So That's What It Was All About

If you care about spoilers and haven't yet seen the final episode of Ashes to Ashes, hurry on by.

I suppose the series title was always a socking great clue. It's not just a hip Bowie reference, it's telling us that this is a show about death and dead people. I don't withdraw my opinion that Life on Mars was all we needed-  but I do think the final reveal is satisfying and ingenious; I just wish it had come three seasons earlier. So the Gene Genie is running a school for dead coppers in the afterlife- from which they will eventually graduate to either heaven or hell. Yes, I can buy that.

It's a lot better than the conclusion to the US adaption in which the characters turned out to be- *slaps face*-  actually on Mars.

There are things that don't quite make sense.  Probably lots of them if one were to go over the surface with a magnifying glass. For instance, if Gene Hunt was killed on Coronation Day in 1954, how come the virtual reality he has created around himself replicates a future he never knew? Do they watch the Sweeney in Limbo? And another is, however I juggle it, I can't quite make Sam Tyler's suicide fit the scheme.  I'm guessing that was a fudge, caused by Simm's decision to quit the show before the pips began to squeak.  His fault.  Boo to him. Only he made the right call, didn't he?

The Neighbours Are Back

Shiraz and Sameena and the kids have finally moved back in next door. Nakisha just waved to me from an upstairs window,  toy trumpet in hand- toot, toot, toot-toot. Shiraz gave me a tour of the property yesterday.  Very nice. I particularly like the little blue lights they've got round the base of their kitchen units.  They've spent a lot of money. The building work came to £19,000- and the decorating and the fol-de-rols are on top of that. Thanks to the aggro they had with their incompetent and greedy first builder, who-  among other things- went off  for a fortnight's holiday with their keys in his pocket- they've been out of their home for over six months.