(no subject)

[chelseagirl]

Well, that wraps it up for LOM-US. Such an insulting ending. I suddenly feel warm and fuzzy towards the ending of Real-LOM. Especially since I am still all about denial of authorial intent. It *felt* like Sam was making a choice to go back to 1973, not to off himself, dammit. Here . . . there are no words for the stupid. And the ep was not at all bad until those last ten minutes, either. (Although it took Annie 17 episodes instead of 9 to make detective.)

How could I not have realized that Vic Tyler-US was the same actor who played Charlie on Sarah Connor Chronicles? I have now seen him dead by a dock twice in less than seven days.

Also, how surreal to see an ad for the non-John Simm State of Play during the non-John Simm Life on Mars.

Comments

[ahab99.livejournal.com]

So wait, what happened? Fill in the non-watchers among us! ;)

[chelseagirl.livejournal.com]

S
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warning for anyone cruising by.

In the last ten minutes we discovered that Sam, Annie, Gene, Ray and Chris were actually the crew of a manned mission to Mars. Both 2008 and 1973 were simulations in Sam's head to keep him occupied while in stasis. The only cool thing: Annie was the commander. The appalling thing: the true nature of Sam and Gene's relationship (let's say it would make slash very *very* disturbing). Also Gene Hunt becomes a very bad pun: they actually refer to the character as "Major Tom" but they are on a "gene hunt" during their mission to Mars.

Seriously. I am not effing kidding. It is actually hilariously funny but at the time I was watching my jaw was on the floor.

[silme.livejournal.com]

Say what??? *sigh* I guess there wasn't any chance for a second year, eh?

[ahab99.livejournal.com]

Well, they already knew they were canceled and were lucky enough to be given enough warning to wrap it up in this episode. The fact that they choose this particular way of wrapping it up, though... *shakes head*

[chelseagirl.livejournal.com]

Nope. It had tanked in the ratings and the only reason they got 17 eps and enough notice to tie things up was because ABC really liked it and hoped it would take. But they got the slot after Lost and it still didn't help.

[silme.livejournal.com]

Well, it's not the first time a US version of a UK show has tanked. I suddenly had this horrible fear: A US version of Dr. Who. Just wouldn't be the same.

[chelseagirl.livejournal.com]

I was going to say that The Office is the exception, but I guess all those shows in the 70s like All in the Family, too.

There was a U.S. version of Doctor Who -- that's where the Paul McGann Eighth Doctor comes from. ;-) teenygozer and I did a comic about a U.S. Who back around the transition from Baker to Davison; next time I run across it I'll set it aside to photocopy it for you.

[silme.livejournal.com]

All in the Family, Sanford and Son etc. are exceptions. What's interesting is that the US versions weren't really aired over here in the day; Ian hadn't heard of All in the Family until I made an Archie Bunker reference. Was the US version of The Office a hit? You know what? I appreciate how good that show really is (at least the UK version), but I can't watch it. Neither can Ian. It reminds him too much of where he used to work. It's too close to home and too painful for him! I've used it in my AS Language class, though, to have kids look for examples of face-threatening acts and how Grice's Maxims are flauted.

Ah, yes, the film version of Dr. Who. Yeah, that one. ;)

[chelseagirl.livejournal.com]

The US version of the Office is a huge hit, which has been running for five seasons or more. And it's why Steve Carell is suddenly in every second comedy movie being made. ;-)

Since you didn't comment on the parody, I'm not sure if I should bother? It is the product of our earlier years, so . . .

[silme.livejournal.com]

Oh sorry, wasn't thinking. Blame work stress. Yes, I'd love to see it. :)

[chelseagirl.livejournal.com]

Didn't mean to be a jerk. I skim past stuff all the time.

