Whenever an episode begins with Soft Cell‘s cover of the song “Tainted Love” followed closely by a trippy dream sequence involving red satin sheets and being sucked into a bed, I am in ’80s heaven. That’s how the latest chapter of Ashes to Ashes kicked-off and it got even better from there. After mostly enjoying herself for the last few weeks, Alex Drake finally freaked and let her fear take control.
For the majority of the episode, she was convinced her body temperature was dropping and that she was in fact, dying. The pasty-faced clown Pierrot paid her multiple visits and her confusing flashbacks (or flash-forwards?) about her parents’ death were more frequent. She even went to see her mother one final time to say goodbye. Watching her struggle to find the words made for an emotional scene.
What about the Rubik’s Cube? What did it mean? This puzzling toy played a significant role throughout the proceedings. It provided Alex the necessary motivation to keep trying and as her mother told her as a child, “not to quit.” Not to quit attempting to solve a robbery and not to quit trying to figure out why the hell she’s stuck in 1981. Which brings me to the ultimate question: why is Alex stuck in 1981? There appears to be three plausible explanations. Let’s examine each, shall we.
I’m of the belief that Alex will find her way back to 2008. Unlike Sam Tyler, Alex has a reason to return: her daughter Molly. Leaving Molly motherless would be a heartless way to wrap the series. Alex lost her mother at a young age, so she is fully aware of how damaging that can be on a child. For that reason alone, she will fight like hell to ensure Molly does not suffer the same fate she did.
Only two episodes left. Will all be revealed? Probably not.
One thing is for certain- ALL will not be revealed in the last two episodes, since series two of A2A will begin in the UK this month.
As the Brits who visit my blog about A2A always say….everything is significant. And that phrase is repeated in every episode of A2A.
Could the “Gene Genie” be just that? David Bowie’s Pierrot clown (from the video of Bowie’s ASHES To ASHES) sang of “Space Oddity’s” Major Tom, lost in infinity but trying to get home. And as Sam Tyler asked on the US “Life On Mars”, ….why does it always get back to Davis Bowie?
And yes…what’s up with the Rubik’s Cube?
Another little tidbit- last week’s episode ended with Soft Cell’s “Where Did Our Love Go?”, and this week’s story began with “Tainted Love”.
So many questions…..and everything is significant.