Ashes to Ashes S3 Ep 5 Reaction Post

[talkingtothesky]

A2A 3x05 Reaction Post

I watched one of the previews again this week. I haven’t seen the Chris one, saving that for the ep itself but I have seen the Sam one. My god, it made me squee like a mad thing. Seductive, FFS! Gene said Sam was SEDUCTIVE!!! :DDDD Okay, in Alex’s dream, but still. It makes me insanely happy to think of slasher!Alex. <3

Hoping this isn’t the only Sam mention (and boy is it some mention! It’s screaming from the rooftops: Look, LoM fans, we have Sam! Love us!) we get tonight. There’s the thing Litton says in the trailer about ‘ the story of Sam and Gene’ but I don’t know how far that’ll go and most likely Alex won’t jeopardise the case no matter how curious she is. Wait, no, hang on…Oooh if she did that Gene would be pissed! He’s told her already to leave well enough alone.

Anyway, less than half an hour now and I’m getting that familiar buzz of excitement again. Less happy about the fact that after tonight we’re over half-way through the series and starting to worry about how sad I’ll feel when it’s over. But I’ll be saying that every week so please just ignore my sentimentality. :P

Other things about from the obvious Sam/Gene that I‘m hoping for:
- Litton/Keats interaction. They would make a most delightfully slimy pair. (Yes, I think they are worth shipping. Yes, I am insane.)
- Tiny little niggle in the back of my head that’s saying AnnieAnnieAnnie. Think I’ve avoided spoilers okay but I still have an inkling…Guess I’ll see if my instinct is right very soon. I would be over the moon if she showed up. *loves Annie so much* God, and I’d kill for some Gene/Annie interaction! (Why, yes, I ship them too! Shut up. :P) Just because Annie is such a big part of Gene’s past, so closely connected to Sam…Heh, if this doesn’t happen in the ep I might write it as fic. :P But if anyone knows anything about Annie appearing later in the series or something, please don’t fucking tell me, alright? XD

Anyway. 15 mins to go now. Bouncing in my seat a bit. I’ll be back afterwards, then! :D

Right. 22:03. In my notebook I have indeed written a record amount of stuff. 6 pages as opposed to my previous record of 4. :P This very second I’m unable to decide whether to grin and go ‘oooh’ or to burst into tears. Gene, you’re breaking my heart.

But, back to the beginning of the ep. My second-by-second thoughts:

