Genre: Fantasy | Procedural | Drama

Air Date/Time: March 8 at 10/9c

Network: NBC

Created by: Kyle Killen

Director: Jeffrey Reiner

Writer: Kyle Killen

Summary:

When Detective Michael Britten (Jason Isaacs, Brotherhood and Harry Potter) regains consciousness following his family’s car accident, he is told that his wife Hannah (Laura Allen, Terriers) perished, but that his teen son, Rex (Dylan Minnette, Lost), has survived. As he tries to put the pieces of his life back together he awakens again in a world in which his wife is very much alive, but his son Rex died in the accident. In order to keep both of his loved ones alive he begins living two dueling realities. Trying to regain some normalcy Michael turns to his work solving crimes in both worlds with the help of two different partners, Detective Isaiah “Bird” Freeman (Steve Harris, The Practice) and Detective Efrem Vega (Wilmer Valderrama, That 70’s Show). He begins to solve impossible cases by using his dueling realities to gain unique perspectives and link clues that cross over from world to world. Helping Michael to navigate his new existence are his bureau assigned therapists Dr. Evans (Emmy Award winner Cherry Jones, 24) and Dr. Lee (BD Wong, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit).

I love a show that presumes its viewers are intelligent. I don’t mean that you have to be extremely smart to watch this show, although watching this show is an extremely smart thing to do… I mean that there is a level of complexity of emotion that presumes that its viewers can handle more than “happy,” “sad,” and “mad.” It also presumes that its viewers will enjoy watching a procedural that is also a family drama that is also a sci-fi dual realities series, and that each of the three elements can be developed fully without worrying that the viewers will whine that “this is too hard.” It is not too hard, it is not too smart; it is wonderful. The survivor/psychiatrist/investigation triumvirate is woven together beautifully.

Once again I feel I need to point out that this series can be complex if you want it to be. If you enjoy puzzles and are a note-taking sort of person, you can do that with this show. If that sounds like too much work, please believe me when I tell you that you can absolutely, fully follow and enjoy this show by simply watching. Just watch it. And tell your friends who are new to the show that the opening minute before the title is an excellent snapshot of what they need to know.

Having said that, here are some fun little tidbits, sort of a middle ground between “just watching” and “fully analyzing,” that I can now point out to you, since you’ve seen the first episode, and I’ve seen the second episode so I can confirm it. We have been given a fairly straightforward way to keep the two sides straight if we want to, both through the people Michael interacts with, and the actual look of the show. When Michael is with his son Rex (a young man), he has the older partner and a female doctor; it’s a kind of balance of gender and age. When Michael is with his wife Hannah, he has the young partner and a male doctor.

But the color clues are even more prevalent. When on Rex’s “side,” Michael wears a green wristband (Rex’s favorite color, we were told in the first episode), the house is greenish, the doctor’s office is greenish, you’ll see a lot of greens, blues, and grays everywhere, and everything has a cool tint. On Hannah’s side he wears a red wristband, the house has warmer colors, the doctor’s office has a lot of reddish brown, you’ll see a lot of reds, browns, and yellows everywhere, and everything has a warm tint. Giant kudos for the extra work it must take every week to set up those colors in those shots, and to ensure the continuity of the tinting.

Once you see these things it becomes obvious; so obvious, in fact, that we are rarely shown the wristbands again. Lesser shows would feel that the green laundry, the red dishes, the green tie, the red-brown walls, are not enough and would insist on having that wristband constantly in your face. You know it’s true. So far, though, keeping it straight isn’t required. I suspect there may come a time when knowing exactly who is who on each side becomes necessary, but I also suspect that will happen at about the time we’re getting the hang of it anyway.

It will be interesting to see how his home life with each family member may affect his work life. And then there’s that other very cool aspect of the show: the way he learns about a case on one side through an unrelated case on the other side. I can’t help but wonder if there will come a time when one or both partners embrace and support his other-side knowledge as an advantage, or if it will be resented as almost a cheat, or if the sheer implausibility of it will rule.

The great thing is, the production allows me to wonder all of these things because it has made room for questions and has supported my faith that there are many possible paths. When viewers are treated as intelligent it is much easier to have faith in the intelligence, and storytelling skill, of the writers.

Now to the specifics of this episode. It is just as good as the first while not being a carbon copy. Every element once again works beautifully together. The writing and the execution of the many kinds of grief of not only Michael and Hannah and Rex but of … err, another unrelated character, are subtle and delicate and layered and often heartbreaking but never ever overdone. And the way Britten as detective has to handle each of his partners is appropriate for each while remaining true to his character.

There is one disappointment in this episode, and that is the use of a trendy storyline. It’s important to note, however, that it is recognized as such out loud, and moreover, that the storyline isn’t just tossed off but is discussed much further than I have seen elsewhere and therefore given additional complexity. Finally, it turns out to not necessarily be the most important storyline of the episode. Just. Keep. Watching.

Acting, direction, editing, and production, all top notch again. Dylan Minnette has some terrific teen moments that will alternately irritate you and make you all misty. You know, like a teen. Really well done. The ever-so-slight development in the two doctors’ behaviors is perfectly executed by BD Wong and Cherry Jones. And Jason Isaacs once again triumphs with his multi-faceted portrayal of a detective, father, husband, and man walking a tightrope.

This show, like Fringe, or honestly like any mystery show, is an even richer experience on a rewatch. You can pick up on things you might have missed the first time, plus, as I keep saying, it’s just a joy to watch, so do try to find the time.

Awake is definitely an established entry on my very short “A” list. It is only because of that one little dip, and because I can easily see this crew producing an even more excellent entry in the near future, that this episode is awarded anything less than the highest mark.

I give Awake: Season 1, Episode 2 “The Little Guy” Four Out of Five Stars.