Ashes to Ashes

[JHyde]

This is the sort of show that playwrights dream of writing but can't pull off on stage. Every writer wants to write about Heaven, Hell and Purgatory at some point and this was one of the better ones I've ever read or seen.

I was freaked out from the start, thanks to my listening to Tainted Love immediately before watching, which then starts the episode. Music was used really well in this episode, and they ticked off most of the songs I had been hanging out for.

I loved that they re-used the 'pub' bandying cry from the end of LoM series one. Where they all agree that's where they're going afterwards.

I don't think that scene in the hut was very clear. That might have been deliberate though - I don't think they wanted us to be completely clear about what was going on until Ray, Chris and Shaz watched their videos.

I'm mostly confused about why Viv was killed by Keats - I still can't figure out what that was meant to mean. But I think it was a red herring that was mostly there to have us clearly know that Keats was a bad guy and keep us guessing about what his role was in the show.

TL, my theory about Keats is that he was meant to be like the fool in King Lear. And if I know Matthew Graham (who I still think is a bit of a wanker, sorry - listen to any commentary he does) that's probably on the money.

I totally forgot to say that one of the things I love about Phil Glenister is he is such a wonderfully physical actor. He really knows how to inhabit his space and use his body to show what he's feeling. He was wonderfully suited to the character for that reason, I think.

I would like to see him play someone other than a cop though.