- molly mention, finally, in the pre-title sequence. I know it’s a clip from ep1 but still. molly has been completely forgotten about, it seems.
- the “stylish. seductive. knows what he wants. and he gets it.” sequence <3 much love for the slash. and for sam! :D
- “get off me, I’m awake” says alex. great little gene/alex subtext there :P
- Professionals! XD
- Chris doing the Robot! XD
- Shaz <3
- I love this song. (Town Called Malice, or whatever the actual title is)
- HAHA, run him over! And then someone does it for him!
- LITTON!!!!
- silver shoes step out. conscious mirroring of gene’s boots from 1x01. love that shot <3 (and it was Phil’s idea originally, too! <3)
- gay tache twins. they realy went all out with teh gay mentions this ep. it’s keeping my slashy brain hanging on.
- I love the way gene says “that! is Detective Chief Inspector. Bastard. Litton!” <3
- different titles again. alex sounds a little patronising.
- LoM soundtrack cues! Thank you Ed Butt!
- Alex wonders if Litton can really be ‘that bad’. Ohh Alex, you have no idea. XD Gene says something about lying bastard and weasel boys.
- Love-in Keats!
- alex says homo-erotic tension! ROFL. writers I love you <3333
- Some brilliant tiny things my beady eyes are reading as Keats/Litton.
- Litton calls Gene ‘Gene-o’. He never used to. What’s that about?
- Police widows. This is where I wait for Annie to burst through the door. Sadly, nothing doing. :(
- Atta-boy Raymond.
- Keats talks about doing things ‘by the book’. Sam!
- Keats says Litton’s a gentleman and then gives Gene a dirty look. This is slashy all over the place! XD Gene, what have you got yourself into? Please don’t let me type this, but…Gene/Keats/Litton triangle? XDDDDD *fetches brain bleach*
- “Right, now that the pencil-neck has gone” says Litton. XD
- Fit him up. Can’t do that. Bollocks. “Something called the law,” says Alex <333 I love her standing up to them.
- Litton: “Genie. Darlin’. (Seriously. Gene/Litton. Like woah.) My day. My collar, capiche?”
- Gene: “Keep out of my way.”
- Litton: “Oh, I was expecting a race! Barrel of beer. What happened to you?”
- Gene looks sad :((((
- “Practically homo-erectus.” says Alex. Did I mention TEH GAY?
- “Homo-what? You’re obsessed, woman.” says Gene. More fodder for my ‘Alex is a slasher’ fanon. <3333
- “Litton’s up to something.” I snort because my brain is so firmly entrenched in slash-mode. What are you doing to me, show? XD
- Gene tells Chris to help Shaz and Alex. Chris is fetching stuff for Keats again? Does this mean we’ve lost Chris, or what?
- I’m paying attention to the fact that Gene just said ‘percolate’ and then I’m watching as Alex bends over and picks up the files that Gene just tried to dump. This show is taxing, mentally, y’know? :P
- “Alright, Gene.” Bevan pushes past Gene in corridor. Big history there as well. Throughout this ep I had real trouble telling Litton and Bevan apart. I had to focus on identifying Litton’s drawling voice instead.
- Alex asks directly if Bevan ever worked with Sam Tyler. Bevan looks down, seems embarrassed. Hiding something. Denies working with Sam.
- Bevan: ‘poofters’. Ray laughs after a moment, seems uncomfortable with it, trying to fit in with his old mate but Ray’s changed since then, for the better. I love Ray so much in this ep.
- I also LOVE Shaz. <33333 Troglodytes! XDDD
- Chris body-popping <333333333333 :DDDDDDDDDD
- Raymond.
- Know Hunt well, Alex presses. Sam Tyler. No.
- Litton is horrible and sexist in return.
- offensive moron. emotional.
- man on telly: “nice and fresh down there.” I’m grimacing really badly. Yuck.
- Shaz <3
- Been meaning to say for the past 5 minutes how bloody pretty Alex is.
- Gene walks out.
- Alex: “would you care to share, guv?” “I’m gonna stitch him up like a kipper.” That sounds like LoM!Gene.
- And sure enough, there’s the LoM music cue as they go outside to the Quattro.
- Alex trying to do what Sam managed to do and failing. “It’s about what’s right!”
- Gene just says “see ya later then!” :(
