Review of Awake

Two equally plausible outcomes to one tragic incident and yet, Detective Mike Britten cannot decipher which one is reality and which is a dream. Or could it be that in both worlds he is awake? The tag for this new drama on NBC caught me almost immediately. People like hooks and I’m no different. When I saw this gruff, middle-aged detective trying to resolve the loss of his loved-ones in a psychiatrists office, I thought, “So what?” I’ve already involved my time in other cop-dramas, I certainly don’t need another. “I can assure you,” one doctor said, “That this is not a dream.” Detective Britten replies, “Yeah, that’s exactly what the other shrink said.” GOT ME!

Awake is one of those original concepts I was yearning for not too long ago. Sure, Alcatraz and Person of Interest are also interesting narratives, but they rely too heavily on the action-packed, sitcop (if you will) instead of focusing on the wonderful uniqueness of the plot. If Awake fails anywhere, it’s the decision to drive the background through the perspective of a policeman. It’s overdone. It just is. It can work, and it does for Detective Britten, but I wish they had ventured into less familiar waters.

Enough complaints. I have to give Awake some well-deserved praise. I’m a high concept lover, so anything that makes me scratch my head or talk to friends, family, coworkers or other critical nuts like me to uncover theories is worthy of praise in my book. If I leave the episode saying, “What just happened?” That’s even better! The parallel storytelling in Awake nearly makes me drool with envy at the neat interweaving of criminal subplots and how the crimes are stark opposites in context and eventually resolution yet hold the episode together with a basic theme.

Moreover, the touching growth Detective Britten makes with his family in either world is showcased as he progresses with his wife on one term and carries the sentiment over when he wakes up with his son. Although the ability to live each possible outcome of the crash that took one family member away does emotionally set Detective Britten back (as he cannot come to closure over which person died), he doesn’t take any moment for granted having been allowed a second chance at appreciating his family. Something everyone should take to heart.

Honestly, the first twenty minutes of the premiere were excellent at hooking the viewer. The subsequent episodes, meh, not so much. What grabs my attention is the deeper questions, not the well plotted inquiries of the shrinks, or the crimes at hand, but the how and why of the incident at the epicenter of this drama. He can’t possibly be living in two separate planes of existence, can he? I suppose so, but how and why? A brief mention of the inner workings of his troubles is hinted at when his boss admits to the viewer that the crash was a set up. And so begin the conspiracy theories and my obsession to find out where he really is awake.

For those of you that don’t know, Detective Britten is played by Jason Isaacs (aka….Mr. Malfoy) and he does an impeccable American accent that really absorbs him in the character. Furthermore, I am most pleased with the character names: Mike, Rex, Hannah. Yay for originality! Give Awake a shot and I’m sure you’ll be dreaming about it all night.