Keeley Hawes finally becomes the star of Ashes to Ashes
The last two episodes of Ashes to Ashes have got better—either that or we are getting into the new universe of Alex Drake, where she is neither mad, in a coma nor back in time (at least not exactly). Keeley Hawes’s performance as Drake is getting stronger and as she is the protagonist, the show needs this. The whole annoying smart-arsed posh-tart Bolly Knickers approach has been toned down.
Being a show that has to be shown in order, this development was probably unavoidable. In the old days, with self-contained episodes without story arcs, a TV series could start off with a stronger episode as the “pilot” and a weaker one later on. The Professionals was a good example: the first filmed was not the first aired.
It is true that Ashes is no Life on Mars: it’s still not of the same quality, and the scripts are shallower. One blogger wrote that it has turned into yet another period cop show. That is not that unfair: Alex Drake doesn’t hear life support machines from 2008 and with the many scenes that do not involve her, it is clear that she is not in the same predicament as Sam Tyler in Life on Mars. Social issues are not dealt with the same contrast as in the earlier show, because the writers don’t feel the 1980s are as different from our present time as the 1970s.
The characters, too, are shallower, with the exception of Drake, who is getting additional layers, and to an extent, DS Ray Carling (played by Dean Andrews). Philip Glenister seems more a copper put there to react to Alex’s psychobabble—I think I said Gene Hunt Lite a few weeks ago. There are no more memorable Geneisms, at least not of the level of Life on Mars—are we meant to believe he has mellowed since the passing of Sam Tyler? (I only remember two lines in two weeks: ‘You know, you might talk with a plum in your gob, luv, but I would rather go with one of them than waste my money on some bitter, twisted, messed-up, clenched-arsed, toffee-nosed bitch like you.’ And it’s hardly of the ‘armed bastards’ standard. Slightly better is ‘Who’s your mother? Marianne Faithfull?’ when confronting a drug courier who claims he’s transporting garden gnomes for his mother.) Gene’s whiny after being punched by Alex. Marshall Lancaster’s DC Chris Skelton is now there for comic relief. Both characters are shadows of their former selves.
The story arc surrounding Alex’s parents works well and I am finally getting excited about the final episode for this year, which probably does finish with a bang (viz. the supposed murder of her parents).
There are still slip-ups on cars: the fourth episode has a mid-1980s Austin Maestro van. Why do these shows get the wrong year Austins in? And I’m pretty sure the Transit in the third episode is newer than 1981—possibly 1984 or 1985?
Mid-season episodes not written by their creators can become more formulaic and routine—Life on Mars was affected by this, too, in its first year, covered by the novelty of the re-creation of the 1980s. Ashes to Ashes has done well with a couple of episodes which I think are better than co-creator Ashley Pharoah’s second one.
So, does anyone have any theories about Alex and where she is? Has she really leapt into someone’s body in 1981, in time for returning to 2008 by the end of the 16th episode and being able to find evidence of Sam Tyler’s 1973–80 past, leaving us on a cliffhanger?