- Keats looks sad.
- Chris gets into the passenger seat! :DDD
- Much love for the montage of Litton versus Gene: Photo. Coffee. Toilet! XD
- TOY BOYS! Gene is so very gay. AND OMG THAT’S CAMILLE CODURI!!!! <33333 :DDDDDDD Looking stunning as ever. OMG, JACKIE!!!! XDDDD *mega squee moment*
- Good cop, bad cop. Yet another Sam mention. Gene looks sad.
- Fat bastard! We are quits! LOL. They actually shagged or is she just teasing him? The way Gene hot-foots it out of there, you gotta wonder. (OMG, I WANT THAT FIC. <3) Never thought about it before but Phil and Camille would actually have great chemistry, IMHO.
- “Oh joy of joys”, as Litton turns up. Hindering. “I’m a monkey’s uncle.”
- Alex and Shaz. “Don’t you bloody dare.”
- Alex pins him against the wall!!!! <3 <3 <3 Alex, you are one kick-ass mo-fo and I heart you. (I’m reminded of Toshiko in Torchwood 2x09 Something Borrowed in this scene.)
- “Bolly, that’s an order!” “Oh, don’t hurt me officer, please!” Gene just punches him.
- Gunshots. Where the fuck from?
- Right up in Litton’s face. Gene’s angry. “You brought a shoot-out onto my patch! You got nothing!” Wow. Gene! <3 (Bloody hell! :O  is what I wrote in my notebook to that. I am a bit gobsmacked by Gene here. So much love for him I can’t even…)
- “My case. Piss off, Litton.” Now that’s LoM!Gene again.
- Litton: “The old Gene Hunt…Girl guides.” :(((( Alex. But mostly, geeene!
- Gene tells Alex she’s not to go anywhere near him.
- ‘Fat bastard got shot at.’ Ray not happy. What are you thinking, Ray?
- Viv starting tape machine. Saaamm again. Keats’ idea. More fodder for the Keats= Sam theory doing the rounds.
- ‘Fighting for his life’ says Gene. Ohhhhh, the symbolism.
- “Taking a sip o’tea.” And then he pours it all over the tape. Oh, Gene. (Sam would be outraged. :P)
- Keats is hovering by Alex’s desk again.
- “Past is the key to unlocking crimes.” Oh, the subtlety of a jackhammer, there.
- “Can I give you some advice?” says Keats to Alex. I look at him warily, half expecting him to come out with hair and beauty tips. Not that Alex needs those <33333
- “You and Hunt not working. You’re a partnership. Trust. I won’t let him drag this place down.” Alex looks upset, so does Keats. Lots of things going on here. Gene/Alex in the partnership bit. But when it comes to ‘drag this place down’, I don’t see much of that, Keats. All I see is you trying to drag Gene down. Especially after you said in Ep1 about tearing the station apart.
- Ray thoughtful. Whole truth. Tranny bar. Alright for tonight? We’re an act. Not cut out for performing. How Ray/Chris slashy is this scene? :)
- Danny boy. Railway Arms? Since when did any of Litton’s men drink with CID in the Railway Arms? They’re from RCS, surely. That confused me this ep.
- Ray starts to sing along. He’s got a nice voice. <3 But then Chris stalks off, looking very jealous. :/ Good copper, aren’t you, Ray?
- Alex asks Bevan again about Sam Tyler. I don’t remember. Gene-o. Not what he did, what he got other people to do. So Gene is covering up for Sam. What could Sam possibly have done? Hope they’re not gonna ruin this.
- Alex sees Gene beating up the comedian. And Keats is skulking around. Cue the scene that happens basically every ep with Alex convincing Gene to let her do a psych profile on the suspect. Gene says something about therapy sessions, and he looks so sad as Alex leaves him alone in the corridor again that I think someone needs to give him a hug. :(
- Litton prints something out and says “bingo”
- December 1973. Really quite a lot of LoM in this ep.
- Litton. I’m not safe here. Alex saying she’s not like the others. Sam said that to Joni once.
- Alex tells Gene that they’ve got to let him go. He’s terrified of Litton. Two things I want to comment on here: first of all, ‘got to let him go’ reminds me of Sam in 1x02. Second of all, I find it very difficult to be terrified of Litton. :P
- Protected witness. 1x02 again. Gene sceptical as always (benidorm).
