The Love Between Armed Bastards: Sam/Gene (Life on Mars [UK])

[loz]

Title: The Love Between Armed Bastards
Author: Loz/lozenger8
Fandom: Life on Mars [UK]
Pairing: Sam Tyler and Gene Hunt
Spoilers: The entire show.
Wordcount: 3200 words. Image heavy.



Introduction



Mad, in a coma, or back in time? Whatever’s happened, it’s like he’s landed on a different planet. Maybe if he could work out the reason, he could get home. But the question is; is home really where he thinks it is?

Sam Tyler is a DCI in 2006 Manchester. He’s having relationship troubles with his DI, Maya Roy. He’s become disillusioned with the job. He’s being hampered by bureaucracy and red tape. When Maya is kidnapped, Sam becomes so upset that he has to stop his car and take a breather --- and just when he’s ready to get on with her rescue, he’s run over.

He arrives in another time and place, wearing new clothes, confused beyond belief. 1973 --- a year in a decade when sexism, racism, classism and ableism aren’t merely institutional but a common discourse minute by minute.

He is suddenly DI Tyler, on transfer from ‘Hyde’, and his DCI is a neo-Neanderthal who likes to make his point by slamming him into filing cabinets, whacking him in the kidneys, pushing him up against walls. DCI Gene Hunt, an example of unreconstructed man that time reveals is more than a boor and a bully.

Sam’s surrounded by officers unlike those he could ever hope to meet before; DC Chris Skelton, DS Ray Carling, and a host of unnamed CID officers who look at him as if he’s mad. The only person Sam initially relates to is WPC Annie Cartwright, a woman beleaguered by sexism from every angle, a copper he can see has potential beyond her rank, someone he confides in, but who never believes him.

Sam is plagued by voices on the radio and television that seem to be from the future --- doctors conferring, his mother telling him to come home. He’s also plagued by an apparition of the girl from Test Card F, wearing a red dress and holding a clown doll. She tells him she’s his only friend, and for a little girl with blonde hair, she terrifies Sam (because she is creepy.)

He comes to say he believes he’s in a coma. It’s the logical solution to his time travel. He’s in a coma and this world is just a figment of his imagination. But there’s sand in Annie’s hand when she tells him to come off the roof he’s going to jump from --- why would he imagine that? --- and his senses are all alive. He can feel here, sometimes in ways he can’t feel in 2006. Sam very rarely acts like he believes he’s in a coma, and on the few occasions he does, it blows up in his face.

Sam eventually betrays Gene and his team to return to 2006, led to believe he has to do this because of a man named DCI Frank Morgan, but when he’s there, he’s as far from happy as you can get. When the series comes to an end, Sam chooses to go back to 1973 by jumping off the roof of his 2006 station. There’s a fair amount of debate in fandom as to whether there’s enough evidence in the show for this to indicate a literal time-jump or his committing suicide. Many fans prefer to think of 1973 as being just as real as 2006 in Sam’s world, because there are so many details and the characters are so vivid.

Sam Tyler

Fish out of water, brought up in bureaucracy, likes to use buzz words, can possibly speak French. He’s climbed to the rank of DCI in 2006 Manchester, was surprised and delighted when his superior officer Glen Fletcher told him about his promotion. It’s important here that Sam wasn’t fast-tracked. He didn’t go to University. He took a gap year where he worked in a DIY store, and went straight into the Academy. He’s worked extraordinarily hard doing the grunt-work before getting to his position, and he’s still done so at a relatively young age. When he’s demoted to DI in 1973, there’s an odd mixture of annoyance and relief in his reaction. He never seems too put out. This could either be because he has wider concerns, or because part of him is quite happy taking a bit of a backseat.

To an extent, Sam has forgotten and deliberately neglects the very skills that make him such a good cop. His natural reaction isn’t to use his instinct, he says there’s no place for hunches. A large part of him has forgotten the human angle of crime. He wants to be able to consider himself whiter than white as a cop --- corruption disgusts him.

