on! Lets face it! Ashes, and Life on Mars already involved a bit of metaphysics, surrealism, time travel and paradoxes that bordered on, but didn't quite descend, to Lynchian realms. People enjoyed the characters, the witty dialogue, the relationships, the action and even the retro nods to 80's nostalgia, but unlike Dempsey & Makepeace, there was an underlying story arc that needed resolution, and that arc was not your standard cop drama fayre.
The clues were already there, not just in the final episode, but throughout the third series...even before the third series! The way Ray would grasp his throat, the shared visions of stars, Chris' increased agitation around whistles & the interesting ways that Jim Keats dealt with dying officers...if the final episode turned out to be a wet blanket, with Alex returning to the present day, Chris & Shaz marrying, Ray heading CID & Gene getting a knighthood, I would have chucked my remote at the TV. The ending was well-written, bittersweet, tied up the loose ends, and rewarded the vast majority of fans. - There would always be a minority who want happily ever afters, or something more straight- laced, but the resolution did work well & made sense to most.
The acting was really noteworthy. Phil Glenister played a great role as Gene, both as the usual swaggering DCI we've all come to love, but also as a transformed, shattered, distraught Gene who finally sees the truth. Everyone, from Keeley Hawes to Monserrat Lombard did amazingly well, no hamming up, just great acting, (especially as Ray, Chris & Shaz all view the videos that Jim has left for them) but the real treat was finally seeing Jim Keats go from being the nerdy pencil pusher to something incredibly sinister, malevolent & mad! Absolutely superb!
To those who still are not convinced, I will ask two simple questions. "How did you expect it to end?", and "Do you think your ending would have really made the series better?".
All in all, great final, great series, and I'm really sorry to see it go.
I mean, come on! Lets face it! Ashes, and Life on Mars already involved a bit of metaphysics, surrealism, time travel and paradoxes that bordered on, but didn't quite descend, to Lynchian realms. People enjoyed the characters, the witty dialogue, the relationships, the action and even the retro nods to 80's nostalgia, but unlike Dempsey & Makepeace, there was an underlying story arc that needed resolution, and that arc was not your standard cop drama fayre.
The clues were already there, not just in the final episode, but throughout the third series...even before the third series! The way Ray would grasp his throat, the shared visions of stars, Chris' increased agitation around whistles & the interesting ways that Jim Keats dealt with dying officers...if the final episode turned out to be a wet blanket, with Alex returning to the present day, Chris & Shaz marrying, Ray heading CID & Gene getting a knighthood, I would have chucked my remote at the TV. The ending was well-written, bittersweet, tied up the loose ends, and rewarded the vast majority of fans. - There would always be a minority who want happily ever afters, or something more straight- laced, but the resolution did work well & made sense to most.
The acting was really noteworthy. Phil Glenister played a great role as Gene, both as the usual swaggering DCI we've all come to love, but also as a transformed, shattered, distraught Gene who finally sees the truth. Everyone, from Keeley Hawes to Monserrat Lombard did amazingly well, no hamming up, just great acting, (especially as Ray, Chris & Shaz all view the videos that Jim has left for them) but the real treat was finally seeing Jim Keats go from being the nerdy pencil pusher to something incredibly sinister, malevolent & mad! Absolutely superb!
To those who still are not convinced, I will ask two simple questions. "How did you expect it to end?", and "Do you think your ending would have really made the series better?".
All in all, great final, great series, and I'm really sorry to see it go.
Phoenix rising from the ashes
ShadeGrenade27 May 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Like all good series endings, the 'Ashes To Ashes' finale has polarised opinion - you either understood and liked it or didn't understand it and did not. It started with Gene Hunt saying to D.C.I. Jim Keats: "Its gonna be a hell of a final chapter, eh Jimbo?". Indeed it was. Season 3 was a return to form for the show. D.I. Alex Drake ( Keeley Hawes ) had stopped worrying whether she would get back to her daughter Molly in 2008, and focused instead on wondering what had become of Sam Tyler. All this talk of Tyler's fate led some to conclude John Simm was about to make a surprise return, but it was not to be. Throughout the season, Keats provided a genuine sense of menace, rather like the Test Card Girl in 'Life On Mars'. Top marks to Daniel Mays for his chilling performance.
