In my review of last week’s series premiere episode of Awake, I made a point of mentioning that I was just fine with the show not getting into supernatural territory when it came to explaining Michael’s situation. While it’s not a supernatural aspect to the show, this week we learn very early on in the series that there’s something more to the Britten-family car accident, and people very close to Michael are involved.
Some commenters noted that they were put off by the procedural element to the series. Normally I’d be right there with them, as I’m really not a fan of police procedurals at all. Maybe I’m far too removed from watching the Criminal Minds-like shows of today to judge, but I’m not getting the feeling that this show follows the same sort of ho-hum crimes as the others. The fact that Michael can carry clues and evidence — in his mind — from one reality to another makes for an interesting change, for sure. What will likely get old quick, however, is his partner (played excellently by That ’70s Show‘s Wilmer Valderrama, by the way) and others constantly raising their eyebrows at all of his strange “hunches” that lead him right to the killers. What’s next, changing his role to the department’s on-site psychic?
Now that we know that the chief (or whoever Laura Innes’s character was supposed to be) is behind the accident in some way — at least in the “warm” reality (his wife being alive), will we see that the same sort of scheming is going on in the “cold” reality? Maybe one side has a different motive than the other?
I’m not at all trusting the shrinks Michael has to meet, though those scenes have some of the best dialog. What’s definitely odd, though, when you think of it: why does Michael have two different partners, two different shrinks, yet the rest is the same? Is he really assigned to a different kind of psychiatrist based on who he lost? This may wind up being the central “clue” to which one of these worlds is the real one … if there is one that’s real.
I’m still attached to this show, though wife Deb thinks it’s not long for this world. What do you think so far?
Clacked by Keith McDuffee 
on Mar 08, 2012 @ 22:00 EST5EDT
What a crazy twist at the end! Especially when Harper said, “… instead of taking out his WHOLE family.”
So what the heck is really happening? Is he dreaming all the family scenes? But, then what about the two cases and two shrinks?
Maybe he’s in a coma and he’s dreaming both realities, which means his wife and son both died and he was the only survivor.
*POST AUTHOR*
Or … they are both alive!
Actually, I need to go back and check for sure again, but is it possible they meant to kill the wife or son and not Michael, when they mentioned what Carla says above?
It did seem weird that she said “whole family”, but I’m just chalking that up as an exaggeration for now. I’m still with the show. They’re letting the son and the mother grow as characters, instead of both just being “ghosts”. I was also wondering how long Steve Harris can play the “are you going to tell me how you know these things?” game. I can see the younger guy putting up with it, but not his peer. I did like the twist at the end that the clues that don’t fit either of the crimes he’s investigating are pieces of his memory from the accident.
And how incredible is this show’s casting? First Isaacs, who’s really good, and then Steve Harris, and Cherry Jones & B.D. Wong as the therapists. The two unknowns playing the wife and son are both showing some depth. And then there’s Laura Innes!
I’m looking forward to more. Sorry to see they’re going to the “kidnap his son” well so soon. I hope they avoid the “put his wife in danger” cliche at least through the season. And I hope the cases become an afterthought. They still bore me. I’ve seen enough crime and investigations on TV for a lifetime. No wonder people have a distorted view of how much crime there is in this country. It’s part of nearly every show on TV–impossible to avoid.
the wife and son aren’t unknowns unless you only watch broadcast television. The wife was on “Dirt” for its two seasons (the supporting cast from that show is all over tv right now, especially for a show that never really caught on). And the son was the nephew on “Saving Grace” for all of its three seasons. he has also had bit parts on quite a few shows the last few years. No, they aren’t name above the title actors, but they are solid character actors who have solid bodies of work.
AWAKE is the story of a man who is in an accident. His wife and son both die and he slips into a coma. Being a detective he tries to figure out how the accident happened…how he didn’t prepare himself for the situation…how he let his family down. He splits his time in this unconscious state between his wife and son, not wanting to admit that either are gone until he can solve this final case. Ultimately when he is able to solve the case and explain how such a horrible thing could happen to him and his family he is at ease and yet left feeling as if there must be more. Simply knowing the truth is not enough. He accepts the situation for what it is and passes away. At this time he is reunited with his family in the after life. The end.