Sam both relies upon bureaucracy and abhors it. He's been taught to see the machine as the right way to go, but when it comes down to it, he clearly prefers simpler methods for fighting crime. He's an active person and at heart he would prefer to be out on the street than writing paperwork.

His whole life revolves around his job, in 2006 because that’s just the way he is, in 1973 because it’s also a survival mechanism. There’s a monotone, grey layer to Sam that slowly gets stripped away as the series progresses and we grow to see a man that’s passionate and empathetic. Who has a dry sense of humour and wit. There’s darkness there too; a suggestion he secretly enjoys Gene’s violence against criminals, that he will sell out one world to gain another.

Gene Hunt


It isn’t specified how long Gene’s been DCI. We are shown that Superintendent Rathbone would like nothing more than to get enough evidence and motive to get him off his force. Gene has also worked hard to get to his position --- in this, he and Sam share a commonality. Gene’s seen as legendary by his colleagues, and it’s something that he both uses to his full advantage and sees as a problem. No one questions him and they think they can follow in his footsteps, but they don’t know where the line is.

He’s crude, rude, sexist, ableist, racist, even a little classist. You do get the real sense Gene isn’t any of these things through ignorance, however. There is a self-knowing streak to his bigotry. In some ways, this makes this aspect of his character worse, because to an extent, he says the things he does to play a part. He’s more words than actions in this regard; isn’t afraid to override these elements of his belief structure if he thinks it will benefit his team; so he allows WPC Cartwright onto his team in the second series, despite misgivings she’s a woman, because he recognises she’s a damn fine cop.

Gene hits suspects, he shouts, he intimidates. He doesn’t give a fig about red tape and paperwork. He will cut corners if it secures a quick conviction and he trusts in his instincts more than in due processes. He’s been on the take to varying degrees, (with a strong suggestion being because that’s what’s done, not because he wants to --- it doesn’t take much of a shove to get him to stop and it’s fairly obvious he hates that part of himself.) He does his job because he loves his city.

Gene’s married, but we never see his wife, nor is she given a name. She’s simply The Missus. He had a brother who got into drugs and never came out. He supports Manchester City and thinks Manchester United and their supporters are tossbags. He plays darts, is a borderline alcoholic (with a little handwave on the ‘borderline’), and isn’t the world’s fittest individual. He’s smarter than you want to give him credit for --- knows his Frankenstein from his fandango.

Sam/Gene
(AKA: the great soft, sissy, girly, nancy, French, bender, Man United supporting poof & the overweight, over the hill, nicotine-stained, borderline alcoholic homophobe with a superiority complex and an unhealthy obsession with male bonding.)



There’s a very physical element to their relationship --- punches, pulling, slamming into walls. The violence is a two-way street. Sam’s not afraid to give as good as he gets. It doesn’t take a giant leap of imagination to see these fights turning into a different kind of physical, especially given the looks these two cast each other’s way a lot of the time. They fight quite often; on matters of method, world-view, because Sam wants Gene to stay out of Camberwick Green. They’re very hands on, as buddy cops go.



But they are buddy cops. These two men, who are so very different in so many ways, complement each other well. Gene sees beyond Sam’s slightly pompous nature to recognise a man capable of great policing. Sam sees beyond Gene’s archaic methods to recognise a man capable of great policing. They pull each other into check. Gene gets Sam to use his instinct, Sam gets Gene to use procedure. Gene is intrigued by Sam's new, progressive methods even as he insults them. Sam learns to see the value in using tried and trued techniques.


SAM
Look. Look, you know when I said I wasn't wrong. Well, I was. But... I was right about this not being the IRA. I was right to follow my instincts. Just like you said, go with your gut feeling. Just taking your lead.

GENE
So I'm right.

SAM
... we both are.

GENE
Right.

SAM
Right.

GENE
Just as long as I'm more right than you. (2.03)

They grow to understand each other in ways no one else understands them. They trust each other despite all odds. Even though Sam seems insane, and Gene’s a dangerous man. Those things don’t matter to them and they both know this.

SAM
Why should I believe you?