[silme.livejournal.com]

Nah, it's not you. I have no brain. Just read an email from a student wanting to know if I'd look over her commentary at the start of tomorrow's lesson (my last class) so she could revise it by the end of the lesson. *sigh* Another student met me at the door of my first class today (after I had first period off) wanting me to read hers. I had to tell her I had a double A2 lesson and wouldn't have time -- and that I'd had my only free period that day. *sigh* We're all getting sick of needy students wanting us to check their work what seems like a million times... :(

[chelseagirl.livejournal.com]

I mean I know what it is like to have no brain. When I get done with the essay I'm critiquing, I mean to post about how I quit Large Corporate University today. (Not immediately, but I'm not going back next fall.) I can do enough additional hours at the Writing Center to make up for most of the lost income, and that is both well-paid and a whole lot less stressful. I just need not to be running on empty all the time -- especially because I need to be working on getting some stuff published if I *ever* want a full time job doing this. Once Cooper asked me to do the Romanticism class I was like . . . okay, but then I HAVE to give up something else to do a new prep that will be that intense. I don't know how y'all do it with your course loads -- I know there's not the pressure to publish but it must be so exhausting.

[silme.livejournal.com]

If we had to publish, I would be suicidal. I would publish something about how exam boards were making money by having lecturers do examiners' jobs by marking coursework. The coursework we're doing now used to be covered by exams, which were marked by paid examiners. They've just adapted exams. :(

Go for less stress.

[ahab99.livejournal.com]

............what! *boggles*

[chelseagirl.livejournal.com]

I know. This is just unbelievably stupid. I had a hard time believing that people like Keitel and Imperioli, who've been in seriously good stuff after all, were doing this scene with a straight face.

It's gotta be up on youtube by now. Seeing is believing.

[ahab99.livejournal.com]

I just watched it! (Someone uploaded it here.) WTF!!!! I mean, even without needing to be a Gene/Sam 'shipper, surely we can all agree that that was meeeeeeeeesssed uuuuuup! *continues to boggle*

[chelseagirl.livejournal.com]

I may not ship them, but the dynamic (and contrast) between them is the heart of the show in so many ways and this . . .

just no. No!!!!!

Oh, plus if you haven't been watching LOM-US, you won't know that in this version Sam has a brief affair with Gene's daughter, in 1973, which leads to a whole 'nother level of WTF with the final reveal.

[ahab99.livejournal.com]

Whaaaaaaat. Wow. Well, I guess they really took things in another direction! I also heard from someone (possibly you?) that they had hardly any of the big confrontational Sam and Gene scenes in the US version, which I think is weird. But...I'm trying not to worry too much about it because I can't analyze it any more without actually just watching this version, and I don't really want too...

[chelseagirl.livejournal.com]

It was played much more as an ensemble; it did seem like Harvey Keitel, considering his prominence as an actor, was underused, but perhaps they were concerned things might start to center too much around him otherwise. I never sought out any fic for this version, if there even is any; the Sam/Annie dynamic isn't so different from the original, but at a guess, I'd imagine the slash would lean more towards Sam/Ray. [The question is, now am I curious enough to peek? Probably not.]

Occasionally there were nice tributes -- there was a cop bar in one episode that they called Glenister's.

[ahab99.livejournal.com]

there was a cop bar in one episode that they called Glenister's.

Aw, that's kind of cute.

Was it still Sam in this one who did the work to help Annie get promoted?

[chelseagirl.livejournal.com]

He still mentors her, but the promotion doesn't happen til the last episode and it's presented as Gene's idea.

Then of course, in crack ending from hell, it turns out she is the mission commander.

I'm not sorry I watched this, but I really need to rewatch my DVDs of the original to cleanse my brain now.

[regala-electra.livejournal.com]

Goodness. That's an...interesting ending.

Oh man my parents are completely hooked on the show and they're going to be gobsmacked seeing that.

[executrix.livejournal.com]

It's John Simm's world! He just lets us live in it--for the time being.

I just Media Mailed you those books btw.

[chelseagirl.livejournal.com]

Although every time somebody throws a lot of money at his projects they don't seem to be throwing it at him . . .

Thanks! I'll look forward to them.