Dean Andrews and Marshall Lancaster as 'Ray Carling' and 'Chris Skelton' are so good they deserve a show of their own. Not forgetting Monserrat Lombard as 'Shaz'. To be honest, 'Ashes To Ashes' never quite succeeded in emerging from its predecessor's shadow, mainly because Hunt never had the rapport with Drake he had had with Tyler. Not the fault of Hawes, but it was just how the character was written. As ever, Philip Glenister towered over the show like a colossus, grabbing all the best lines ( in the run-up to the general election fiasco, Labour tried to ridicule Tory leader David Cameron by likening him to Hunt. It backfired because they chose the wrong man. Cameron is more like Keats than Hunt! ) When Keats announced he had Intel, Hunt sneered: "Intel! There's posh! You get 'reconnoitre' into a sentence, I may buy you a fish supper!".
The final episode cleared up the big mystery once and for all. Drake could not go back as she was already dead, as indeed was everyone else. Hunt himself died on Coronation Day 1953, and lay in a shallow grave on a farm in Greater Manchester. Ray, Chris and Shaz got to see video tapes of their demises. This was not 1983, at all, but a kind of Purgatory for dead police, an anti-room to the After Life. Keats was the Devil, trying to tempt Gene's squad into his 'new department', while Hunt was the alternative, ferrying people to Heaven without being able to venture there himself.
Before everyone set foot in the Nelson Arms one last time, there was a good old fashioned shoot-out involving our heroes and some gem-smuggling villains from Amsterdam. "I'm arresting you for murdering my car, you dyke-digging t###pots!", screamed Hunt.
Alex and Gene got to kiss, but it was goodbye. The final scene in Hunt's office suggested that 'Life On Mars' was going to happen all over again. As the credits rolled, I had a lump in my throat at the thought that it was all over. But wait! There was one last treat in store! A clip from 'Dixon Of Dock Green'. The character first appeared in the film 'The Blue Lamp' ( 1950 ) and got killed in the line of duty, yet went on to his own series on the B.B.C. So now we know how! He was in Gene's world all the time! Both 'Life On Mars' and 'Ashes To Ashes' prove it is still possible to make great television in the 21st century. You need a good idea, well-written scripts, and the right cast to make it happen. For me, the show's biggest legacy will be Hunt himself, one of the most wonderful characters in any show. Don't know about you, but I'm going to miss the bugger.
Dean Andrews and Marshall Lancaster as 'Ray Carling' and 'Chris Skelton' are so good they deserve a show of their own. Not forgetting Monserrat Lombard as 'Shaz'. To be honest, 'Ashes To Ashes' never quite succeeded in emerging from its predecessor's shadow, mainly because Hunt never had the rapport with Drake he had had with Tyler. Not the fault of Hawes, but it was just how the character was written. As ever, Philip Glenister towered over the show like a colossus, grabbing all the best lines ( in the run-up to the general election fiasco, Labour tried to ridicule Tory leader David Cameron by likening him to Hunt. It backfired because they chose the wrong man. Cameron is more like Keats than Hunt! ) When Keats announced he had Intel, Hunt sneered: "Intel! There's posh! You get 'reconnoitre' into a sentence, I may buy you a fish supper!".
The final episode cleared up the big mystery once and for all. Drake could not go back as she was already dead, as indeed was everyone else. Hunt himself died on Coronation Day 1953, and lay in a shallow grave on a farm in Greater Manchester. Ray, Chris and Shaz got to see video tapes of their demises. This was not 1983, at all, but a kind of Purgatory for dead police, an anti-room to the After Life. Keats was the Devil, trying to tempt Gene's squad into his 'new department', while Hunt was the alternative, ferrying people to Heaven without being able to venture there himself.
Before everyone set foot in the Nelson Arms one last time, there was a good old fashioned shoot-out involving our heroes and some gem-smuggling villains from Amsterdam. "I'm arresting you for murdering my car, you dyke-digging t###pots!", screamed Hunt.
Alex and Gene got to kiss, but it was goodbye. The final scene in Hunt's office suggested that 'Life On Mars' was going to happen all over again. As the credits rolled, I had a lump in my throat at the thought that it was all over. But wait! There was one last treat in store! A clip from 'Dixon Of Dock Green'. The character first appeared in the film 'The Blue Lamp' ( 1950 ) and got killed in the line of duty, yet went on to his own series on the B.B.C. So now we know how! He was in Gene's world all the time! Both 'Life On Mars' and 'Ashes To Ashes' prove it is still possible to make great television in the 21st century. You need a good idea, well-written scripts, and the right cast to make it happen. For me, the show's biggest legacy will be Hunt himself, one of the most wonderful characters in any show. Don't know about you, but I'm going to miss the bugger.
A wonderful finale.
Sleepin_Dragon10 October 2020
The final pieces of the jigsaw are put in place, after all the mystery and intrigue of both shows it comes to a climax here, well sort of, interest in the franchise has certainly increased since a third series of Life on Mars was announced.