GENE
Because you trust me, like I trust you! (2.07)

Gene tells Sam things he would never, ever tell anyone before Sam turns up, such as one of his first experiences with corruption on the force. As a nineteen year old flatfoot, he was teamed with Harry Althwaite. Gene discovered Harry was taking money from a gangster to look the other way, so he told their superiors.

GENE
Harry couldn't handle it. Ended up hanging himself with his own belt. Month later, I took my first backhander.

SAM
How did that make you feel?

GENE
Like shit.

SAM
How does it make you feel now?

GENE
You know, I try not to think about it. Do the best that I can. Try and look after my men and the people in my city.

SAM
But when you do think about it? How does it make you feel?

GENE
Like there's an animal eating away at my insides.

SAM
Fancy doing something about it?

GENE
I thought you'd never ask. (1.04)

He recognises that Sam wouldn’t judge him as weak for this. He knows that Sam would understand that he's not proud of taking backhanders, that actually, he isn't a cop for the glory, power or extra cash --- he does it because he believes in it, in making a difference. Later on the series, Gene tells Sam he stopped taking backhanders 'months ago'; which suggests that this conversation with Sam, this entire situation, is what made him stop. Gene changed his practices, because of Sam.

Because he knows Sam would understand, Gene tells Sam about his brother Stuart.

SAM
Have you got any shred of humanity left? Because, innocent or guilty, no one deserves to have their face rubbed in their own brother's death.

GENE
I had a brother. Some bastard got him hooked on speed. I tried to knock sense into him, tried everything. Haven't seen him in ten years, no one has. You can't change someone. It's just like with Chris, you put the effort in and what do you get? Same stupid grin, stupid addict. Didn't wanna be helped.

SAM
You know, addiction's usually a sign of something else missing from your life.

GENE
Yeah, but me and him were brought up exactly the same. I'm not addicted.

He drinks from his hipflask. SAM raises his eyebrows.

GENE
I mean, you know, the old man could be a bit loose with his fists when he'd had a jar or two, by the time I was thirteen, me and Stu stuck together, we could take him.

SAM
So a happy childhood, then.

GENE
Ah, I dunno when it all went wrong. Drugs, eh? What's the point? They make you forget, they make you talk funny, make you see things that aren't there, my gran got all that for free when she had a stroke.

SAM looks at him. GENE drinks again. SAM puts a hand on his shoulder.

SAM
It's tough, losing someone.

GENE
Yeah, it was a long time ago.

He looks at SAM's hand.

GENE
No need to come over all Dorothy. (2.06)


And Sam, whilst he doesn’t tell Gene about being from 2006, trusts Gene in doing the right thing. When there’s a question that Gene may have killed a man, this is what he says;

SAM
You know, without trust, we've got nothing. Who am I supposed to believe in now? (2.07)

Sam’s genuinely confused about who he’s supposed to believe in. It never once occurs to him to believe in Rathbone. Or any of the other members of CID. Not even Annie, whom he’s talking to when he says this.

My favourite scene of the show is from the second episode of the second series. Gene has discovered his mentor Harry Woolf turned to a life of crime, fooling him and betraying him in equal measure. Sam is there for Gene through it all, is the one to show Gene the truth. He doesn’t rub it in his face, or judge him. He sits and he listens, understanding, but doesn’t push Gene into talking about it. When Gene would prefer to talk about Sam’s earlier suggestion of 'staff appraisals', Sam goes along with it.

SAM
Do you want my appraisal of you?

GENE
No.

SAM
It's your round then.

GENE
Thank you. (2.02)

Mere words don’t actually render this scene in its true glory. It is a case of pitch perfect delivery and framing. It’s amazing. The things not said are so loud. They scream off the screen. That single ‘thank you’ is more, means more, than ten thousand other words or phrases between these characters.



They banter, give and take. They mirror each other’s body language a great deal, occasionally slip into each other’s sayings. Gene calls Sam an array of nicknames, including girls’ names. Sam calls Gene an ‘over the hill, nicotine-stained, borderline alcoholic homophobe with a superiority complex and an unhealthy obsession with male bonding’ --- with amusement in his voice, because, despite their differences, Sam clearly grows to respect and admire Gene.

