(S01E06) Gotta love that old school funk that the episode started with. I've been constantly commenting about how similar the individual plots and characters are to the original British version of the show (which has been noticed in the feedback), but in this episode I saw a lot of the show coming into its own. Some of the plot differences even make more logical sense that the original version.
The attention to detail from the entire series is superb. Little bits like Sam's frustration with using an old style typewriter add to the flavor of the show. As usual, Michael Imperioli gets the best lines. It wouldn't surprise me if he got a best supporting actor Emmy nomination for this role, despite its cartoonish nature.
I didn't see the plot twist of Maya leaving Sam in 2008 coming. In the Brit series, it happens much later in the second season. However, in retrospect, it's a much more appropriate time for her to leave him. The scene with Sam's happiest memory was particularly touching. With Maya out of the picture, Sam can feel free to pursue Annie as a possible love interest (as hinted at the end of the episode). The I Love Lucy homage in the closing credits was a nice touch, although it would have been more appropriate to use a 70's series instead of a 50's series, no matter how iconic it is.
The entire hostage situation was kind of ridiculous to me. How could one man, whether he's armed or not, hold off an entire battalion of cops? The officers of the 125 seem one step away from total corruption (with only Sam and Annie to reel them in), but they never seemed so bad at their jobs as they did in this episode. It was never even properly explained where our criminal-of-the-week got all the explosives and weaponry. I suppose the detail is superfluous to the story, but still...
It was nice to see Annie and Sam loosen up in the beginning of the episode. I laughed at Sam's turn as Michael Jackson, and I'm glad he chose to emulate 80's Michael Jackson rather than a later decade.
While I appreciate the gritty look of the series, the characters' dialogue keeps screaming that they are trapped on Disney television and while in the House of the Mouse, there are no bad words. In that regard, this program may have been more appropriate on HBO or Showtime.
My memory is shaky. Did hospitals have surveillance cameras like that in 1973? I do love the attention to detail of the series. Gretchen Mol looked particularly sexy in her nurse uniform, and I suspect that was done on purpose.
The overall theme of psychosis and perception of the world from this episode was played very well (particularly since one of the reasons of Sam's visit to 1973 may be insanity). I also liked how they kept it uncertain whether the hospital administration was corrupt or the patients were genuinely untreatable. They didn't try to wrap it all up like other, more cliché cop shows.
Keitel's New Yawk accent was particularly tough to translate in this episode. "You against the world" sounded more like "Jew against the world". His creative use of whiskey bottles to save his life was also cute.
The series is starting to step away from its progenitor and come into its own. I look forward to when they stop adapting the plots from the original and present some stories that the original didn't (unless, of course, they begin adapting the sequel series Ashes to Ashes).
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-14-2008 @ 3:36AM
Brent Schmidt said...
Hope to God they get together next week...
I have season one of LoM UK but only watched the first epsiode, in fear of ruining the US one... I love it too much to see what else could happen.
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11-14-2008 @ 7:20AM
Kate said...
I am officially hooked on this show even though this episode had a few holes in it. Michael Imperioli is perfectly cast as Detective Ray though you can tell sometimes he just wants to let loose a string of creative curse words like Christopher Moltisanti would. I hope he never shaves off his moustache. It is too era-style perfect.
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11-14-2008 @ 8:11AM
Charles said...
I'm digging this show, however, I think this is definitely a candidate for a limited series. Say that it will run for 3 or so seasons, then pull the plug. Failing that, you have to keep "moving the goalposts" on a resolution to Sam's fate (as well as a relationship with Sam and Annie).
I also have to say that the soundtrack rocks. They seem to be pulling the best songs of the era, and digging deep into the back catalog.
One thing they need to do, though, is dial down some of the "I'm from the future and I'm cool"--or at least space it out a bit. The Michael Jackson dance was great, but just a week after "Ice Ice Baby." Likewise, once a week Sam uses some twenty-first century slang ("gaydar," "tool," and "shock and awe") and a character says "'twenty-first century slang'--I like that."
OTOH, the typewriter this week (and "what are you having" to the pregnant woman last week) are nice--they almost don't do that enough.
(As an aside, the one time in ten years I heard a typewriter in my IT firm office, I had to seek it out.)
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11-14-2008 @ 9:17AM
gottacook said...
I missed the episode. Did Cat Stevens' "Tuesday's Dead" (a good song) appear in the soundtrack?
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11-14-2008 @ 9:17AM
slcjhc said...
I thought the ending credits were more along the lines of a daytime soap opera instead of homage to "I love Lucy". That would be more consistant with the scenes where Maya and his mom were on the TV. Those scenes looked straight out of a 70s soap opera.
I just wish everyone would give Sam some credit for knowing his stuff instead of doubting him at every turn. It was nice to see that they finally accepted him at the end of the episode.
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11-14-2008 @ 9:20AM
Courtney said...
I'm so mad. They didn't air this last night because of a football game! Thank God there's online streaming...
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11-14-2008 @ 9:45AM
Ian said...
Drats. I forgot to set the DVR to record it:(
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11-14-2008 @ 10:33AM
Adam P said...
It wasn't I Love Lucy, it was more like Young & the Restless.
The music was even some sort of combination Y&R meets the Lonely Man theme from the end of the Incredible Hulk episodes. NICE!
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11-14-2008 @ 5:16PM
JHF said...
This show makes me wonder if I'm a masochist.
I've seen the original version, which is much, much better... yet I still watch this one.
Last week's episode was really bad, this week's was good but not brilliant but I know I'll keep on watching. And mock the bad changes, and scream at how phoney some of the lines are, and at how tacked on some details feel because the running time makes them cut lots of stuff.
WHY.
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11-14-2008 @ 9:17PM
JennieO said...
Still loving this show, although this particular episode was a bit difficult to follow. They seemed to make a point of Sam's being in a coma, where I thought we were supposed to mull a variety of situations that could cause Sam to be in his current predicament.
I hope the writers don't mess up. The show is on the bubble as it is.
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11-16-2008 @ 4:12AM
JD said...
So far, the U.S. version is nowhere near as good as the original series. I'm looking forward to some original storylines, because I loved the original and really want to like this remake, but every time I see an episode based on one from the U.K. series, all it does is remind me how much better the U.K. version is. Unfortunately, no matter what the writers do, Gretchen Mol will never hold a candle to Liz White. She was superb as Annie Cartwright, not to mention absolutely adorable, with a beautiful sing-song accent that could melt your heart. Every time Gretchen speaks, I find myself imagining the line being delivered by Liz White!
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11-24-2008 @ 9:15PM
Michael Munna said...
Hi! I cannot find "Life on Mars" in the TV guide this week. Has it been cancelled ALREADY??? I would greatly appreciate it if someone would please let me know...
Thanx very much. sigh
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11-26-2008 @ 7:14PM
regattamelblanc said...
I've been watching the U.K. series on DVD, and I'm only up to episode five. I am watching the entire U.K. series before starting in on the U.S. series to avoid spoilers. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LETTING ME KNOW THAT MAYA WILL BREAK UP WITH SAM IN THE SECOND SEASON! Jerk.
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12-12-2008 @ 10:39PM
Hayley said...
I liked this show until the 3rd episode. Too preachy.
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