Life On Mars

I'm not one for prayer in TV, but Annie's prayer in tonights episode was wonderful. Gretchen pulled off an amazing piece, her acting talents are incredible and I felt her as a person, not just a character in a TV show.



Sometimes shows use their 2nd last eps to fill for the finale, building a staircase to the doorway to end things, however this was much much more than that. I didn't feel this was the 2nd last episode, I didn't feel like the season was drawing to a close, I felt that the characters had so much more to give.



My only *tiny* criticism was the roof top scene with our Perp. I felt that there could've been a bit more of an edge to it. Something a little freakier about it all, the way he used his knowledge to his advantage, that felt like "filler".



If it wasn't for the fact that I knew it was 2nd last ep & what the time on it was I'd have been holding on to the edge of my seat though. It was such a tough call for Sam to make. I sat there and I watched and I held my breath willing for things to change, and I'm happy to say it did.



Next ep... the finale, I hope the actors bring to life the script as much as they did this one.

This episode was good. But it made me unclear as to exactly what year they're in. Did they celebrate Christmas and New Year's and not tell us? Both the TV series "Police Woman" and film "Death Wish" are mentioned; neither of which appeared until 1974! And I'll admit my real life history is rusty. Vice President Agnew's bribery scandal is mentioned also. But was it still '73 when it was discovered or '74 when the whole Watergate scandal broke open? Whatever the agenda of these dream people is, whether it be for good or evil, if they were doing the same thing to me I'd at least want the year I'm in as well as the historical and pop culture references to be in sync.

Phil Rosenberg and Mike Flynn must have worked overtime on this episode. This episode has so much critical content in the storyline, it's difficult to digest in one viewing (but that's o.k.). I agree with Captain Freedom3 about Imperioli - he must have had a blast with Ray's character and he does it so well! The storyline connections in this episode were absolutely incredible - especially the "Aries Toy Co." and the mini robot which is a miniature mars rover labeled Red Rover in the show. It gets better - remember the game we played as kids: Red Rover,Red Rover,send Jason over? whoaaa! I can only hope that the finale will be as captivating as this episode was. I'm convinced that this show is not meant for the average man on the street. It needs a venue like HBO with a contracted writing team such as David Wilcox, Tracy McMillan and Sonny Postiglione and the same excellent cast. I grade movies and tv shows by how much time I think about them and I think about this show alot. It is thought-provoking, sometimes insidiously humorous and just plain fun to watch. The music especially ties it all up. I'm gonna be miserable on Wednesday nights!

This episode had it all when it comes to what anyone would want in a great science-fiction/drama/comedy show. The acting in this episode, particularly by the always wonderful Michael Imperioli, was as good as it gets. The writing was fantastic, and, overall, a super episode that will be (unfortunately) the next to last one ever to air as the series finale is scheduled for Wednesday.



This episode was basically a continuation of last week's, with our lead character Sam framed for the murder of a high-level Irish Gangster. Detectives Chris and Ray were shown being shot at the onset of the episode by the Irish Gangster - Chris is in critical condition, while Ray (Imperioli) is in full "Death Wish" revenge mood. The entire 1-2-5 team (which is always wonderful together) pulls together to aid Sam as the FBI has moved in to investigate if one of the police officers from the 125 were responsible for the murder of Jimmy McManus (aforementioned Irish Gangster). It turns out that the lead FBI investigator was responsible for the murder, had framed Sam, and will be headed off to prison himself. The ending was particularly remarkable: Chris is going to pull through and is surrounded by Gene, Ray, Sam and Annie, and is quick to point out the connection between Sam and Annie that all fans of this show have been pulling for since day one. A phenomenal episode.