Sam and Gene are my One True Pairing. I love the trust and understanding that they share. I love the conflict between them. I ship them as friends first, lovers second. And I have some difficulties with this, because there’s plenty of evidence Gene’s not actually real in relation to Sam, they are in 1973 --- a time beset by rampant homophobia, and their similarly domineering personalities do get in the way. But it doesn’t stop me, because --- because the closeness and the distance between them speaks to me. They influence each other in good and bad ways and I love that. I believe very strongly that Life on Mars shows us Sam and Gene falling in love with each other, even though I'll often frame it as platonic as opposed to sexual. You see them move from distrusting and wary, not wanting to spend even an evening playing darts together, to trusting and understanding, spending late nights at The Railway Arms drinking by themselves.

I don’t think either of these characters is the same without the other. It’s their interaction together that gives me a full picture of what each man is capable of. Without Sam, Gene would appear to be nothing but that surface level of boor and bully. Without Gene, Sam would appear to be a bland, bureaucratic automaton. They treat each other as equals; Gene refers to CID as ‘our team’, Sam asks Gene to let him ‘show him how clever he is.’ I think they see in each other aspects they’ve long buried and wish they still embodied --- and even if these aspects are, perhaps, personality quirks they needfully should no longer represent, this common understanding creates a bond between them.

Sam listens to Gene, but he rarely shares anything. And Gene seems to accept that, doesn’t press the point – Gene’s not about questions, he’s about answers. He doesn’t need Sam’s words, because he has his actions. Sam saves his life, he shows obvious worry when Gene is almost shot, he protects Gene from his own team when they suspect him of murder.

The friction between Sam and Gene is what spurs them on. The fight, the push and punch, is what motivates each man to be the best they think they can be. The sad truth is, sometimes, they have entirely the wrong idea about themselves and need to pull each other into line.

I think they work together well because there are so many facets to their relationship. There’s comedy and conflict, words and actions. I can see a relationship that’s all bite and no bark, intense and raw, punches turning into kisses. Or I can just as easily see a relationship that’s based on camaraderie and comfort. I can also see a relationship that’s a mixture of these --- mostly because it’s almost entirely what we get in the show.

The reason to ship these two, for me, is that it isn’t easy between them. There are obstacles, and some of them seem insurmountable. But worthwhile things shouldn’t be easy.


How I came to be involved in the Fandom
I started watching Life on Mars about three weeks after it began airing in Britain, and I’ve been involved in the fandom since then. I fell in love with Sam/Gene pretty much straight away. It was Sam's expression when Gene punched him and he was kneeling on the steps of the station in episode one of the series that started it. Gene was looming behind and growling in his ear, and, sure, it was meant to be a look of pain on Sam’s face, but it struck me as intensely sexual too.



Next, it was the grin at the end of the second episode of that first series, when Sam's head was leaning against the pipe behind him. He was breathing heavily and looking somewhat lovingly at Gene because he had just saved his life --- which ended in Gene grinning back at him. My heart sort of exploded with joy at them.



And then, after that, there was the infamous poker scene, where even Claire Parker, the show producer, mentioned in a commentary a heated, smouldering look that suggested more than merely acceptance.



It was seeing this relationship develop before my eyes, in a gradual and natural progression, between two characters that were played by two actors I find very, very attractive in unconventional ways.

I loved, and continue to love, almost everything about the show --- from the way it was shot, to the brilliant dialogue, to the dynamics between all of the characters, to the subtleties and nuances --- but the Sam/Gene relationship is what got me to this point of heart-shaped-eye obsession.



The Fandom
The main port of call on Livejournal is lifein1973, which is sort of the central hub of all things Life on Mars. Fiction, vids, picture essays, recommendations, the annual ficathon, discussion; they all have a place on the comm.

There is also The Railway Arms, which is a joint Life on Mars/Ashes to Ashes forum.

gentlydoesit is a vidding community for both Life on Mars & Ashes to Ashes.

lifeonicons is for icons.

lom_workshop is a great place for fact-checking.

