(written March 2012)
Awake is the kind of TV I wish I saw
more of. It takes a popular form of storytelling (police procedural)
and gives it a premise so bizarre, yet relatable, that it almost
becomes its own genre.
Awake takes place in the aftermath of
Det. Michael Britten’s fatal car accident. Afterwards he can’t
seem to remember who died in it. It was either his wife or his son;
one lives in reality the other in his dreams. So that begs the
question . . . which is the dream?
The procedural elements of the show
itself are also surprisingly novel. Each episode chronicles two cases
with two different partners, though they seem to have random elements
in common. In one reality a killer’s apartment number may be the
same as the other killer’s parking spot. It rewards those who pay
attention.
But while the show ticks off its
checklist of prime time TV necessities it finds the breathing room
to show a family drama that’s never really been done before, and if
it has, I doubt Jason Isaacs (Draco Malfoy’s dad) was there to
knock it out of the park. His content confusion coupled with
over medicated depression is the highlight of an already exemplary
piece of entertainment. He loves the idea he never has to let either
part of his family go forever, but he also has to watch them both
suffer without the other. It’s heartbreaking.
As it stands, it’s one of the best TV
pilots I’ve ever seen. Its complicated premise is effortlessly
explained ten minutes in and then segways gracefully into the story
as if it’s a show that’s been on for years. If it gets tangled up
in its own overarching mystery or becomes the very formula it’s
trying so hard to rewrite remains to be seen. I hope neither happens,
but that’s all really beside the point. This right here is some
mighty fine TV that’s well worth your valuable time and attention.
.
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