Ashes To Ashes: I have a theory...

[grainweevil]

 Well I may have about two thousand things I didn't like about episode one of series three, but it's certainly kicked the theorising into gear. So here's one to be going on with, based on what we've seen on screen so far and the general press and interweb interviews. I'm spoiler-free as far as episode two and beyond are concerned.

From the outset, I should state I don't subscribe to the SuperTheory. In fact I think the manner of Alex's shooting and the existence of Molly are largely unimportant. This is solely a big Picture theory, and as we keep being told, it's all about Gene.

• As a young PC, Gene was shot.

• Being an obstinate bastard, er, possessing a strong will/spirit/soul/life force, call it what you will, he didn't accept that and somehow created a world where he goes on living the life he would have otherwise had. Only he doesn't know that's what he's done. He's basically in long-term denial about being a little bit dead.

• But the Genieverse can't exist just on the Imaginary Constructs in Gene's head, so somehow or other, he manages to attract, summon, or otherwise "imprison" other similarly Obstinate Lives who don't want to be dead, or are in denial about being dead, into his world. In order to feed their experiences and knowledge of the real world into the Genieverse and keep it going. Thus taking it into a future Gene otherwise wouldn't know (with all the attendant flaws in historical accuracy that relying on memory tend to bring...), but also on the flip side of the coin their experiences are effected by the Genieverse (so Alex's memory is changed to it being Gene taking her hand instead of Evan, Annie is the woman in the red dress, etc)

• However, there's two flies (that we know of) in the ointment. Sam and Alex both know what their situations are. Perhaps they're even more Obstinate Lives; they're not only fighting death all along the line, but have a much greater keenness to get home than the others. 

• While Gene is still in denial, the Genieverse will continue, drawing in more Obstinate Lives (some of whom might otherwise have recovered, like Sam). While Gene exists, so does the Genieverse, and vice versa. (See "This place defines you" and the general feeling throughout that the police, his kingdom, is everything to Gene. Also trinityofone 's  Nature Boy might be instructive.)

• Keats is there to close down that world and hand Gene a towel as he steps out of De Nile. At which point his body is miraculously able to be discovered. Except it already has been, because the end of the Genieverse is already in motion and who says time has to be linear anyway?

• Why Keats now? How about, the longer there's someone in the Genieverse fighting to leave it, the greater the opportunity for the Auditors Powers That Be, whoever they may be, to gain access and finally shut down this little anomaly that Gene's unwittingly created. So Alex has effectively given Keats the way in. And perhaps Sam (never able to quite forget the truth) also weakened the Genieverse's defences. Maybe Gene knew that, without knowing that, and did have something to do with Sam's death, simply to protect his world. But doesn't know that's what he did, or why.

• But because not all the Obstinate Lives want to go home, they're living an existence they wouldn't otherwise have, Gene trapping them in his world is not a cut and dried Bad Thing. And destroying it destroys them all.

• And all this is on a loop, so it's no good waiting for Gene to die of cirrhosis of the liver, because it'll all just start again. Possibly claiming the same Obstinate Lives, leaving Sam to endlessly jump off that roof and Alex to get shot in the head over and over until Gene faces the truth and ends it.

• The Ghostly Copper is Gene's subconscious is paddling about in the shallows of De Nile, owing to the weakening of the Genieverse by the presence of Alex and Keats, and realising the truth. And he wants to end it, but see the point above: the existence of the world depends on Gene continuing in it. And what about all those Obstinate Lives he's dragged in who now have an existence here? He has a responsibility to them.

• Alex will be faced with the choice of making Gene face the truth and destroying him and the world she's grown to love - or never ever getting home and knowing she's consigning herself and others to have this happen to them over and over again.

• Eventually Alex and/or Keats will convince Gene to admit the truth, but he will insist Keats arrange for the Geneiverse to carry on in the hands of Gene's Mini Me (Ray Carling). With Ray in charge it'll all fall apart at the seams draw to a natural end anyway, and no new Obstinate Lives will be drawn in.

• Gene and Alex will share a night of passion before he pops his clogs.

• There'll be a call to an armed blag and Gene will have the left side of his face blown away and die. While Alex will be shot in the head, waking up in 2008 to the news that the body has been identified as Police Constable Gene Hunt, previously believed to have been a bent copper who legged it ("Gene Hunt doesn't run"). Evidence now shows he was murdered having stumbled over high-level corruption in the force. (See Gene's emphasis on "cop killers" and the whole corruption thread through all the series). Gene's name cleared, Alex with Molly, and a nice grave to visit and say howdy to the Genie. The End.

Not a particularly happy ending as far as many of us are concerned, but it is bittersweet, and off-hand nothing's leapt to mind that blows it totally apart. But the comments are open, so have at it.

However sad that ending it though, it would at least be a proper story. As well as a theory, I also have a fear...