In 2006, DCI Sam Tyler is on the trail of a repeat offender, willing to do whatever it takes to track his man down and bring him to justice. Moments later, he's in 1973, with no clear clue as to how to return to whether he can return to his home-time or if he might have only dreamed of the future, instead belonging in what he believes is the past. He may be dreaming, time-traveling, falling into madness, or any other number of possibilities, but at the end of the day Sam Tyler is determined to return to the life he knows to be his.
The review for "Take a Look at the Lawmen" can be read here.
Conceived originally as an early-evening comedy, Life on Mars would have starred an older Sam Williams (potentially played by Neil Morrissey) providing humorous commentary on the attitudes of the 1970s. Reworked with a younger lead character, and renamed Sam Tyler (John Simm,) the series was able to add in the character of Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister) as a to the protagonist, and the tone turned from comedic to dramatic. An overarching mystery as to the nature of Sam's situation, the narrative is able to play with the physics of reality through Sam's perception of things, as well as providing alternative options through the reactions other characters have to Sam's actions.
Creatively, the decision to pit Sam against Gene is a good one, as it allows one more thing in Sam's life that is completely out of his control. In 2006 Sam is in charge of his department, running the show entirely in order to create a perfectly functioning unit, whereas in 1973 he has been demoted, working under Gene's rule, and forced to follow orders he knows aren't always the best choices. Sam's distress over having to do the job inefficiently, or improperly, allows him to be viewed by Gene as insubordinate, creating a level of animosity that might not be as prevalent were Sam dealing only with subordinates in this reality. The power struggle between Sam and Gene is clear, as Sam constantly is touting modern methods and being shot down at every turn, with Gene unsure of whether he should shoot Sam down immediately or simply allow him to fail in the field in front of his peers. When Sam has a good idea, a successful one, Gene will relent, following through on Sam's plans without word of praise or acknowledgement, but when there's a particular issue with something having wrong awry due to Sam's machinations, Gene will very publicly explain to Sam why it was a horrible plan from the get-go. Sam is one to voice his opinion, explaining in great detail what he thinks should be done in any particular investigation, and when Gene chooses to ignore him, Sam is simply forced to follow what he deems a lesser plan in order to keep his position and continue doing good, and his internal conflict over this fact is incredible to watch play out.
The friendship developed between Sam and Annie (Liz White) is a wonderful aspect to this series, providing Sam with someone to confide in as well as offering an alternate point of view on Sam's situation. Annie is always very quick to play devil's advocate, encouraging Sam to seek professional help, as she very firmly believes that he is from 1973, simply suffering from some form of head trauma. White's performance is heartbreaking as Annie watches her friend slowly descend into madness, constantly offering an alternative explanation for whatever Sam is going through, and often questioning why he feels the way he does. Should Sam's theory prove correct, it would be only Annie that holds him back in this world, and, ultimately, his only chance to get back to his own time may be to distance himself from her, which, in turn, would make his experience in 1973 all the worse.
As clever as Sam is in regards to his work, and considering how perceptive he is of other people's actions, he remains hopelessly clueless when it comes to how his alien behavior can affect those around him. It's understandable that he would constantly search for a way to return to his own life, and it would be narratively strange should he internalize his entire struggle, but given the amount of distress his line of thought causes Annie, it's notable that he keeps bringing it up with her. Annie very seriously asks him to question his mental state, requesting that he seek a professional to help him deal with whatever he's going through, but he continues telling her that he's not crazy. At the first sign that she was uncomfortable with Sam's potential delusions, he should have stopped bringing it up to her, as there is a risk that she might go behind his back, worried about his safety, and he could end up, in some way or another, committed, thus limiting his chances of finding a way back to 2006.
It's a miracle that any criminals are caught given how bent the system appears to be in 1973. Given the story, and Sam's attitude, it makes sense for the story that he would find himself among those who do things in a completely backwards fashion, but the fact remains that his entire department is filled with dirty cops. When the first instinct of these characters is to plant evidence, or beat down a suspect, or hold someone against their will, it's an issue, especially given the potential for innocence many of these characters maintain. Certainly there are characters here who support Sam's ethical attitude, but it's the morally ambiguous characters, ignorant to why Sam would so readily uphold the law, that make no sense given their positions and occupations, and it sometimes gets to the point of distraction.
The entire cast of this series, from the regular characters to the guest starring roles, are absolutely phenomenally cast in their parts, and each one of them earns their place in every story. Simm has a target on his back, having to lead every episode and appearing in almost every scene, but he proves himself incredibly capable of carrying the show, displaying a myriad of emotions in varying intensity. The chemistry Simm has with the rest of the cast, especially his character's foil played fantastically by Glenister, is absolutely wonderful, and it's clear that this cast really enjoys the time they spend together on-camera. White delivers an incredible performance as the female lead, connecting with the audience very effectively throughout the story and stealing nearly every scene she appears in.
With the focus kept firmly on Sam, it would be understandable if the character arcs for those surrounding him suffered, but instead the directors manage to let everyone have their spotlight, growing in a believable fashion without ever overtaking the plot or feeling tacked on in the end. Some connections to 2006 are thrown in, but they all feel very organic, and any anachronisms slip passed in a very subtle manner that might go unnoticed to anyone not looking for them. A series involving so much mystery, with such a heavy mix of drama and comedy, could very easily falter in tone, but the balance is kept here very well, switching back and forth seamlessly without jarring the narrative. The scenes in 2006 are also very distinctly different from those in 1973, creating a different world that feels both natural and real, 2006 having been much grittier in mood, while 1973 is far more dangerous.
Maintained throughout the series is the mystery regarding the nature of Sam's presence in 1973, with hints pointing toward any of the answers depending on how the audience chooses to interpret them. Sam himself believes that he is in a coma, determined to find a way to send himself back to the present, whether that's through catching a criminal before they commit their crime or stopping his father from leaving his family. Sam's beliefs are supported through his interactions with technology, being able to hear his friends and family through the radio and speaking briefly to his doctors on the telephone. The very fabric of reality appears to fold in on itself whenever Sam's feeling unwell, allowing him the opportunity to learn more about his status in his present-day, but this, too, could indicate his mental instability. Annie, in particular, believes that Sam has been the victim of an accident and never was given the chance to heal, worried that his refusal to see a psychiatrist could lead to danger. While the audience sees the story from Sam's perspective, we are more inclined to accept his understanding of the story, but, should Annie's theory be correct, Sam would be an unreliable narrator, and instead what we see would be his psychosis. There's also the possibility that Sam's dead, or dreaming, abducted by aliens, or even a character in a story. The fact that the team working on this series delivered this mystery so adeptly throughout the entire run is amazing, dropping just the right amount of hints without ever teasing the audience too much, and, clearly, they have a very specific end planned out.
The present-day detective trapped in the world of yesterday is an interesting premise, as the criminals of the past aren't quite on the same level as those of today, but the techniques that Sam's used to working with are also unavailable to him. In some ways Sam's job is easier now than it is in 2006, due in part to the messy nature of crimes committed in 1973, but it's also far more difficult because of the lack of tools at police disposal.
The review for "Bring Me Sunshine" can be read here.
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