- Gene: “I said, no!” God, there’s a weakness in Gene’s voice there that’s almost desperation. There’s a strong sense that he’s lost all control over everything around him. Oh, Gene. :((((
- Ray comes in. ”Guv, we need to talk.” Gene replies that he thought Ray had gone to the dark side. This makes me really sad.
- “Spit it out, then.” “I think Jeff Bevan shot Frank Hardwick.”
- Litton calls Alex a “stupid bloody woman” and says she should have fit him up. Alex retorts brilliantly “that would be breaking the law”. <3
- I keep hearing these little moments of incidental music from LoM throughout the episode. I know they’ve used it in A2A Series 1&2 as well, but not this frequently.
- Gene’s feeling mean. “You’ve been stood up, Bols. Not for the first time, I’d imagine.” But the next second Alex is all smug. “There he is.”
- Frank. Van. Running. Gene. Shooting at it. Get out of the way, you stupid man, Gene! All I can of is Sam and Louise but thankfully he staggers out of the way just in time (phew!), but he looks very unbalanced.
- “Sorry we got you up, Luigi.” Yet another thing that happens every episode. :P Love Luigi, though. <3333
- And then Luigi actually giggles! Innuendo! Does he know I’m taking the piss? IDK why that’s supposed to be funny, but I’m amused by the way Luigi is behaving.
- Drug dealers, some continuity from the last ep, good. Coppers extorting. Heard that all the way through A2A S2. No bloody end to the corruption, is there?
- Frank telling Alex what he saw. “A big bloke assaulting a black guy. Then his police radio went off and he saw me and I ran south to escape him”. HOLY CRAP. This was too fast for me to properly get during the ep but police radios giving away locations immediately makes me think of LoM 2x08, obviously. I just feel there’s gotta be more to this line that I’m not getting.
- Bevan.
- Litton is skulking. XD Creeps.
- Alex strikes a very sexy pose.
- “Morning, Diago (sp?)” Vanished. Bastards.
- Gene. Bevan. Blinds. Similar to Keats. I don’t like this one bit.
- “What’s this, a private strip-tease?” Um. The gay. Ever since The Wall Gene is just gay, gay, gay. Even if it’s with people you do not want it to be. :P
- “Musta shat yourself when I walked back into your life, Gene.” So they have history too. Bloody hell. “Weren’t so cocky 3 years ago.”
- SAM TYLER DISAPPEARED. !!!
- Gene says “There’s a line you don’t cross.” Shit, he’s hurting like hell, isn’t he? Oh, Gene.
- “And where was that line with Sam Tyler?” asks Bevan. HOLY CRAP. Obviously you can guess how my slasher brain is interpreting that one.
- Solidarity. Geeeeeeeene :(
- Bevan leaves, Alex is straight in there. “Everything alright?” LoM music is playing again.
- A little pause, and then: “Everything’s fine, bols.” And there he is. Gene Hunt and his broken heart.
- Gene seems to make a decision and goes from his office straight to Alex’s desk, trying to pull open the drawer only to find it locked. Interrupted by Shaz.
- “What if he’s not dead?” says Gene, while they look down at a random body on the slab. Chris replies “I think you’ll find he is.” The alarm bells are ringing in my head so loudly at this point. What? Who? Wishful thinking on my part? Does Gene not know?
- Jaunty music. Awesome camerawork. Litton watches CID work.
- Excited, Drakey. Victim woke up. Says he got a clear view of gunman.
- “Conkers nestling in the palm of my hand.” Um, Gene? Teh Gay.
- Litton runs out for some reason.
- “Sapphire and Steel. I’m him… and you are her.” That’s…not your best line, Gene.
- “Cop solidarity,” says Gene, still looking incredibly sad.
- Not two seconds later Alex is getting more personnel files from Viv and doing more digging into Sam’s death. So much for solidarity, then.
- Gene’s back with a crowbar to attack Alex’s drawer. Jacket! He takes it back. <3 In my head he goes and sits in his office and hugs it close to him.
