Episode #3.8 (21 May 2010)

The question remains - did Gene hunt kill Sam Tyler? Alex needs to know and all is revealed in the final episode. Meanwhile the rest of the team are dealing with a Jewelry robbery and ... See full summary »

Director:

David Drury

Writers:

Matthew Graham (creator), Matthew Graham,

Stars:

Philip Glenister, Keeley Hawes, Dean Andrews

Cast

Episode cast overview:
Philip Glenister	...	Gene Hunt
Keeley Hawes	...	Alex Drake
Dean Andrews	...	Ray Carling
Marshall Lancaster	...	Chris Skelton
Montserrat Lombard	...	Shaz Granger
Daniel Mays	...	Jim Keats
Grace Vance	...	Molly Drake
Thomas Lockyer	...	Eric Hoorsten
Tony Marshall	...	Nelson
Stuart Hall	...	Commentator
Jon House	...	Policeman
Geoffrey Streatfield	...	New arrival (as Geoffrey Streatfeild)
Mason Kayne	...	Young PC (as James Mason)

Storyline

The question remains - did Gene hunt kill Sam Tyler? Alex needs to know and all is revealed in the final episode. Meanwhile the rest of the team are dealing with a Jewelry robbery and triple homicide: diamonds are missing and the bodies of three gang members have been discovered. Things don't help with Jim Keats stirring up trouble as usual between team members.

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Plot Keywords:

afterlife

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Fantasy | Thriller

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Details

Release Date:

21 May 2010 (UK)

Filming Locations:

Tower Bridge Business Complex, Bermondsey, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kudos Film and Television, Monastic Productions, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Did You Know?

Goofs

The Vauxhall used by Alex to drive to the land house can also be seen at the airfield. However, as Alex Jim and Gene all drove back together in the Quattro, it is unclear how the Vauxhall got back.

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Quotes

Gene Hunt: My real name is Nigel Perkins.
[Alex looks at him]
Gene Hunt: Nah, I'm just kidding, it's Gene Hunt.

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Connections

References The Generation Game (1971)

User Reviews

Worst ending in the history of endings.

Firstly I would like to point out that I was a massive fan of Life on Mars and the wonderful tight scripting and acting it displayed. Ashes to Ashes was the follow on that everyone wanted to happen but didn't deliver in the same way as the story of John Simm's Sam Tyler had in the original series. Ashes to Ashes was focused around Gene Hunt's chauvinistic and misogynist ways, which when controlled were sometimes highlight of LoM, but in A2A were getting predictable and far too common. My main problem with the finale of Ashes to Ashes was the complete abandonment of any comprehensible explanation as to what was happening. I watched the episode with a few friends, and only by discussing it and working it out were we able to understand what was going on. The beauty of Life on Mars was that it was fantasy, but believable. The realms of stupidity entered by the finale were incredible. It was farcical and just plain rubbish. The only saving grace was the acting. Keeley Hawes did her best to make the most of a rubbish storyline and Phillip Glenister was excellent as always. All in all it was one of the worst endings I have ever seen and I feel robbed that the people who could make one of the best TV series of the last decade can leave me feeling so empty and mortified by tripe like that.