At the moment, we're also a permanent monthly fandom on crack_van. The overview is here and our tag here. mikes_grrl is a rockstar who has created a del.icio.us account, to keep track of recs.

We've had a series of recommendations weeks in different themes and genres here and here, in which Sam/Gene is proudly amongst the other slash, het and gen.

There is also severa's amazing Slasher's Guide to the series.

Finally, I leave you with this magazine cover from the second series. I'm not sure I actually had to write this manifesto. I could have won you over with this as to why shipping these two is easy.

Comments

[von-questenberg.livejournal.com]

♥ Never watched this show, but looks amazing; I'll definitely watch it if I ever get the chance. How is it that John Simm's two best-known rolls (ie Sam and the Master) are so incredibly slashable?

[loz]

It is amazing.

John Simm can generate chemistry with a cat, honestly. He's a fantastic actor.

[blueskypenguin.livejournal.com]

Oh, I haven't watched any LoM for such a long time. You've reminded me why I really should.

I completely agree with every one of your assessments.

I ♥ John Simm.

[loz]

I hadn't either, actually. I strongly suspect I'm going to do another series run through after gleeing over the scenes I was capping.

[superinsane95.livejournal.com]

This is awesome. I've only seen a few episodes of Life on Mars but this makes me want to watch it more.

[loz]

Dude, watch more. You shall not regret it.

[gaffsie.livejournal.com]

Excellent manifesto. You really captured what makes these guys so fun to slash.

[loz]

Thank you! :D It took a lot of self-will not to just post picture upon picture of them looking at each other with big pink hearts around them.

[bluerosefairy.livejournal.com]

Fantastic work. Reminds me that I really need to watch S2 again, it's been a while.

[loz]

Thanks. And I second that motion.

[zonko-rose.livejournal.com]

words cannot describe how happy this essay made me :-)
LOM is one of my favourite shows and the best thing about in is the relationships between the characters imo, especially Sam and Gene.

Fab essay :-D

[loz]

Thanks!

LoM is one of my very favourites too. It's just so good.

[draycevixen.livejournal.com]

Very nicely done, Petal. ♥ *tips hat*

[loz]

Thanks!

I love them so.

[dorcas-gustine.livejournal.com]

♥

[loz]

♥ ♥ ♥

[talkingtothesky]

Thanks for putting this together Loz. ♥

I've just finished rewatching both LoM and A2A over the past few weeks and I've fallen in love with this ship all over again. OTP forever! :D

(And I choose to believe Sam took Mobile with him when he jumped, so they can be together too, whenever Gene's a bit busy. XD)

[loz]

I am planning on rewatching LoM. It's actually been... two years since I watched an entire episode that's not 2.02.

HAHAHAHHA! ♥ You just won 900 internets.

[pontisbright.livejournal.com]

Grand stuff, eloquent and intelligent: thank you so much. I feel all misty-eyed now. Time for a rewatch!

[loz]

Thanks :D

Oh man, there have been times I've been so, so joyous about these characters being awesome.

[britfan1013.livejournal.com]

<3 XD

[loz]

♥!

[samueljames]

Makes me want to watch it all over again. Their banter is great. Although I don't have a Life On Mars OTP the tag team punch is probably my favourite moment. I did like Gene opening up to Sam about the corruption and the hospital fight screenshots were great.

[loz]

Their banter is banter I aspire to.

I also enjoy that moment greatly.

[jantalaimon.livejournal.com]

I really adored this. Thanks for writing it. You stated everything so elegantly. ♥

[loz]

Thank you! I enjoyed writing this post. There's nothing new there, it's all stuff I've said before. But it was fun putting it in order and finding awesome screenshots.

