finished ashes to ashes season 2. bro wtf is going on. I liked the ending to the last episode, but episode 7 had me real confused. detailed thoughts under the cut to hide spoilers. warning: waffley response to the last 2 episodes of season 2
so old sanders shoots baby sanders, and old sanders doesn't evaporate, giving a little insight into the nature of gene hunt world (thats how i think about it and apparently so does alex). firstly: alex gets hung up on the fact that this apparently means you can change the future, but that isnt so, see comment about non-evaporation. it might have created a new timeline where all that happens and the bent coppers get caught for the gold robbery, but neither alex or old sanders exist in that timeline, so they can't change anything for themselves.
that isnt actually what got me messed up about episode 7 tho. its that after old sanders shoots baby sanders (im calling him that because the actor has baby face) and puts the gun in alex's hand, she then decides her only cause of action is to hide the body? her not reacting before the gun gets into her hand is fair enough, she was shocked and confused, but bro just merked someone, handed the gun to a cop and she just let him walk away? idc is that suckers is my ticket home his ass is getting cuffed. even if she couldn't nab him, why not call hunt? why stick the body in the concrete? infinite confusion on that plot point.
I think the tension in episode 8 still could have worked if she called hunt, and he had to take her word for it that she didn't kill him, despite seeming to hunt to have it out for baby sanders. then when he hears her out of context tape, the implication could be that he thinks she killed him.
anyyywho, my current answer to beloved sam tyler's "am I mad, in a coma or back in time?" is a little bit of 1 and 2, but 1 has nothing to do with the events of the show, he's just mentally ill but thats okay. but its not as simple as just a coma fantasy, because obviously 2 folks in a coma can't normally be sharing the same dream. i think its more of a limbo realm between life and death. maybe everyone there is in the same boat, but most folks transition more smoothly and forget their old lives. except gene. he's like the gardian of magic limbo land. or its just sam, alex and that douche (side note: guy goes bitter from guilt about witnissing police corruption and decides to make himself feel better by committing a bunch of murders. dumbass.) who travel there, and everyone else has existed there their whole lives. there was also the implication that alex was only there because she had heard sam's story and that douche (old sanders. im calling him this now) was only there because he was even further in the future and knew alex's story, but that was kinda squashed when it was revealed douche was co-coma-ing with alex in the next room. so he could know her status in the 2008 world, but not know about hunt-ville because she wont be able to tell anyone till she wakes up.
I also have many feelings about chris. again numbero uno: dickwad calls you up and asks you to do police misconduct because you owe him money, first thing you do is tell the guv. they didn't even say "mr. phone guy threatened to hurt shaz so i was totally in a bind". idk, i guess the reasoning is that chris was a little too innocent/oblivious and genuinely thought the first one wasnt a bad thing, then once that ended up with the jailed cop dying he though he was in too deep to tell anyone. i like the fact that shaz forgave him though, what she said seemed very in character, like yeah she knows his heart is still good because he's so upset about it.
and last but not least: mr. gene hunt face on all the tv's in 2008. very funny visual, facinating plot implications. first theory, alex didn't wake up and is in a coma within a coma, dreaming that she woke up, when actually she is in the 1982 hospital being badgered by gene (whilst in the 2008 hospital still recovering from the infection). second theory, well i'm surprised we never saw sam dreaming of hunt-world after he woke up, i suppose its cause there was very little screen time for that part of the finale, but i could see alex still being connected like that. i dont think this is as likely as the first theory, because even if hunt is asking for her help in dreams/hallucinations, i cant see her willingly leaving molly again. maybe it isn't willing, maybe she has a relapse for medical reasons. idk, i've never been in a coma, maybe you can pretty easily re-coma without jumping off buildings.
as ever, i miss sam :/
he is still alive in my headcannons. i refuse to give that up until canon explores it in a more meaningful way.
season 3 here i come!