- Alex pressing Bevan. The car Sam SUPPOSEDLY died in. DISAPPEARED. They’re doing a fantastic job of trying to give me false hope. I keep wanting it to mean what I know we’re all thinking but it more likely means that Sam didn’t actually die in the car, he didn’t disappear, he was murdered, etc. And it’s all a massive big cover up. I want to believe it means Sam’s really alive but I’m not allowing myself to go down that route because if I start thinking like that it’ll only break my heart further when it doesn’t happen.
- “The closer you get to him, the less you know” retorts Bevan. I’m beginning to understand what that means!
- Bevan being a sleazy creep. “I’d be careful, pretty woman like you working in a police station at night. Anything could happen.” “Are you threatening me?” says Alex.
- “You give up Frank Hardwick and I’ll give you the story of Sam and Gene.”
- Cut to fire, flames. Burning. Gene’s burning the files! Pic of Sam, the one Alex had in her files in A2A 1x01.
- BURNING THE JACKET!!!! DD: NOOOO!!!!!!! :O
- “just a dead man’s jacket” – now, writers, you have slain me. I am broken. God, Gene’s face. He’s in so much pain and I love him so much my heart is breaking for him but I can’t look away.
- “What are you hiding?” Alex asks, ever more desperate. I can feel her pain, too.
- “Forget it. Doesn’t exist. Sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith.”
- …FUCK! :O DDDD: Could be coincidence, but jeezus wept does Gene know? About Sam’s jump? How fucking bitter does Gene sound here?
- And then just to top it off Keats is lurking round the corner, intruding on Gene’s grief.
- Much love for Ray. <3 OMG HE CAN SEE STARS! That’s a beautiful shot. :O Edge of the world.
- Chris can’t see them, he’s all business-like while Ray looks visibly shaken. What the hell does this mean?
- Hospital. “Can I assume the safety of my staff?” “As long as you keep them off this floor and away from me.”
- Police guard. This is sounding more and more like Jabberwocky every second.
- Gun. Hold yer positions! Litton. Ray!
- “Where will it all end?” asks Litton.
- warriors don’t fit in
- gene gone soft
- keep the faith, eh, kiddo.
- nicked radio? :O
- shaz looks worried.
- tension. should we call back up? gene almost desperately telling everyone to stay put. god, he really has changed. why does no-one just listen to him anymore?
- guv…he knows it’s a trap.
- luigi’s!
- Guns. Strangling.
- “Kept on kicking him.” “No, I never, no way!” Litton?
- “Only problem is, it’s called murder!” says Gene.
- Bevan’s crossed the line. Litton puts his head in his hands.
- Litton is actually good guy? “He betrayed us both. Sorry, Ray.”
- Help us.
- Course he’s ready. DEREK! <3 XD We don’t have to be pals…
- Protected witness. Southern shiteholes.
- Laughing policeman in booth. Strong resemblance to the Smilers in Doctor Who, I thought. Properly creeped me out seeing it randomly pop up in Ashes.
- steady as a rock
- nail these bastards
- dressing gown! precaution. bullet proof.
- all dressed up
- hallucinating
- SHAZ! <3 Comforting Ray.
- Need help. Talk to me.
- Shaz kisses Chris’ cheek. “Break a leg.” “That’s not very supportive”. ILY, Chris! :D
- ROFL! XD
- gene looks at chris, grumpy and disdainful as ever XD
- “Sweet jesus. I thought I’d seen everything” Gene says, and puts his hand on his hip as he does so and it’s the SEXIEST THING EVAR. *THUD*
- Comedian’s jacket is very sparkly
- Chris is kinda sexy XD
- slow-mo
- ray?
- blues brothers
- Litton walks up to Gene. “You have changed, you know. First Tyler, now Drake.”
- “they’ve rubbed off on you” – underlined because we’ve been saying it in fic for fucking forever, DorsetGirl especially. Was reading the comments on her latest fic just this morning where she uses those exact same words.
- “You nervous, Litton?” And they just look at each other for the longest time.
- Danny Boy – Ray! <3
- Never thought I’d see this <3
- awwww <3 he chokes :(
- “I forgot the bloody words!”
- SHAZ! <3333333333333
- OMG he can SING! <3333333333333
- awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
- “Oi! Olivia Newton-Skelton” more genderbending in this ep
