IF you watch “Life on Mars” tonight, you’re in for a gen der- bending surprise.
Whoopi Goldberg is playing a man.
He, or she, is Brother Love Butter, a soulful underground New York radio personality, circa 1973.
“Fresh on all you cats – Brother Love Butter here and in your ear,” purrs the co-host of “The View,” when you first hear her voice in an episode dealing with deep hatred between the city’s black and Puerto Rican communities.
As a respected, militant voice in black New York (or so the show says), Brother Love Butter gets involved in the search for a Puerto Rican man accused of murdering a young African-American girl. Or, as Brother Butter refers to him, “Our amigo who’s not a Negro.”
As is usually the case for “Life on Mars” (airing tonight at 10 on ABC), the 1973 incident deepens the confusion for time-traveling cop Sam Tyler (Jason O’Mara), who encounters the young version of the NYPD detective who would later become his friend and mentor, Capt. Bellow (Clarke Peters).
Whether the plot deepens or lightens the confusion for you depends on how closely you’ve been paying attention through the first four episodes of this series, which has settled in at an average of about 8 million viewers per week.
It hasn’t always been easy following Det. Tyler’s story, as he bounces from 2008 to 1973 and back again, a time-trip he is apparently taking in his head.
Here’s hoping he eventually finds his way. Just don’t hold your breath waiting for that to happen tonight.