Radio Times

• Episode 1/8

  A series of murders lead the team to casino boss Tony Crane, whom Sam arrested in 2006. Sam seizes the chance to prevent his future crimes. His hot-headed approach stuns everyone - not least Gene, who must temper his usual methods in the glare of the media spotlight. But Sam's need to put the criminal behind bars intensifies as he believes that in the future, Crane is torturing his comatose body.

  RT review (Alison Graham, 13 February 2007)

  Sam Tyler and Gene Hunt are shaping up nicely as one of the great TV detective partnerships as this hugely anticipated second - and final - series of last year's big drama hit begins. In this episode they go after a crooked club boss (played by a wonderfully seedy Marc Warren), while Tyler is in grave peril in his hospital bed from an unseen assailant.

  It's vastly enjoyable and manages to stay just about believable thanks to some strong writing and, of course, the two marvellous central performances.

• Episode 2/8

  The squad are baffled by a spate of robberies and the murder of a safe-breaker. Gene tends to suspect notorious criminal mastermind Arnold Malone - but a shocking revelation forces him to rethink. Meanwhile, Sam is astonished when his mentor in the future, black Chief Inspector Glenn Fletcher, joins the team as a simple DC - and is far from the inspiring figure that Sam knows in 2006.

  RT review (Alison Graham, 20 February 2007)

  This is such a brilliant episode, full of bracingly brisk exchanges between cops Gene and Sam, barrel-loads of humour and a subtle approach to a difficult subject - race.
  
  This many-layered story is peppered with great lines and a lovely joke that will bring a fond smile to lovers of 1970s British cop shows.

• Episode 3/8

  Gene believes the IRA are responsible for a bombing campaign on the streets of Manchester. Sam's argument that the use of dynamite doesn't fit the IRA's modus operandi is ignored - particularly as the team blame him for putting Ray in danger. With Gene employing his bullyboy tactics against the local Irish community, it's down to Sam to prove the real culprit's guilt.

  RT review (Alison Graham, 6 March 2007)

  Right from its powerful - in every sense - opening sequence, this is a first-rate episode, full of tension and that wonderful Life on Mars gallows humour.

• Episode 4/8

  A woman is found murdered, and the crime bears the hallmarks of a serial killer Gene thought he'd put away years before. Now he's worried he might have fingered the wrong man. Sam suspects a link to the wife-swapping parties held at a local businessman's house, so he and Annie go under cover as a married couple. Success becomes paramount when a second woman goes missing.

  RT review (Alison Graham, 13 March 2007)

  Spotting the amusing 1970s touches makes up for a slightly lacklustre story. But there's still fun to be had.

• Episode 5/8

  Businessman Simon Lamb threatens to hang himself in the police station after discovering his wife and daughter have been kidnapped. Sam resolves to ignore the visions that have been plaguing him and concentrate on the case. He thinks a clue to the abductions could lie in an earlier murder investigation, but this line of inquiry raises some awkward questions. Meanwhile, Annie is in danger as she uncovers the kidnapper's identity.

  RT review (Alison Graham, 20 March 2007)

  The second series has frequently had a bit of a woozy David Lynch feel, as if the avant-garde director had sneezed on the scripts. This episode is dark, odd and unsettling; it even feels a bit like Lynch's TV masterpiece Twin Peaks. Though I can't recall Lynch ever using Camberwick Green puppets in his work - there's a delightful opening as a representation of Sam emerges from the musical box in a special, very adult Life on Mars version of the much-loved children's TV programme.

  Most of the story is told, from different viewpoints, in flashback. It's quite effective, but might leave you feeling decidedly strange. Maybe it's not just Sam who's in an altered state…

• Episode 6/8

  A young Ugandan Asian man is shot as heroin becomes available in Manchester for the first time. Gene is inclined to see a connection between the two events, and Sam's aghast at the lengths to which his boss is willing to go to keep the drug off the streets. As he investigates the shooting, Sam is drawn to a female witness, who protests the victim's innocence. But the evidence suggests otherwise…

  RT review (Alison Graham, 27 March 2007)

  [In this episode], Sam tries to convince his Neanderthal colleagues that [a Ugandan Asian with a serious gunshot wound] could have been the victim of a hate crime. "As opposed to one of those 'I really like you' murders?" asks his boss. Ah, how I yearn for many more such resonant Gene-isms to brighten a series that's got a bit bogged down by "issues" rather than just having uncomplicated fun. Where did Life on Mars's lightness of touch go, I wonder?

• Episode 7/8

  Upset that a local villain escaped justice earlier in the day, Gene predictably takes refuge in the bottle. Sam's stunned to receive a phone call in the early hours from his drunken boss. It appears he's murdered someone. As A Division set out to prove their guv innocent - in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary - a senior officer from Internal Affairs is sent to oversee the case.

  RT review (Alison Graham, 3 April 2007)

  A spine-tingling closing scene will whet your appetite for next week's finale when, we're promised, all will be revealed.

• Episode 8/8

  CID must go under cover to catch a notorious cop killer. Gene's particularly focused on the case, as an arrest for his team would be one in the eye for rival Morgan. Meanwhile, Morgan tells Sam why he's really working with A Division, and asks him to complete one final job. But who can the shell-shocked Sam trust? And how will his colleagues react when they learn the truth about him?

  RT review (Alison Graham, 10 April 2007)

  All right, you can stop guessing. [The] last-ever episode of Life on Mars provides the solution to one of the most talked-about TV riddles ever - what on earth is 21st-century Sam Tyler doing in 1973?

  Of course, it will be hard to please everyone. But it's a neat solution, given that writer Matthew Graham has a lot of explaining to do and lots of ends to try to tie up. There is sadness and there are some poignant farewells - not to mention some terrific David Bowie tunes - as Sam makes one last attempt to get home. Wherever that may be…

Go to Series one