Ashes to Ashes – The Rubik’s Cube

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.

• Alex is dead – Seems a little too convenient. If she’s a goner, is 1981 the afterlife? Running around chasing crooks in the decade of bad hair and loud clothes sounds more like hell, doesn’t it? Could she be trapped in some sort of hellish existence where she has to relive the days leading up to her personal tragedy over and over again? Alex isn’t deserving of such a cruel punishment. I say she isn’t dead, but then again the phrase says, “…for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”

• Alex is in a coma – She gets shot, lapses into a deep coma, and in her unconscious state imagines herself returning to the most tragic point in her life. If she prevents her parents from blowing up, will she awaken? And should she save mommy and daddy in this alternate reality, will that save herself from dying? Is the 1981 experience testing her will to live? All of this is reasonable, although it would be very similar to the ending of Life on Mars (not the US version). I hope the creators are a little more, uh, creative.

• Alex is in limbo – I recall the purgatory card being played during the first season of Lost. You know, they’re all on the island to be judged. It made sense at the time, but the vast complexities of the Lost universe won’t allow for such a simple interpretation. As far as Alex Drake is concerned, I guess she could be in limbo waiting for her ticket up or down. Maybe her ability to solve/stop the death of her parents is the deciding factor. Of course, this would also mean that Alex is dead and I’m still not prepared to commit to that line of thinking.

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.

Clacked by Scott Tunstall
on Apr 13, 2009 @ 13:00 EST5EDT