I love that opening sequence, Alex being chased by Gordon Brown..... well he's a bit Gordon Brown like.
It's a truly wonderful final episode. Is it all black and white, or are you the viewer left to interpret whether it's a battle of good and evil, and how Gene Hunt, and Keats fit into the play.
Was Keats attempting to take them down to you know where? That's a chilling thought.
I cannot criticise this final episode, it was moving, entertaining, even made me year up a little.
We thought this was it, turns out there's one more chapter to come.
Brilliant, 10/10.
I love that opening sequence, Alex being chased by Gordon Brown..... well he's a bit Gordon Brown like.
It's a truly wonderful final episode. Is it all black and white, or are you the viewer left to interpret whether it's a battle of good and evil, and how Gene Hunt, and Keats fit into the play.
Was Keats attempting to take them down to you know where? That's a chilling thought.
I cannot criticise this final episode, it was moving, entertaining, even made me year up a little.
We thought this was it, turns out there's one more chapter to come.
Brilliant, 10/10.
Farewell Gene Hunt. It's been brilliant
studioAT18 October 2017
Warning: Spoilers
After such a big build up over three series (or five if you include Life on Mars) this final episode of the 'Mars/Ashes' saga was always going to divide opinion, but in my opinion it is a wonderful episode that manages to answer a lot of questions while also leaving some details up for the viewers themselves to piece together.
Some people found it complicated, but for me intelligent TV should always be celebrated.
All of the main cast give great performances and this episode is full of the gritty drama and light humour that has run throughout both series.
I think this was a wonderful piece of television and a bittersweet end to the saga.
Some people found it complicated, but for me intelligent TV should always be celebrated.
All of the main cast give great performances and this episode is full of the gritty drama and light humour that has run throughout both series.
I think this was a wonderful piece of television and a bittersweet end to the saga.
From the Villain to Hero
cbatukilic11 November 2020
I was hated when I watched the first series. Literally, I was suffering while I watch. Because I was began just after Life on Mars. And Life on Mars was my best series of all time after Sherlock. At this one, Sam Tyler was gone and it was like end of the world for me. I could not get used to it. But it got better and better in the second and third series. It Became like one of my best friends. Now I finished the whole series. Life on Mars&Ashes to Ashes will be alwasy one of the best series of I watched. I will never forget that police stations and pubs. I will never forget that perfect cast. 40 Episodes 5 Seasons... Good things never last long...
No more heroes
xmasdaybaby196615 October 2020
Such a poor way to end what has been a great series.
Rather like that other great 80s time travelling show Quantum Leap it didn't really know how to finish.
1983 was the year I left school so have loved the music and contemporary references but the third series hasn't been that great. Like Life On Mars, they should have left in after series 2
Like my favourite band The Church, they did great albums in 1981 and 1982 and then they released their tricky third album in 1883 which was good but not as good (they gave done 23 albums since!).
It seemed as though the cast didn't really have their hearts in this episode either.
A big shout out to everyone that has seen the show all the way through.
The first series was a hard watch at first after seeing John Simm star but Keeley grew into the role and it's hard to believe that Shaz wasn't a character in the original series either.
I have binge watched the series over a week or so and kept this episode back. I had been looking forward to seeing it all day.
Pub!
Worst ending in the history of endings.
jonathanshiers22 May 2010
Firstly I would like to point out that I was a massive fan of Life on Mars and the wonderful tight scripting and acting it displayed. Ashes to Ashes was the follow on that everyone wanted to happen but didn't deliver in the same way as the story of John Simm's Sam Tyler had in the original series. Ashes to Ashes was focused around Gene Hunt's chauvinistic and misogynist ways, which when controlled were sometimes highlight of LoM, but in A2A were getting predictable and far too common. My main problem with the finale of Ashes to Ashes was the complete abandonment of any comprehensible explanation as to what was happening. I watched the episode with a few friends, and only by discussing it and working it out were we able to understand what was going on. The beauty of Life on Mars was that it was fantasy, but believable. The realms of stupidity entered by the finale were incredible. It was farcical and just plain rubbish. The only saving grace was the acting. Keeley Hawes did her best to make the most of a rubbish storyline and Phillip Glenister was excellent as always. All in all it was one of the worst endings I have ever seen and I feel robbed that the people who could make one of the best TV series of the last decade can leave me feeling so empty and mortified by tripe like that.
Not so drake
charliemouse-0673325 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Could have been great without her... the character over dramatic ... keast character is boring....I had to see the end but the idea at the beginning was so brillant. I loved life on Mars. The first season of ashes to ashes... too bad
Worst series ending episode ever
mypodcastfeedback25 January 2022
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