whether sam was in a coma, dreaming of the 70's, or mad, or insane, or whatever - well, that just wasnt important - he was where he wanted to be, the place where he felt most alive.
and it was about the best way to end it.
the spinoff - well, they only announced the time-travel aspect after the final ep was broadcast - up until that point, we only knew it was going to be the continuing adventures of the best character on the show.
and thats when it suddenly started sounding crap.
chances are, the rest of the crew wont be in it, although i wouldnt mind finding out what happened to chris, annie, and nelson.

Here is the press release for the spinoff:

www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/04_april/11/ashes.shtml

Which confirms at least Ray and Chris will be in the show too.

The final episode does actually tie into 'Ashes': the woman Sam sends a file to when he 'wakes' after his operation, the woman who is studying trauma cases is Alex Drake, the same woman who will 'time travel' in Ashes.

No doubt, when Alex finds herself confronted with these 'characters' shes has been reading about in Sams reports, the same questions will come up, is this an elaborate fantasy based on what shes read, or has she actually travelled back. However, the one thing it does mean, is that Alex, the woman Sam sent a report to in 2007 isnt just his dream...

... and if she really did get reports from Sam, he really did come out his coma, 2007 was real, not a fantasy of an undercover 70s cop. And if he really did wake up, then how can he have 'chosen' to relapse back into 70s-land? Did he commit suicide jumping off that building? In which case why did the car radio at the end make it sound like he was still in his coma 'slipping away'.

The message of the ending is clear indeed, he is where he wants to be, but where he is should be vague, but not a contradiction in terms, which is what it seems to be.

(Edited by Wobag 15/04/2007 01:39)

I've read so much sniping about the ending of Life on Mars, if the show had had a very definate ending then people would have been pissed off that it didn't fit what they wanted.

My Mum and I took different views on exactly what the ending meant but both are very satisfactory imo. In fact thinking on it I almost prefer my Mum's interpretation where Sam's operation went wrong and he in fact died in the tunnel (he did go 'into the light' after all) because he expected to wake up in 2006/7 that's where he went in the afterlife and as he wasn't satisfied he was able to return to exactly where he'd left 1973 and keep his promise.

In fact the way that Sam 'committed suicide' almost supports that fact. In epsiode 1 while he was in his coma he went onto the roof of the station to jump off and Annie talked him down. Maybe going there when he 'woke up' to jump off was all a fabrication as well.

Maybe the key is to "come at it from more angles than Linda Lovelace"

I loved Life on Mars and loved how it played out!



(Edited by Sydney 15/04/2007 13:07)

Taken on its own I like the ending of Life on Mars, probably with him never coming out the coma, its just the spinoff that kind of botches it all!

I'd just finished watching Buffy again, before starting on S2 of Life on Mars, and while S1 pretty much held it's own, I couldn't help comparing S2 - especially the finale - with "Normal Again"

Judging by the blurb for the spin-off they've managed to cover most of the angles.
Besides, Hunt was really the main attraction what with Tyler being such a whiny, nancy-boy bitch

I bloody loved Life On Mars, i know how i think it ended and im happy witht hat.

I wanted Sam and Annie to get together and for him to still be in the 70s but without all the weirdo connections to the 00's.

Thats what they gave us and i be a happy munchkin

Role on the spin off!