As last night’s episode of Life on Mars concluded, I couldn’t help but wonder if other viewers are in the same boat that I’m in, merely continuing to watch the show only to complete our already invested time. Last night, the only thing we learned about Sam’s predicament in 1973 is that he’s come to terms with what’s happened to him and will embrace life, if this is the hand he’s being dealt right now. And why shouldn’t he: he found a woman who likes to hang with the guys, drink beer, watch a boxing match, all in the presence of other naked women … with a smile! Can I go back to 1973, too, please?
A recent article a SFGate.com said it best: Life on Mars was doomed from the start. The CotW (crimes of the week) were always meant to be a secondary component to this show. It worked a little better in the U.K. version of Life on Mars because it was parodying another crime show that people were familiar with. Maybe if the U.S. version parodied a ’70s cop drama we all knew it would have worked better? Think about it — that might have been kind of cool if, instead of trying too hard to follow the U.K. counterpart, which poked fun at The Sweeney, it chose another popular ’70s show like Starsky and Hutch. Hey, I may be onto something! Too bad it’s too late….
Are you watching this show every week because you like the CotW, or is it mainly because you’re already invested in it and want to have closure? For me, I’m in the latter camp, though there’s always the chance an episode will come out and surprise me. Knowing this show is having an early, though very conclusive ending, the excitement of knowing what’s happened to Sam has certainly waned. How about you?
Loading ...
Clacked by Keith McDuffee
on Mar 05, 2009 @ 14:30 EST5EDT
I am not finishing the show, but I quit watching a little while ago.
It is not that the show is necessarily bad. It just couldn’t decide what it wanted to be, so it didn’t have the chance to develop into something that could rival the UK version, much less eclipse it.
As much as I like a number of the actors on the show, the performances were what turned me off initially. I liked Jason O’Mara on In Justice and he showed some solid chops on The Closer, but his Sam was neither memorable or especially likable. He was a nice enough guy who could get the job done, but he didn’t stand out as a character.
I was not a big Sopranos fan, but Imperioli was one part of that show that I enjoyed. I like his performance in this show, but it seemed like the writers didn’t know what they wanted Carling to be week to week. That is a problem.
The one actor that truly hurt to watch was Keitel. I am normally a big fan of his, and I would have loved to see what he could have done with a well written Gene 20 or even just 10 years ago. Unfortunately, he seemed to be sleepchewing through his scenes, and it hurt the audience’s connection to Hunt. It was really odd seeing Keitel chew scenery confidently one minute, be tentative the next, and chew scenery without confidence the third minute.
Part of it is the danger of comparing a Gene Hunt played by Harvey Keitel with Glenister, who might as well be Gene Hunt for all I know. Glenister had the perfect mix of danger, swagger, and humor that made Hunt radiate from the screen. Keitel could have done the same once and hopefully will again. Unfortunately, I just can’t buy a septuagenarian, even a well-preserved one like Keitel, doing what Gene Hunt needs to do.
I’m someone who seems to like shows that Nielsen families (if they *really* exist!) hate, so I’m used to watching doomed series. I’ve always finished watching each until the very end and the news of their demise only taints my enjoyment a little. The idea that I wouldn’t enjoy an episode after hearing about cancellation, but would enjoy it should the series continue seems odd to me. Sure, I’m sorry to see LOM go, just as I was sorry to see Firefly, Journeyman, etc. go, but I watched, and enjoyed, every episode of each.
What is going to make sticking with LOM more satisfying is knowing there will be some sort of conclusion. Even a rushed conclusion is immensely more satisfying than ending on something like a cliffhanger.
I want to say that I also agree with Jon that Keitel was not the person to play Gene Hunt.
I stopped watching before the break and honestly when you complained about the cliffhanger and the shuffled episode order it didn’t make me watch my recordings.
The break was the death of the show if you ask me. It didn’t have momentum in the first place and I guess they lost me with the episode in the hospital (with psych ward). That one looked just like a big abandoned building about to be demolished. It just felt off to me and suddenly other things annoyed me too. The connection between him and his girlfriend didn’t make any sense to me anymore. Making it interracial in the first place was a strange decision if you ask me and Lisa Bonet and and Michael O’Mara didn’t have over-the-top chemistry in the pilot if you ask me which would’ve been necessary to carry all this further along – and it wasn’t underlined maybe with a flashback or something later on but rather undermined with her hinting at not believing that he would come back or that they were deciding on turning off the machines in that episode.
I mean it might stress the differences between 1973 and today even more but then you really need to sell it intensely. Bonet had stronger chemistry with John Cusack in “High Fidelity” than here and there it was just a fling.
To be honest I wanted Tyler to get together with Norris from the start (call me biased or whatever that’s just the way I feel, I don’t particularly find Lisa Bonet that interesting although she did a bang on job in High Fidelity – wow I just got the double meaning of the title, how peculiar).
To be honest I think I’ll wait for your review of the series finale – if it’s good I’ll watch the rest of the show.
Which reminds me that I still have to finish Angel…
I hadn’t heard about the cancellation (I’m a little out of it in TV land, not having a TV – I watch anything I do online) and so I watch because I just like the show (like the commenter above, I guess I like the shows others seem to hate). My favorites have been Eli, Pushing Daisies and this. All canceled this year. I love the losers.
You’re right, they followed the british version too closely. That made lots of things odd, including their treatment of Annie. Granted, we didn’t have equality for female cops in the 70s, but it wasn’t like the UK.
They should have watched lots of 70’s cop shows and followed that model. More crazy car chases, less overdone police violence.
Frankly, the UK version was ultimately disappointing too – it became about the Case of the Week too, and the whole second season didn’t do much for me. But the acting (Simm and Glenister) made every minute worth watching regardless.
I actually enjoy the CotW much more than the Lost-ish time travel parts. I enjoy all the characters, especially Harvey Keitel’s. With this show, Scrubs and Middleman ending, I guess I could just delete ABC from my DVR.
I am the TV show mush. Any new show that I watch and love, gets cancelled. Lipstick Jungle. Dirty Sexy. Now LOM.
It’s a shame. But Big Brother and Dancing with the Stars and Kath and Kim that piece of garbage are still on the air.
I loved watching this show. Loves the twists and unknown of it all. It’s a shame it won’t be on after this April.