- “I’ve decided to trust you”, says Alex, and I think: ‘about bloody time!’ “There’s just one thing I want” Here Galex shippers punch the air and hope she’s jonesing for a snog.
- Ray sings the words: “dead I may well be” :OOOOOOO (STARS!? IF YOU CAN SEE THEM DOES IT MEAN YOU’RE DEAD???? :OOO Alex=shot, Shaz=stabbed, Ray=car bomb. Chris hasn’t been seriously injured yet, hence he can’t see them? And we don’t know about Gene.)
- the music is fucking ominous
- bevan! walks right past chris.
- Back to Alex: “Say it. Look me in the eyes and promise me you had nothing to do with Sam’s death. Please. Just tell me.”
- FUCK. HE CAN’T FUCKING ANSWER. Just looks at her.
- Gene <3333333333333333333333333333333333333333333
- Gene I am so in love with you but you’re breaking me, you really are. Why won’t you answer her?!!!
- Autograph. Bevan. Guns.
- Murdering bastard
- Bevan to Gene: “You asked me to falsify evidence.” :O Covering up for Sam!? “Tell them what you did to him.” :OOOO
- “Only difference is, you got away with it”. :OOO
- “Try me!” GENE POINTS THE FUCKING GUN AT BEVAN’S HEAD. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK.
- Bevan escapes. Ray and Bevan outside: “Freeze!” “You’re not gonna shoot”.
- Oh, but Chris will!
- MUSIC
- Gene!
- “I know the truth, Bevan” Cuts away. What? What did he say?
- Gene walks off. Alex calls after him. “What did you say?”
- “I told him the truth.” A long silence.
- “City are gonna cane United next season”. :O (Is he right? Did they?) *tears hair out at avoidance of question*
- Back at the station. Shaz admits she broke up the double act when she went out with Chris. OMG SO MUCH LOVE. I always thought Ray was so fucking jealous all through S1 especially and now it’s like she’s apologising for that. “Are you lonely?” And instead of fobbing her off with a smart reply Ray says “A bit”. Christ on a bike, Ray has become more emotionally mature than Gene. Okay, admitting you’re lonely is not as big an admission as the demons Gene is clearly struggling with, but still. I am loving this Ray/Shaz stuff. And no, not in a shippy way. It’s all about the fondness with which Ray is watching Chris dance. Oh, Ray/Chris, I ship you so much. <3
- And then she encourages Ray to go to him! <3333 :DDDD “Be his best mate. Go on then” <3 <3 <3
- Litton again. “I will say goodbye”
- “Not yet. Not many of us left, Litton. Good old days.”
- Keats! DCI Litton suspended!
- “Scuse me!” protests Gene.
- Keats is having none of it. “Disciplinary tribunal. Own officer.” (Why’d he let Chris off the hook but not Litton?)
- Innocent prat.
- “Be alright kid”, says Litton.
- Keats requested the tribunal
- “That’s the procedure. Or did we all forget that?” Keats, Sam. Gene looks sad.
- Then Gene walks forward so that he’s facing Gene. He gives him this look of absolute disgust and pure hatred and then goes into his office and slams the door.
- Keats and Alex “do we need to talk?”
- Gene is kicking things in his office. Alex looks really sad as she looks back at him.
- But she goes with Keats. OMG THAT SHOT WITH GENE IN HIS OFFICE LOOKING OUT WAS IN THE ORIGINAL TRAILERS THEY PUT OUT IN JANUARY AND IT’S EVERY BIT AS EPIC AND HEARTBREAKING IN CONTEXT AS IT LOOKED THEN. God, she fucking left him.
- And the final shot of the episode is Gene picking up a bottle of drink. :( :( :(
- NEXT WEEK TRAILER: Gene shouting ‘you never leave a man behind!’. ‘My fault’. ‘I hope you’ve got a heart in there.’

Three hours, 7 pages, and 4000 words later I’m done with my reaction post for this week. Now I am going to sit and grieve for The Jacket. Yes, I am that attached to it. I can’t believe he fucking burnt it. He’s covering up so bad. And the fact that Gene won’t say anything. It’s getting to me. There’s only so long I can stare into his angsty face trying to read him before my heart shatters into a thousand pieces. I want to know – and at the same time, seeing how badly it’s affecting Gene, I really don’t want to know. Whatever it is has gotta be really unpleasant. Gene doesn’t angst that much over just anything.