First of all I would like to say something about the camerawork in this show, because it's really stunning. I really do not know anything about this kind of thing, but I found myself gaping at the picture. I watch a lot of TV, I can honestly say there is not a show out there that sets up shots quite like this. It was almost like a short, well directed, movie. Anyway, before I started watching Awake I was wondering how they were going to use this very interesting premise in a TV show. Its something I pictured as movie or maybe a miniseries. But Britten just continues on with his life in both lives, acting as a detective with two different partners. What's interesting is the two cases he's working on will often intersect making it seem as though he dreamed about the answers to his respective cases. It's very intriguing and reminds me of a really good show I used to watch with my parents called Medium where the main character would dream of answers to the cases she was working on. But this is very different because he's not really dreaming. At least I don't think he is. There's a very interesting section in the pilot where Britten is at his therapist (he has two, one for each life) where he tells her that the other shrink convinced him that that life was real and the one with her was not. The "red" therapist (he wears a red wristband when he's living in the world where his wife lived, a green one for his son) gets out pages the U.S. constitution and tells him to turn to a random page and read out-loud in the middle of the page. He does so and then quizzically looks at her, wondering what the point was. She asks him if he has memorized the entire United States constitution. He says no. She responds with the fact that he couldn't have read that passage perfectly if she was a dream.
I'm really excited to see where this show goes. There's definitely some confusing elements that will draw in the fantasy lovers, but there is also a crime-solving element that will play to the hearts of mystery lovers such as myself. But, this will not be easy. There are a lot key steps that must be taken in order to keep the show interesting. If every show is exactly the same but with a different case to solve, the viewership will die of very quickly. Now I'm obviously exaggerating, but in all seriousness just like any other show, it has to do things that will excite the audience and make us want more. Dexter is a very good example of that. It's a very interesting show just by mentioning the fact that it's about a serial killer working for a police department. But how can they spice that up more? There are so many twists and turns in their plots. The audience is always wondering what's coming next. It's never predictable! For Awake to truly be successful, it cannot be predictable.
Also, this is sort of a side-note, but as I was watching I couldn't help wondering who one of Britten's partners was. He looked really familiar, especially his accent. I kept thinking about it all throughout the pilot racking my brain as to who this actor was. I ended up looking up the actors name and realized that he played Fez in That 70's Show! It's very strange to see him in this serious drama, but also quite interesting. Ashton Kutcher not too long ago started on Two and a Half Men, and Laura Prepon just began on Are You There, Chelsea? It seems like the actors of the popular sitcom are emerging once again to demonstrate more of their talent.
Overall, I was very impressed with the pilot of Awake. It set up a lot potentially interesting episodes for the future. Will it last ten seasons or only ten episodes? I'm not sure. I guess we'll just have to wait.
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