Ashes to Ashes (TV Series) Episode #3.2 (2010) User Reviews

Is there Life on........?

[Sleepin_Dragon · 9/10 · 9 October 2020]

Someone has sent CID a severed hand, that someone seems to be using a Private dating establishment to meet victims.

What a start, the guys dancing to Uptown Girl, just one of many great tracks played here, including Life on Mars.

After a cracking first episode, the final series continues in real style, this was excellent. I loved the story, visuals, humour and curiousity this brings. We have that wonderful scene where Alex stares into the stars.

A great episode for Shaz, she is centre stage throughout, she goes on a journey of realisation about her job, we learn what sort of character Keats is, and what he's up to.

So, so good. 9/10.

More questions than answers

[studioAT · 7/10 · 25 September 2017]

The plot of 'Ashes to Ashes' thickens in the second episode of the third series, that focuses on the character of Shaz heavily, as she debates whether she is cut out for a life on the force.

With this being the final series you'd think things would start to get wrapped up, but if anything there are more questions being asked than answered. What's the relevance of the stars? Was that 'Life on Mars' being played in the background at the end? It's another great episode of the show, with great performances throughout, with Monserrat Lombard shining when given lots to do as Shaz.

Frog went a courting

[xmasdaybaby1966 · 7/10 · 9 October 2020]

I was a bit disappointed with this episode but might be laying out the storyline for later in the series. A bit slow moving but a big episode for Shaz. Great music from 1983. Contrary to another reviewers alleged goof, Tom Robinson had a number 6 hit in July1983 with War Baby.

Gene sings

[sebastianbrown-00139 · 10/10 · 7 March 2021]

Gene Hunt performs uptown girl in Alice Drakes dream. That's all I have to say the episode is fantastic

The show has found itself.

[GraXXoR · 10/10 · 4 July 2022]

Ashes to Ashes has really managed to come into its own in the third season and has completely come out of the shadow of Life on Mars...

The fantasy has elevated almost to the point of becoming unhinged, yet never entirely loses itself and manages to pull itself back down to Earth just in time.

Moments in this episode were playful and almost joyous in their revelry of 1983, (Gene and Crew's Uptown Girl sequence was inspired and Keely looks absolutely stunning in her 80s getup)

Yet like many classic tales, the childish banter was backed by a growing feeling of unease, malevolence, even. There are times in the episode where things seem to be escalating and getting out of hand, like background sounds obscuring dialogue and conversations with seeming non-sequeteurs jarring and unnerving the audience.

There are two fourth-wall breaking scenes in this episode, one near the start which is full of joy and frivolity and a second one entirely more ominous where all the lights go out, the background falls away and Life on Mars starts to play just as a solitary character looks up from her drink and stares at the audience.

All in all, the show somehow manages to feel like the monster under the comfy bed or the closed closet doors hiding a terrible secret.

More like this please!

Goof

[geoffisher1 · 26 August 2020]

Tom Robinson's "War Baby" can be heard during this episode but the song wasn't released until 1984 and this episode was set in early 1983.