[wraithlike.livejournal.com]

Awwwwwwwwwww. ♥

I'm rewatching it at the moment. It'd been about two years, I think, since I last saw an entire episode, and now I cannot remember why, because how can I not want to watch this all the time? I'm itching to start series two right this very second, but the reason I started rewatching it is because my boyfriend'd never seen it(!), so I have to wait until we can watch together. Or, I could just watch it on my own and then again with him. Hmmm... xD

Either way, if I weren't already completely sold on Sam/Gene, I probably would be after this post! Good job. =)

[loz]

♥ HEE!

Rewatching for capping was like --- why do I not watch this show ALL THE TIME? :D

Thank you!

[rei17.livejournal.com]

Heh heh - that was perfect. ;)
They have an awesome chemistry and are both great actors.

[rei17.livejournal.com]

PS: Now I feel like rewatching a third time in just as many weeks. I'm SO OBSESSED IT'S NOT EVEN FUNNY ANYMORE.
*coughs* Sorry.

[acidpenguin46.livejournal.com]

You know, I was half-contemplating re-watching the series, but this manifest has convinced me that a re-watch needs to happen.

You have beautifully stated all of the reasons why Sam and Gene will always be my OTP. *sigh* I love them so much.

[loz]

Oh yeah, rewatch!

♥ Thanks so much!

[saintvic.livejournal.com]

Just brilliant, you'd convince even the most ardent anti-slash fan out there with this.

[loz]

Thanks :D

[dragonlit.livejournal.com]

This definitely sums up why I love this show and these two characters so much. A rewatch does seem to be in order. Great summary of the show and love the choice of pics.

[loz]

Thank you! :D

[loobeeinthesky.livejournal.com]

Awww I LOVED this, it summed up everything I love about Sam and Gene's relationship and uber chemistry. May be 4 years down the line but I still love this show so much. Thanks so much for writing this ♥

I've worn my poor DVD's out already but I think this requires a re-watch :D

[loz]

Thanks :)

It's been a while since I have rewatched properly. I am planning on doing it soon.

[beren-sama.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for writing this! Even if, yes, that last pic probably would've done the job.

I always feel slightly insane for shipping them, but thanks to you for convincing me that it really is glaringly obvious. <3

Much love for this!

[loz]

I used to feel the same. Of all of the couples I could have shipped, this is the only one I've been really 'OTP!' about. And it used to confuse and perplex me. But now I just enjoy it ;)

[talkingtothesky]

the infamous poker scene, where even Claire Parker, the show producer, mentioned in a commentary a heated, smouldering look that suggested more than merely acceptance.

Hehe. I'm glad I'm not the only one who sits and listens to the commentaries. :P But what does she actually say? I can hear 'there's a kind of warmth between him and Gene here' and then she mumbles something which she and the director laugh at...but I can't hear the words.

*is hopelessly obsessed*

[loz]

I love commentaries. I was sad S2 didn't have any.

Claire: "There’s just a kind of warmth between him and Gene. Or maybe a bit more than just warmth."

Which equals ME DYING OF SLASHTASTIC GIGGLINESS. I firmly believe Claire shipped Sam/Gene.

Thanks for the comment :D

[vforvegan.livejournal.com]

This...this is...

A well written Sam/Gene ship manifesto? With delightfully slashy screencaps?
Were it possible to hug web pages (and their owners) THAT WOULD BE WHAT I AM DOING RIGHT NOW INSTEAD OF TYPING AND ABUSING CAPS LOCK.

[loz]

Thank you :D ♥

[bowie-glam.livejournal.com]

absolutley fantastic.
in every single way.
simple as that :)

[loz]

Thanks :)

[denorios.livejournal.com]

I love LoM so so much. Every so often I go back and watch the whole thing over again and it's just perfect. I honestly think it's one of the very best TV shows out there - it's just short enough and compact enough to be absolutely perfect.

And Sam and Gene. Oh. One of the reasons I can't watch A2A is not because there's no Sam, although that's bad enough, but because there's no Sam and Gene. One without the other just doesn't work.

[loz]

Thank you :D

I love Life on Mars an unhealthy amount, and Sam and Gene? Yes. In every way, yes.

[sunnyrea.livejournal.com]

*claps* Well said, very well said!

[loz]

Thanks :D