Life on Mars: Difference between revisions

The seemingly most rational explanation is that he's in some kind of coma, as messages from 2006 keep entering his head... but Sam's 1973 is so perfectly detailed, down to details that he shouldn't be able to imagine, that he has no idea what's going on. More to the point, the killer who kidnapped Sam's girlfriend on the day that he was run over appears to be active in 1973. Is that why he's in 1973? If he solves the mystery in the past, can he save his girlfriend in the future... and go home?

 

 

Followed by ''[[Ashes to Ashes]]'', which shared some of the cast. Although the first two series of that show were largely a standalone story, the third featured numerous connections to ''Life on Mars'', and finally explained the truth about what was happening all along. '''This means that even if you've watched the ''Life on Mars'' finale, this page still contains spoilers.'''

* [[Adventures in Coma Land]]: Whenever 2007 Sam's health declines, reality goes haywire.

* [[Almost Kiss]]: That would be Sam and Annie.

* [[Always Murder]]: Subverted in "The Stabbing", in which {{spoiler|the "victim" turns out to have been killed by a faulty textile loom}}.

* [[And I'm the Queen of Sheba]]: While Sam, Gene and Annie are reminiscing about their lives during a hostage situation, Sam forgets himself and recounts his promotion to DCI in the modern day. Quoth Gene: "Was that the same day I became King of Egypt?"

* [[As the Good Book Says...]]:

{{quote| '''Gene:''' I'm not a Catholic meself, {{spoiler|Mr. Warren}}, but isn't there something about "Thou shalt not [[Hookers and Blow|suck off rent boys]]"?}}

* [[Badass]]: Gene Hunt.

* [[Bad Guy Bar]]: Of a sort. The ''Trafford Arms'', the Manchester United pub that Sam and Gene go undercover in might count.

* [[Batman Gambit]]: After episode seven's death-in-police-custody, Gene cracks down on Sam's attempts to find out who's responsible. Gene actually wants to find out the truth as much as Sam, but believes investigating his own squad would be "suicide for morale". Instead, he provokes Sam into working that much harder.

* [[Book Dumb]]: Ray and Chris.

* [[Brawn Hilda]]: Big Bird.

* [[Breaking the Fourth Wall]]: {{spoiler|The very last thing that happens in the series is that the Test Card Girl walks up to the camera, looks straight into it and reaches up as if pressing a button just to the side of the camera — making the screen go black like she "switches off" the viewer's TV set.}}

* [[Cartwright Curse]]: Both reversed and subverted, interestingly enough.

* [[Celebrity Paradox]]: Sam makes a ''[[Doctor Who]]'' reference to Annie, so it would've needed to make sense to someone in the 70s, but John Simm played The Master in New Who. {{spoiler|But not until the year after Sam Tyler died.}} Incidentally, Roger Delgado died in 1973 and his last Who story, "Frontier in Space", was on in the spring of 1973, when Sam arrived. Sam Tyler was also named after New Who's Tylers. In the American version, his mother is even named Rose.

* [[Clear My Name]]: Gene, in an ironic reversal.

* [[Color Wash]]: The colors are drenched in yellow to make the series appear 'vintage'.

* [[Counterfeit Cash]]

* [[Creepy Child]]: ([[wikipedia:Test Card F|the Test Card F girl]])

* [[The Dulcinea Effect]]: Sam's habit of inviting every girl he wants to help back to his apartment, although sweet, isn't necessarily the wisest course of action.

* [[Dream Apocalypse]]

* [[Flashed Badge Hijack]]: Subverted in the first episode of Series Two. Sam is unable to move out of the way of an oncoming car. In a desperate attempt to do something, he holds up his badge, closing his eyes as he anticipates the crash. The car comes to a stop inches away. {{spoiler|Because its tires were punctured, courtesy of Annie Cartwright's <s>stringer</s> stinger.}}

* [[Framing the Guilty Party]]: When Sam tries it, it causes [[Stable Time Loop|Stable Time Loops]] of a sort Sam doesn't really want. When Gene Hunt tries it, Sam objects.

{{quote| '''Gene:''' Good work, Raymondo. I'm bumping you back up to DS... only this time make it stand for '''D'''etective '''S'''ergeant and not '''D'''og '''S'''hit!}}

* [[Go Seduce My Arch-Nemesis]]: Steven Warren enlists Joni Newton for this purpose.

* [[Good Girls Avoid Abortion]]: Layla backs out of aborting her child, who turns out to be {{spoiler|Maya in the past}}.

* [[I Can't Believe I'm Saying This]]: Sam asks Gene why they can't just fabricate evidence and "put the squeeze" on Tony Crane. Y'know, the Gene Hunt Special. In an ironic reversal, though, Gene has had a sudden attack of morals.

{{quote| '''Gene:''' Because I am policing in the full glare of the public bloody eye, and the Chief Super is taking a personal interest, and we also have ''no flipping evidence''! <big>And I CAN'T BELIEVE I JUST SAID THAT!</big>}}

{{quote| '''Gene:''' You know what the really sad thing is? I believe you.}}

* [[I'm Mr. Future Pop Culture Reference|I'm Mr Future Pop Culture Reference]]:

** Sam and Annie pose as "[[Tony Blair]]" and "Cherie Blair". When Gene pops up unexpectedly, Sam promptly dubs him "[[Gordon Brown]]".

*** "And his wife..." "[[Crowning Moment of Funny|Sookie.]]"

** "How do you think I spend my time here, Tyler?" "[[Star Wars|Building a Death Star?]]"

** During a fistfight with Gene at some point in the first season, Sam does the "[[Bring It]]" gesture from [[The Matrix]].

** When Sam suggests that they install a TV in the pub, everyone is extremely skeptical. Seriously, they look at him like he grew a third eye.

** Chicken? In a basket?

* [[Lady in Red]]: actually a plot point in Season 1, although instead of the usual seductive undertones it's to play off a Red Riding Hood theme.

* [[Let Us Never Speak of This Again]]: Gene says this almost word for word about the events of series 1 episode 7, {{spoiler|where a suspect died of a heart attack in one of the cells, due to the actions of CID.}}

* [[Mushroom Samba]]: 2007!Sam accidentally gets a drug overdose, leading 1973!Sam to hallucinate a memorable version of the childrens' show ''[[Camberwick Green]]''.

* [[Must Make Amends]]

* [[Noodle Incident]]: Whatever it is Mrs Luckhurst ''does'' that's "illegal in some parts of Wales" and makes Gene Hunt scream bloody murder.

* [[Odd Couple]]: Sam and Gene (one's [[By-The-Book Cop|by the book]], the other's bring your own bottle), but also Chris and Ray.

* [[Old-Fashioned Copper]]: Gene Hunt, Ray Carling

* [[Ontological Mystery]]

** Richard Hands' real name is used once; after that, he's only named as Dickie Fingers, {{spoiler|even after he's murdered}}.

* [[Oop North]]: Manchester.

* [["The Reason You Suck" Speech]]: Sam delivers an ''epic'' one to {{spoiler|Peter Bond}}, accusing him and people like him of ruining the joy of football by injecting it with hate and violence among the fans.

* [[They Fight Crime]]: For the most part, the plots are standard police investigations, though occasionally made significant by Sam's techniques or history.

* [[Tourettes Shitcock Syndrome]]: And a [[Chekhov's Gunman]] to boot.

* [[Train Job]]: The climax.

* [[The Troubles]]

* [[Turn in Your Badge]]

[[Category:Crime and Punishment Series]]

[[Category:Life On Mars 2006]]