Life on Mars: "Life is a Rock" 4/1 - SERIES FINALE

[Mr. Laser Beam]

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I think they should have spent more of the episode time on their end resolution of Sam's condition, though.

You mean after he wakes up in 2035? I don't think he had any. Once he woke up, he was back to normal again - he wasn't "surprised" to be in 2035, he had all of his full, real memories intact. It was only in VR that his memory was faulty: he'd chosen a 2008 program, but the meteor storm caused a computer glitch that kicked him back to 1973 but with his '2008 memories' intact. (Suggesting that while Sam was in the program he was supposed to be 'undercover' - he didn't, and wasn't supposed to, remember his real 2035 life)

Interesting that the real Ray still called Sam "Spaceman". I wonder what kind of VR programs Chris, Gene and Annie chose... (hmmm, maybe Annie's program was/is/will be the US Ashes to Ashes? )

I'm looking forward to getting the dvds just so I can find the clues that lead up to this episode (I read in an EW article that the producers having been giving clues to some type of ending like this).

There were a few scenes in the earlier episodes where Sam hallucinates seeing little machines walk around.

One minor nitpick: The name 'Aries' that kept popping up in the series (the Aries Project that had a file on Sam, the Aries Toy Company) is revealed to be the name of the Mars mission. But this is spelled wrong. It should have been Ares, without an 'i'.

 

[warriorsfan]

I was surprised by the ending. A bit cheesy

The special effects were certainly cheap and cheesy.

 

[Mistral]

Baba-you spoiled like crazy. Hope you don't burn anyone. Also, his relationship with Annie might have spilled over more into "reality", although with the hairstyle Gretchen Mol had I'd think twice. I just think there was more room for reactions and explanations, that's all.

 

[Rat Boy]

Was I the only who felt like this was tacked on? Clearly they were building up something else (Sam visiting old Annie in 2010), but they went in a completely different direction in the final few minutes.

 

[Aquehonga]

Liked it

Really works with my mindset, philosophies & theories about existence/consciousness.

 

[Base_Delta_Zero]

One minor nitpick: The name 'Aries' that kept popping up in the series (the Aries Project that had a file on Sam, the Aries Toy Company) is revealed to be the name of the Mars mission. But this is spelled wrong. It should have been Ares, without an 'i'.

I believe they were going for the constellation, not the Greek god.

 

[Guy Gardener]

The Greek God Aries who in the Roman Pantheon is called Mars?

I think a fictional character that predates the dictionary by 4 thousand years plus is allowed to be widgetty with his spelling.

I figured it out half way through.

Then disregarded it.

It might have been when Annie said that she pretends it is the future and she's in charge of everyone else, or possibly when Windy said she could see the telly, but it felt so good to see that my 11th hour epiphany bare fruit.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

The Greek God Aries who in the Roman Pantheon is called Mars?

Again, that's spelled Ares, not Aries.

 

[Kelso]

I'm not usually one of those people, but... the U.K. version was better.


I still think Jason O'Mara has more screen presence than John Simm, though.


At least the ending was a serviceable conclusion to the story. Usually, the TV shows I watch just disappear mid-broadcast.

Again, that's spelled Ares, not Aries.

In astrology, Aries is ruled by the planet Mars. That is probably where the connection lies.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I still think Jason O'Mara has more screen presence than John Simm, though.

O'Mara was awesome. I can't see anyone playing Sam Tyler better than he did. I knew from the get-go that O'Mara is Irish IRL, but it still kinda floored me when he used his real accent in that one episode. His NYC/American accent was flawless. He was cool! He also looked much healthier in the NYC version vs. the LA pilot.

At least the ending was a serviceable conclusion to the story. Usually, the TV shows I watch just disappear mid-broadcast.

Agreed. At least the network allowed all the shows to be broadcast *and* the storyline to be wrapped up. We should be thankful for that.

 

[Shawnster]

I don't even know why it credited Lisa Bonet at all. It should have been guest starring for that brief time she was there.

She should not have been in the credits this week at all, since SHE WAS NOT IN THIS EPISODE. Not at all. Unless all her scenes were edited out and they just forgot to change the credits.

Skipping ahead so apologies if this was mentioned already. I wonder if she was the voice of WINDY?

* Ohhh I get it. WINDY was the free spirit that lived next door. Never mind... Move along...

 

[Shawnster]

I think Lisa Bonet was given a credit simply to make us think that Sam was going to go "home" to his life in 2008, so that the real ending would be a total surprise.

Good point!

She should not have been in the credits this week at all, since SHE WAS NOT IN THIS EPISODE. Not at all. Unless all her scenes were edited out and they just forgot to change the credits.

We heard her once or twice. Not sure if it was new material though.

(also saw her in one of Sam's flashes)

I must have totally blown by that tonight. I can't recall hearing her voice or seeing her in a flash back. I already erased my DVR to make me buy the series.

Yes, we did hear her voice. She talked about letting Sam go and moving on with her life. I think it was in the scene toward the end when he was still in the suspended animation capsule.

 

[rramarr]

Yes, we did hear her voice. She talked about letting Sam go and moving on with her life. I think it was in the scene toward the end when he was still in the suspended animation capsule.

Good look out. I shouldn't have erased it so soon.

 

[Aragorn]

I don't know why people are wetting themselves over the UK ending? Real life isn't as good as his dream life so he kills himself in hopes of returning to that dream life? That just makes him pathetic.

Doesn't mean this ending is any better though. However, I did like the "gene hunt" comment about their Mars mission. Also, if "Gene Hunt" was his daddy, does that means dreamstate Sam had sex with his actual sister?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

* Ohhh I get it. WINDY was the free spirit that lived next door. Never mind... Move along...

I thought that was really funny when Sam first wakes up in 2035 and we hear Windy's voice going "2B is awake...2B is awake..." since that's exactly what she always called him in 1973 (and 2B is his sleep-pod number IRL).

 

[ITL]

I don't know why people are wetting themselves over the UK ending? Real life isn't as good as his dream life so he kills himself in hopes of returning to that dream life? That just makes him pathetic.

Doesn't mean this ending is any better though. However, I did like the "gene hunt" comment about their Mars mission. Also, if "Gene Hunt" was his daddy, does that means dreamstate Sam had sex with his actual sister?

I hated the ending of the original LoM. Loved the show, hated the ending. I can't comment upon the US version as I haven't seen it. Yet.

 

[chardman]

I'm more than a bit miffed that they went with the "Roseanne-St. Elsewhere-Newhart-Bobby Ewing been taking a shower all season" ending, though at least they got a chance to actually film an ending at all.

 

[Guy Gardener]

O? How did Newhart use this story device? The one with the inn right?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

O? How did Newhart use this story device? The one with the inn right?

Newhart ended like this:

Spoiler: Newhart the series

Bob wakes up in bed with Suzanne Pleshette, his onscreen wife from his previous series, The Bob Newhart Show. Turns out that all of Newhart was a dream: Bob Hartley, from TBNS, was dreaming that he was Dick Loudon from Newhart.

 

[Guy Gardener]

LOL!

Now that would have been awesome.