Awake (TV series): Difference between revisions

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A high-concept [[Cop Show|cop drama]] premiering on February of 2012 in which Police Det. Michael Britten, played by Jason Isaacs, lives a double life in two separate realities after being in a car accident with his wife and son. In one reality, his wife Hannah (played by [[The 4400|Laura Allen]]) survived the accident, but their son Rex (played by Dylan Minnette) did not. When he falls asleep, he goes into the second reality, where the exact opposite happened; Hannah died, but Rex did not. The show follows Britten going about his life in each reality, mourning for his wife, son, and ''both'', in the two realities, as well as seeing two separate psychiatrists who have contrary opinions on the significance and psychological benefits of the "subconscious alternate reality" that he's created for himself.

 

 

Despite exceptionally positive critical review, the series was cancelled. Interviews like [http://www.tv.com/news/awake-q-and-a-creator-kyle-killen-explains-the-finale-and-more-28770/ this] offer additional wrap up and insight as to the series had it gone on.

 

* [[Acquitted Too Late]]: {{spoiler|Green reality John Cooper is shot dead before Michael figures out he was framed. Red reality John Cooper is set free.}}

* [[All Just a Dream]] / [[Or Was It a Dream?]]: The main premise of the show. Throughout the series, psychiatrists of both realities vie to make Britten believe that only their reality is real. When he carries information (such as a location, description, or the appearance of someone not seen in a long time) from one reality to the next, he is frequently left unable to figure out in which reality he was first made aware of it, as that is most likely the "real world." And on the flip side, there are suggestions that both realities are possibly dreams since later in season 1, Britten begins having dream-like occurrences that both psychologists say might happen early in the season.

* [[All Psychology Is Freudian]]: Dr. Lee is probably Freudian based on how he interprets Michael's dreams. Dr. Evans treats his dreams very similarly, but is said to be a Jungian psychiatrist. Neither seem to be trying any modern cognitive or behavioral therapies, but he did apparently get sleeping medication from Dr. Evans.

* [[Aesop]]: Occasionally crops up but mostly for Britten himself. For instance, in "Game Day", we find out that he's stopped caring about certain things like sports because in living in two worlds, he's seen the same situation play out in two different ways due to minor differences. His stance is thus "It doesn't really matter"; however, by the end of the episode, he realizes that while those minor differences may not matter in the long run, their ramifications can be pretty dramatic. A fact he realizes when... {{spoiler|he considers when Rex got Emma pregnant.}}

* [[Cannot Spit It Out]]: Averted -- Britten had told his wife about his experiences, until she told him to stop. However, at the end of the pilot she seems to be opening up to hearing about what's happening in his other reality.

* [[Chekhov's Gun]]: {{spoiler|In the first episode, Britten says that he'd be willing to give up his sanity to be with his family again. This is what ends up happening by the end.}}

** And in the season/series finale when {{spoiler|he arrives in a third reality where both Rex and Hannah are alive, it's white lighting and they're wearing mostly neutral outfits.}}

** Also in the finale {{spoiler|when he speaks to himself, the red world is in an orange prison jumpsuit, while the green world version is in his typical blue suit.}}

** {{spoiler|Harper, Hawkins, and Kessel also qualify as this.}}

* [[Downer Ending]]/[[Bittersweet Ending]]/[[Happy Ending]]: {{spoiler|All three! The red reality ends with a [[Downer Ending]]; Britten's probably going to be in prison for the rest of his life and the criminal who caused his son's death got away with it. The green reality has more of a [[Bittersweet Ending]], in which he catches the criminal but has to stop believing in the red reality to make it happen. He then ends up in a third reality which seems to him to be a [[Happy Ending]], but viewers could see it as one of the others.}}

* [[Evil-Detecting Dog]]: In both realities in "Oregon", dogs bark at Britten, leading him to a dead body in the green reality.

* [[Framing Device]]: The pilot has Britten talking to two therapists in two separate realities.

** The show centers on how Michael's life would be different based on a possibly very small change in one event before the start of the show.

** "Kate is Enough" shows how the eponymous character's life would be drastically different if her mother had pushed her just one more time to get through her grief over the death of her sister.

* [[Sadistic Choice]]: Suggested by his psychiatrist in the pilot episode. His [[Take a Third Option]] was to sacrifice his own sanity to keep both alive.

* [[Schroedingers Gun|Schrödinger's Reality:]] Even though Britten's life should have been exactly the same until it split at the accident, it isn't: Events before the accident that occured outside Britten's perception range may vary depending on the plot. {{spoiler|Like Kate in "Kate is Enough" who had lived a drastically different life because of a decision her mother did or didn't take years ago. Also, whether or not Emma, Rex's girlfriend is pregnant varies - in the world where Rex lives, she miscarries. In the world where he dies, she doesn't. In both, she got pregnant just before the accident.}}

* [[Shadow Archetype]]: Gabriel Wyath III is acknowledged by Britten as what he fears becoming: a man suffering from mental illness, who's lost everything due to his refusal to recognise the death of a loved one.

* [[Take a Third Option]]: {{spoiler|The last scene of the series shows Britten ending up in a world where both Rex and Hannah are alive. This ''could'' be interpreted as the rest of the series being [[All Just a Dream]], but [[Word of God]] states that it's just Britten digging himself deeper into delusion.}}

* [[Terms of Endangerment]]: The Gemini Killer in "Oregon" refers to the FBI detective whose been following his case for years by her first name.

* [[There Are No Therapists]]: Averted. Britten has ongoing treatment with two different therapists in each reality, Dr Lee and Dr Evans, each of which are major characters in the series. The episode "That's Not My Penguin" is also set largely in a psychiatric hospital, and several therapists appear within.

* [[Two Scenes, One Dialogue]]: Happens occasionally and in some cases, it's the same person saying the same thing in both realities.

* [[Villainous BSOD]]: {{spoiler|Harper}} is working to keep things under control frantically yet effiecently. Then what {{spoiler|she's}} done catches up with {{spoiler|her}}, and she breaks down. [[Determinator|Briefly.]]

* [[Working the Same Case]]: In the preview, this happens. Due to the premise of the show however, Britten himself is working on the same case (or at least, a case involving similar culprits/victims) in each reality with each reality providing clues to reach the final confrontation in both.

* [[Wrongfully Accused]]: John Cooper was framed by Michael's ex-partner and busts out of jail (in the green reality) to prove his innocence.

 

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[[Category:Action Adventure Series]]

[[Category:American Series]]