Awake

Ahhhhh...I finally found an oasis in the middle of mediocre television! The premise behind this series is novel and provocative. After surviving a tragic car accident involving both his wife and his son, a detective finds himself living in alternating, parallel existences with two distinct (and contradictory) realities. I had to resist the temptation to think up different ways he could "validate" one reality versus the other...but then realized that you could distort either or both enough to make the storyline plausible. Using two different psychiatrists in the framework that debate the existence of the other is brilliant. The intersection of these two realities (where it appears the events in one reality are "co-incidentally" related to the events in another, in some enigmatic way, adds to the mystery. This show is an intriguing mind-bender that I suspect will become quite addictive!

This was one of the quickest and most engrossing hours of TV I have viewed in awhile. Jason Isaacs, B.D. Wong, and Cherry Jones are amazing in this series. It is just a tad strange not to hear Mr. Isaac's natural English accent, but I can adjust as I did for Hugh Laurie as House. I am worried that this show might not find an audience and it will end up with the same fate as many other brilliant, intelligent series - canceled with hardly a chance. The juxtaposition between the two worlds in which the character finds himself is clearly written and intriguing. Which reality is the correct one for Britten? It is hard to decide but makes for good storytelling.

Finally we get to see the long awaited pilot of Awake. I loved Jason Isaacs in "The State Within" so I was looking forward to this show. As the tortured main character, Detective Michael Britten, Isaacs is up to the task to show the pain and joy that he experience when going between both worlds, one where his wife survived a crash and his son died and the other where the son survived and his wife died. I enjoyed the back and forth between the two therapists in both worlds, each seemingly trying to convince him that their world was the real one, and the way the criminal cases he investigated unfolded. I'm looking very forward to more of this show!

Only wakefulness and sleep. No dream. Or perhaps no reality? And who decides what is reality? An exciting new TV series, which began with an outstanding pilot. Crime, drama, mystery... wisely mixed ingredients that promise a splendid series. It will be hard to wait each week to see the sequel. And even more until mid-March, now. Unfortunately, as with many TV series with complicated plots, there is the risk of a sudden interruption. Let's hope not because it seems very promising. Amusing character played by B. D. Wong, as the counterpart played by Cherry Jones. Probably, "marble face" of Steve Harris fits for this part, or at least it seems appropriate to me. So far, however, only a good introduction: let's hope for a worthy continuation!

I must say, the premise is admittedly frustrating: A man in a terrible car crash with his wife and son finds that each time he goes to sleep, he wakes up with a completely different reality. In one, his wife survived the crash, while his son died and in the other, his son survived, but his wife did not. Though neither outcome seems dreamlike. He lives and works in each, accepting both as absolute fact. Add to this already complex premise his duties as police detective having to solve not one, but two crimes per episode and...whew...I'm exhausted. But also, highly entertained and captivated! Jason Issacs, who plays the lead in this dual reality is superb, as always and surrounded by an exceptional supporting cast. I hope NBC renews this show, I have a feeling it will be must see television.