Regular readers may be aware that I'm not Chris Chibnall's biggest fan, particularly of the work that he's done for Doctor Who. Chibnall, however, made his name as a writer on Life on Mars, and this was his first contribution. How, then, does it stack up?
Well, to my enormous relief, it is perhaps the strongest episode of the series so far, managing to meld tense drama and an enviable formula shakeup. It felt so refreshing not to have the usual state of affairs, something the Bonanza rarely does. It also provided everyone with excellent character moments and depth that they just haven't had up to now. Chibnall, not exactly an expert when it comes to character development, managed to in a single hour out-do six hours worth of material.
The lineup manage to bust a flasher-turned-drug-dealer Billy Kembel, who Sam doesn't believe is a large-scale dealer - he wants to find the source of the drugs, and so requests that Kembel be held in overnight. Gene, tired and anxious to get a result, locks him in the same cell as a psychopath, entrusting Ray to get a result while he and Sam go to an Indian restaurant (it makes sense in context.) When the two return, they discover that Kembel is dead, and the team isn't talking.
Sam takes this oppurtunity to try and escape the dreamworld, by running a personal enquiry into the death - hoping to "bring the walls crashing down". Along the way, Gene exploits his curiosity and gets Sam to really flush out the details, going so far as to ban him from the station just to make Sam rebel. Sam eventually discovers the truth - Ray, to get results from Kembel, gave him the overdose of Cocaine that led to his heart attack. He has firm evidence - a tape - and while Gene publically demotes Ray, he still isn't happy. When he goes to see the Superintendant, he simply laughs in Sam's face.
Chibnall's masterpiece both exites and disappoints me. If only he could have produced something of this quality for Doctor Who, instead of writing such mush... . This was the most tense and, while not lighthearted, enjoyable episode so far this series. Well done.
Our first finale comes courtesy of long-time series co-producer and writer Matthew Graham, who I find is particularly good at writing for Sam - often at the expense of the other characters. This episode gave us a very interesting role change, with Gene sticking to the book while Sam felt forced to rely on his natural instincts, or, in this case, family values. It delivered on everything that the series promised and is perhaps the most memorable episode of the series simply in the way it wraps everything up.
The team are chasing a pair of gangsters called the Norton Brothers, who are spreading crime throughout the city in an attempt to fill the power vacuum left by Steven Warren. Evidence leads them to find and arrest Vic Tyler, Sam's father who abandoned him that very year. Understandably awed, Sam goes out of his way to try and find Vic innocent and, in an attempt to get home, persuade him to stay home. Slowly the evidence mounts up, until it is revealed that Vic is the Norton Brothers - they were his charade, his cover. Despite Sam's attempts, Vic runs away, and Sam doesn't wake up.
An aspect often used in the Bonanza are near-psychedelic dream sequences that drop subtle hints about characters and plot. In LoM Series One, the recurring element was of a girl in a red dress, blurredly running through a wood, and is fulfilled in this episode. While it works here, the sequences tend to get vaguer as time goes on.
As an episode of Life On Mars, the finale was perfect in its structure and emotive punch. As a finale, it only very loosely tied up the ends from this series, leaving it wide open for a sequel. I suppose at this point the writers didn't expect to be renewed, and so had to make a compromise between tying everything up and leaving it on a cliffhanger.
That's it for Life On Mars Series One. Rejoin me in the New Year, when I take a look at the more developed Series Two.
Thanks.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.