[SPOILERS] The fourth episode adheres to the Ashes To Ashes formula of season 2: a lukewarm police investigation enlivened by its connection to police corruption, finding form in the final third to leave you feeling satisfied...There's a visitor to CID this week; headstrong reporter Jackie Queen (Ruth Millar), an old girlfriend of Gene's (Philip Glenister) fans may recognize as the Glaswegian hostage in an episode of Life On Mars. She's heavily pregnant, claiming the father is Gene, but more concerned for the safety of her niece, who may be the latest victim of a sex-trafficking ring. It appears that young girls fresh off coaches from the north are being preyed upon by a gang that sell them into sexual slavery, valuing virgins amongst all others.
The scene is set for a dark and gripping hour of crime drama, but Ashes To Ashes isn't really up to the task. Given the subject matter, this was a bland dramatization of a tough topic; so much so that the potential for edginess was rubbed smooth. The girls here just pose for a few risqué photos with a scumbag photographer, or have a "party" at the ringleader's home that doesn't feel much creepier than the average six-year-old's birthday bash.Life On Mars would have tackled the subject in a more adult way, but Ashes has less teeth than its forbearer. It's more of a fun lark, so the first half is diluted by the comedy of Gene becoming a father and Alex (Keeley Hawes) butting heads with loudmouth know-all Jackie. But then, the episode finally slips into gear after Gene realizes the prime suspect Ralph Jarvis (John Bowe) is another of DS Mackintosh's (Roger Allam) compatriots -- and thus impossible to arrest and make any evidence stick.
Certainly, the show is much better whenever this corruption storyline makes an appearance -- perhaps why it's been a fixture of season 2, so far. Gene and Alex even plant a bug in Supermac's office, realize that the trafficking is in laundering money for their crooked superior, and consider letting Chris (Marshall Lancaster) and Ray (Dean Andrews) into theie circle of trust, before Gene's transferred to Plymouth for good and Supermac extends his influence further.
Alex is still receiving strange phone calls from her "admirer", who continues to send her red roses (even managing to slip one into her pocket at a bus station.) We're also treated to the most overt references to Life On Mars since Ashes began; when Jackie is probed for information about Sam Tyler by an interested Alex and she explains that Sam married Annie and lived a contented life until the day he died. There's no mention of Sam continuing the odd behaviour that characterized his days in '73 during the series, meaning he came to embrace his new existence completely. Alex is glad for him, but realizes there's a crucial difference between her and Sam: she has a daughter who needs her in 2008, so deciding to stay and live in the '80s isn't an option.
The final fifteen minutes were pretty great, too. Supermac frames Alex as a corrupt cop (planting cash and stolen goods at her home) to get her suspended from work and, after Gene reveals to Supermac that he's amassed enough evidence to end his career, Supermac shoots Ralph dead after he evades formal charges, and then turns the gun on himself.
Overall, while Ashes To Ashes has yet to knock me sideways this year, every episode has been well-constructed, amusing, well-paced and entertaining. Compare these episodes to most of season 1 (where I was regularly checking my watch by the 30-minute mark.) The climax to episode 4 was a marvelous surprise, too; I just hope Ashes can maintain this quality sans Roger Allam and the corruption storyline, which have rescued or elevated season 2's first half. Before dying, Supermac tells Alex "Operation Rose... it's coming", which must of course be linked to the mystery of Alex's admirer...What do you think? Did Supermac check out too early? Did the corruption storyline end well? Will there be a sane answer to the mystery caller and his rose fixation? Are we being prepared for a Sam Tyler return, with recent Life On Mars allusions?
11 May 2009
BBC1, 9pm
Writer: Ashley Pharoah
Director: Ben Bolt
Cast: Philip Glenister (Gene), Keeley Hawes (Alex), Dean Andrews (Ray), Marshall Lancaster (Chris), Montserrat Lombard (Shaz), Roger Allam (DS Mackintosh), Adrian Dunbar (Martin Summers), Ruth Millar (Jackie Queen), John Bowe (Ralph Jarvis), Kirsty-Leigh Porter (Rachel Lessing), Joseph Long (Luigi), Geff Francis (Viv), Grace Vance (Molly), Sophie Bleasdale (Debbie Hall), Gerard Monaco (Gordon Lanegan) & Adrian Schiller (Ralph's Lawyer)
