Life on Mars: Top 3

Life on Mars is a series that had a lot to offer, and more often than not the stories told were superb, but in retrospect there are always a few moments that stand out above the rest. Listed here are the top three episodes, according to myself, not only for the series as a whole, but also for both series individually.

Life on Mars Special: La Chica de Ayer

_****½

Samuel finds himself in 1977 after being involved in a traffic accident and is made to work alongside a man with much different values in order to make his way back to 2009 Madrid.

Life on Mars Special: Life on Mars

_***½

NYPD Detective Sam Tyler is struck down during an investigation and is soon shocked to find himself in 1973 New York. Convinced that solving a similar case in the past is his ticket home, Sam works to solve the case assuming that he will be returned to 2008 as soon as the criminal is behind bars.

Life on Mars Special: Ashes to Ashes

_****½

Police psychologist Alex Drake has spent a great deal of time reviewing the case of Sam Tyler, wondering whether there was anything that could have been done to prevent his leap off the roof. Her investigation is sidelined, however, when she's shot and meets up with Gene Hunt in 1981.

Life on Mars Overview

_****

Sam Tyler is struck down in a car accident and wakes up thirty years in the past, having seemingly lead an entire life in 1973 despite not belonging there. Made to help clean the streets of Manchester's past, Sam continues searching for clues as to how to get home, running into a constant stream of characters that will have a great impact on making him the man he's to become, but never sure whether or not he's helping set things up for his return to 2006 or if he's merely rooting himself further in a life that's not his own.

Life on Mars Overview: Series 02

_****

Trapped thirty-three years in the past, Sam's chances of getting home grow dimmer every day, and, worse still, he's growing accustomed to the world of 1973. Given hints that not all hope is lost, Sam makes one last ditch effort to regain the life he thought he'd lost, but the ultimate question is if he can leave behind a reality that so desperately needs his influence.

The End of the Tunnel

_*****

Sam is given the promise of returning home provided he's strong enough to get through one final operation: the complete destruction of Gene Hunt. Working with Frank Morgan, Sam must gather evidence to remove Gene from his position, in effect risking the lives of everyone he's come to know.

Stacking the Evidence

 _***½

After one of his previous arrests unravels, Gene falls back on his reliance on alcohol, only to find himself in an even worse situation when he's accused of murder. Sam is torn between his loyalty to Gene and his determination to find the truth when he's forced to investigate his superior's activities.

Drugs on the Street

_**½

For the first time heroin starts hitting the streets of Manchester, forcing Gene to send his officers out as a task force in order to find the culprits, though the investigation is complicated when Annie is kidnapped by the drug smugglers and the only witness is the mother of Sam's future girlfriend.

Coercion

_****

Sam grows progressively ill during his investigation into the abduction of a mother and daughter, leading him to believe that he's suffering from an overdose in 2006. With Sam taken out of action, Annie and the rest of the team are forced to finish the investigation without him.

Falling in Love is Against the Rules

_***

A murder investigation leads the team to a series of private parties, forcing Sam and Annie to pose as a married couple in an attempt to infiltrate a wife-swapping subculture.

The Bombing

_***½

Sam's poor judgement results in serious injury for Ray, earning him the ire of the rest of the department staff.

Every Son Kills His Father

_***

Sam meets with the younger version of his mentor from 2006, and is immediately forced to defend him against the racist attitudes of the rest of the department.

Bring Me Sunshine

_****½

Sam is convinced that the man they're chasing in 1973 is the same criminal he's seen in visions trying to tamper with his life support in 2006.

Life on Mars Overview: Series 01

_****

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.

Take a Look at the Lawmen

_*****

Sam comes to believe that he will wake from his coma in 2006 if he can stop his father from running off in 1973, but his father's criminal record also attracts Gene's attention.

Internal Investigation

_****½

Sam struggles to investigate the death of a man under police custody as Gene and the rest of the team work to cover up evidence.

Broken the Land That Needs Heroes

_****½

In attempting to infiltrate a hostage situation, Sam, Gene and Annie find themselves at gunpoint, with Sam believing that he must avoid being killed in the past to prevent his life support from being cut off in the future.

Once a Red

_***

Sam, Gene and Annie are all forced to go undercover to investigate a murder that could likely lead to a city-wide football riot.

Honey Trap

_****

When Sam learns that his mother is in trouble, he gets himself personally involved in the case, winning the ire of a local crime boss.