Ashes to Ashes

[meddow]

Another fantastic episode. If it keeps this level of quality up, it'll be the best season of not only this show, but of the franchise.

I loved that Ray got some focus. It's a credit to the writers that my least favourite character in LoM has become my favourite character in A2A, thanks to some wonderful development. In LoM Ray always seemed like a bit of a thug who wanted to be the Gene, but wasn't up to it. Loved that this episode proved something that had been hinted at last season, that Ray is a pretty great cop in his own right.

Anyway, Ray talking down the arsonist and then later, giving Alex that kiss on the cheek, that was fantastic. Oh, show. You are my favourite thing airing on telly at the moment.

Funnily enough, this season, I'm starting to dislike Gene a lot more. Maybe I'm siding with his nemesis, but his leadership has been cast in a more paternalistic and suffocating light. The man uses loyalty and force of personality to keep himself in his position, and while he always did, this season the damage its causing his team is becoming more evident.

Loved the election stuff as well. Nice timing. Particularly loved the character debating matters (oh, Shaz, if only you knew what was to come).

So refining my theory that they're all dead, I think that Shaz, Ray and Chris aren't self aware like Alex and Sam because they arrived dead, whereas Alex and Sam being in a coma kept them from losing themselves completely in Gene's world.

Presuming I'm right, I'm wondering whether the character will become self aware and realise they're dead and move on, or whether the veil will hold and their self-realisation and moving on will be them leaving the department.

Next week seems to have Bryan Dick and Marianne from TTOI. Casting win!

Comments

[erinpuff]

So refining my theory that they're all dead, I think that Shaz, Ray and Chris aren't self aware like Alex and Sam because they arrived dead, whereas Alex and Sam being in a coma kept them from losing themselves completely in Gene's world.

I like that. I was just thinking that if they go the "they're all dead or comatose cops," they have to explain why there hasn't been any indication that anyone but Alex and Sam is aware of being from elsewhere - your theory works.

[meddow.livejournal.com]

There really would need some explanation, and if Shaz, Ray and Chris being dead it a retcon, it'd be a good way to explain it.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

I like the coma/death difference explanation (works for Martin Summers, too, who was also in a coma and self aware)!

Funnily enough, this season, I'm starting to dislike Gene a lot more. Maybe I'm siding with his nemesis, but his leadership has been cast in a more paternalistic and suffocating light. The man uses loyalty and force of personality to keep himself in his position, and while he always did, this season the damage its causing his team is becoming more evident.


I'm with you there, but we're in a minority. I'm not that surprised that over at the AtA community there are always hopes Gene will beat Jim Keats up. (Because that's such a great refutation of his arguments, right?). The thing is, the last time we had a really critical examination of Gene's leadership was in the last but one episode of s1 of LoM (the one where Ray gets a suspect killed by following Gene's example and rules). That long ago. So I'm all for a less than adoring attitude on the part of the show this season, although I fully expect Gene to end up looking completely heroic by the time the finale rolls along, because they know their audience and Gene is most people's reason for tuning in. Still, I'll take what I can get in the meantime. Especially the lovely, lovely character development for Ray, and his friendship with Alex.

[meddow.livejournal.com]

I fully expect Gene to end up looking completely heroic by the time the finale rolls along

Me too, and it will be a shame. I do wish that the writers hadn't given into the temptation to write Gene as the hero and kept his characterisation as he was in season one of LoM. Still, as you say, the character development that we're getting at the moment of the others is fantastic. What I really hope is that they're setting Ray up to take over the department so we get a lot more of Ray development and more of him learning from Alex.