[studiesinlight.livejournal.com]

>"Although it took Annie 17 episodes instead of 9 to make detective"

Standard conversion: 2.2 episodes in US time equals 1 episode in UK time. :-)

[chelseagirl.livejournal.com]

But she made detective halfway through the series in England, and in the last ep in the US. Admittedly halfway through the series *was* the beginning of the second season there.

[ibshafer.livejournal.com]

My thinking is that ABC screwed them by canceling so they decided to throw every absurb idea they had on the table and run with it...

That's the only way to explain the stupid.

Although I *will* say it inspired a rather Olympic spit take from me... (Thank goodness is was only water and not tea...)

Up until that last ten minutes, I had a tiny little happy going. (Though was confused by the "Lisa Bonet" in the opening credits. Thought that meant he was going "back.")

Damn them...

[chelseagirl.livejournal.com]

But ABC actually tried to work it out: putting it on after Lost, giving them more eps despite bad ratings. The problem is it felt more like an eff you to the audience than anything.

The rest of the ep was perfectly fine. That ten killed it for me.

Did I ever tell you what happened at the end of the original?

[ibshafer.livejournal.com]

No, you said you'd wait until this one was over.

I don't know why they'd do that to the fans, though. WE didn't get them canceled? WE were watching. Or did they think we'd be HAPPY with a Major Tom/LITERAL Life on Mars ending?

spoilers below, for Real!LOM

[chelseagirl.livejournal.com]

The Frank Morgan thing is played out over more time.
Sam is told that he is actually an internal affairs agent who got into a car accident and now *thinks* he is from 2006, with Morgan as his handler. (Frank Morgan is the name of the actor who played the Wizard in the Wizard of Oz, by the bye.) In the final episode, Morgan sends him "home" and he wakes up from his coma (in a hospital ward called Hyde) in 2006 but at the price of leaving Gene, Annie, Ray and Chris in danger. He finds himself unhappy and unable to settle back into the present day, and records tapes of his experience (which only really matter if you follow the sequel series Ashes to Ashes). Then he leaves a meeting and throws himself off the top of police headquarters in the present day (to the accompaniment of the Bowie song Life on Mars), and wakes up back in 1973 in time to help rescue his friends. He and Annie kiss, all five get in Gene's car, and they drive away. [Opinions then split between thinking it was a suicide and thinking he found a way to get back to 1973, where he now feels he really belongs.]

You can imagine why they didn't do this on American tv.

Re: spoilers below, for Real!LOM

[ibshafer.livejournal.com]

Thanks for posting the synopsis. A friend was wanting to hear how they ended the original, as well.

What's Ashes to Ashes about? Is it a continuation of LOM?

Re: spoilers below, for Real!LOM

[chelseagirl.livejournal.com]

It caused a lot of upset in the fandom because some fans thought he needed to end up back in the present and use the lessons he'd learned (which was apparently their first intent but they felt he was too lonely there); others were confused about whether 1973 was real or not; then one of the creators said it was a suicide and he was dead . . . but in Ashes to Ashes, someone else goes back, but to the 80s.

Yes, Ashes to Ashes is the same premise, but set in 1981 London and with a female lead (who is the psychiatrist who was reviewing Sam's tapes). So it's either real or a shared delusion or some other reality. All v. confusing. Also the show is not as good. But John Simm didn't want to do another series and the show was a huge hit.

BTW, your icon is making me long for my amethyst bracelet and earrings. ;-)

Re: spoilers below, for Real!LOM

[loz]

You forgot to mention SURPRISE CANCER.

Re: spoilers below, for Real!LOM

[chelseagirl.livejournal.com]

No, I was blocking surprise cancer, lalala, Ican'thearyou. ;-)

I have been a poor fandom evangelist; ibshafer is my friend of many many years, and because she does not have a multiregional DVD player (and because when she comes down to the city, we usually do, well, city things), I have only managed to get to show her one episode of Real!LOM. I fail.

[neuralclone.livejournal.com]

As I said on Loz's journal, I nearly fell off my chair when I read about this ending!

Hmmm.... I wonder what the Spanish producers will come up with?

[chelseagirl.livejournal.com]

It can't be worse than this!