Awake - Small Screen Review

Awake - Small Screen Review

I have to say off the bat that Awake might end up being a hit. Just on the basic premise of the show and if they keep doing what they are doing throughout the season. The show is about Detective Britten (Jason Isaacs) after a car accident with his wife (Hannah - Laura Allen) and son (Rex - Dylan Minnette). Now here is the twist. The show takes place in two “realities” one where Britten’s wife Hannah lived and his son died. And the other where Rex, his son, lives and his wife died. It is differentiated by a red rubber band (wife) on Britten’s wrist or a green rubber band (son). Also the realties have a different color scheme to them. Where the red/wife reality has warm/light colors where in the green/son reality is cooler/blue colors. I really liked how they handled the differences with colors.


Some cast are also different in each reality. Red Reality has Britten’s wife, Detective Efrem Vega (Wilmer Valderrama) as Britten’s partner, and the main difference Dr Lee (BD Wong) Britten’s therapist. Who is actually quite aggressive with Britten and his confession about “living” in two realities. Where as in the Green Reality Rex is alive, Dect. Isaiah “Bird” Freeman (Steve Harris) is his partner, and Dr. Judith Evans (Cherry Jones) is the therapist who is quite nice and helpful and somewhat encourages Britten to live out both realities. Also Emma (Daniela Bodadilla) is Rex’s girlfriend and Tara (Michaela McManus) is Rex’s tennis coach and Michael Britten’s love interest. While Cole (Logan Miller) is Rex’s friend in both realities and Tricia Harper (Laura Innes) is the secretive captain in both.


What is also cool about the show is that it is still a crime drama. Britten and his partners are still fighting and solving crime. And bouncing between realities is actually assisting in his work. Sometimes finding or getting information in one reality that helps him solve the problem in the other reality.

Another thing is that I really like the way they are handling the Green Reality with Michael and his son Rex. It is not the over used angst ridden teen/parent problems. It is a nice father son trying to come to terms with their mom/wife dying. Britten trying to cook for them and being there for Rex with Tennis. I really like the second episode where we saw that Britten learns how to wash close properly by using fabric softener in the laundry for Rex and eventually learning that Rex was fixing a motorcycle with Cole instead of the beach. Really touching.


Episode One/Pilot

After a car accident, Detective Michael Britten experiences two dueling realities, one where his wife was killed and another in which his son's life was claimed. He handles a case involving a kidnapped girl in one reality while he handles a murder in another.

Episode Two - “The Little Guy”

A witness in the murder of a homeless man tells Britten and his rookie partner, Vega that a "small guy" was spotted at the scene of the crime. When that clue crosses over into the case Britten is working on in his other reality, Bird is confused by his partner's sudden interest in the height of the suspects they are investigating. Meanwhile, Britten's captain (Laura Innes) shows growing concern over his behavior.