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Life on Mars
Life on Mars can be stunningly good.
There are two totally different ways of interpreting the series and I'm not sure that they're compatible, but I'm hoping it will continue to work as well as it is.
My main theory is that Sam is indeed hallucinating, but that the hallucination is not meaningless. Gene is the part of himself that he denies. Sam is logic and adherence to the letter of the law. Gene is hunch and 'end justifies the means'. Somewhere in the middle may be where the balance actually lies.
Yet, Gene is a complex character himself and quite capable of manipulating Sam. Gene setting Sam up to do the investigation of his team when a man dies in custody was ruthless and clever, but also demonstrated that Gene will not cross over a certain line even when defending his people.
In fact, I've come to realise that Gene is the more interesting character.
I love the relationship between the two men. I could never write it as slash - it just doesn't read that way to me (though I've no doubt whatsoever that it's been written by now) There's a mutual respect and reserved liking that shines past all the disagreements, fistfights and differences of opinion.
If the past is real, then the reason Sam is there is to help Gene.
It seems not impossible that Sam's mind has gone back in time. Maybe he's in someone else's body. No, that won't work, he still looks the same in the mirror.
Perhaps Gene is also in a coma in his own time. Actually, I like that theory. They form a link over time. They both need one another. They both have the capability to help the other reach the parts that had atrophied. Sam helps Gene recover his respect for the law and for truth. Gene helps Sam realise when the letter of the law is not always the best solution.
All of the other characters, even Annie, don't have the intensity of Gene or Sam. It doesn't bother me if they are real or not. But I don't think I could accept Gene being nothing more than a dream, unless he is the other half of Sam's mind. (the first episode shows very clearly that Sam is conflicted about procedure and instinct)
There are two totally different ways of interpreting the series and I'm not sure that they're compatible, but I'm hoping it will continue to work as well as it is.
My main theory is that Sam is indeed hallucinating, but that the hallucination is not meaningless. Gene is the part of himself that he denies. Sam is logic and adherence to the letter of the law. Gene is hunch and 'end justifies the means'. Somewhere in the middle may be where the balance actually lies.
Yet, Gene is a complex character himself and quite capable of manipulating Sam. Gene setting Sam up to do the investigation of his team when a man dies in custody was ruthless and clever, but also demonstrated that Gene will not cross over a certain line even when defending his people.
In fact, I've come to realise that Gene is the more interesting character.
I love the relationship between the two men. I could never write it as slash - it just doesn't read that way to me (though I've no doubt whatsoever that it's been written by now) There's a mutual respect and reserved liking that shines past all the disagreements, fistfights and differences of opinion.
If the past is real, then the reason Sam is there is to help Gene.
It seems not impossible that Sam's mind has gone back in time. Maybe he's in someone else's body. No, that won't work, he still looks the same in the mirror.
Perhaps Gene is also in a coma in his own time. Actually, I like that theory. They form a link over time. They both need one another. They both have the capability to help the other reach the parts that had atrophied. Sam helps Gene recover his respect for the law and for truth. Gene helps Sam realise when the letter of the law is not always the best solution.
All of the other characters, even Annie, don't have the intensity of Gene or Sam. It doesn't bother me if they are real or not. But I don't think I could accept Gene being nothing more than a dream, unless he is the other half of Sam's mind. (the first episode shows very clearly that Sam is conflicted about procedure and instinct)
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And the change of clothes is a major problem for that theory. He didn't arrive in his own clothes, but in a period outfit.
I like the shared hallucination theory as it allows Gene to supply the 70s details of the dream that Sam wouldn't know about.
no subject