Life on Mars

[watervole]

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)

Comments

[kalypso-v.livejournal.com]

I think one of the show's strengths is that the relationship can be taken in so many different ways. The one Glenister and the programme-makers keep citing is that he's the football manager and Tyler's his star striker, and I see that. And then I look at it from another angle, and see two men who can't keep their hands off each other. And other times I see a man who lost half his life when his Dad went, and needs to get it back. Or a man who's lost his moral compass, and suddenly sees it walk back in as a DI from Hyde. And I don't really mind what it is between them as long as it stays this intense.

[watervole.livejournal.com]

I have to admit that I did work out a plausible slash scenario last night - it wasn't exactly romantic, but it did seem to make sense. (Do you want me to write it? It was pretty short)

I definitely agree that Sam has helped Gene find his moral core again.

[kalypso-v.livejournal.com]

I'd never want to stop anyone writing Gene/Sam! But don't feel obliged unless you really want to. One of the things I'm finding delightful about LoM fandom is that the writers are so damn suggestible. OK, I had to do a bit of coaxing to get the ice cream and handcuffs scenario, but what astonished me was the way a couple of casual remarks I tossed out produced short fics within an hour. Youngsters, eh?

[watervole.livejournal.com]

I'll have to ask you where to find some of these, but I'll write my own one first as I prefer not to have other people's views cluttering up my thoughts.