TV
After last week’s corking episode comes a mediocre storyline that occasionally leaves the viewer feeling he’s in a coma alongside Sam Tyler.
A surreal and inspired opening promises a great deal, but it soon peters out into a tedious tale of a kidnapping stemming from the dubious conviction of a young man for murder. It’s the kind of plot we’ve seen all before, with mandatory twist at the end, and nothing can disguise that. Attempts at a non-linear narrative - with the same events seen unfolding from different eyes - come across as shoddy and laboured. It’s the kind of storytelling device that US shows like Alias do so well at times with both finesse and purpose.
The real interest lies in the havoc that Sam’s coma is playing on his 1973 persona, with a bout of physical disintegration causing his 1973 world to temporarily crumble. But it’s not enough to sustain our interest for long. In the past, Life On Mars skilfully wove the Tyler coma and the crime investigation strands together, but not here.
Nonetheless, Annie’s character does develop nicely as her assertiveness against the male chauvinists starts to blossom. It’s time she has a stern word with the scriptwriters next…
A surreal and inspired opening promises a great deal, but it soon peters out into a tedious tale of a kidnapping stemming from the dubious conviction of a young man for murder. It’s the kind of plot we’ve seen all before, with mandatory twist at the end, and nothing can disguise that. Attempts at a non-linear narrative - with the same events seen unfolding from different eyes - come across as shoddy and laboured. It’s the kind of storytelling device that US shows like Alias do so well at times with both finesse and purpose.
The real interest lies in the havoc that Sam’s coma is playing on his 1973 persona, with a bout of physical disintegration causing his 1973 world to temporarily crumble. But it’s not enough to sustain our interest for long. In the past, Life On Mars skilfully wove the Tyler coma and the crime investigation strands together, but not here.
Nonetheless, Annie’s character does develop nicely as her assertiveness against the male chauvinists starts to blossom. It’s time she has a stern word with the scriptwriters next…
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