NBC has a new series, Awake, on Thursday nights at 8 CT/ 9 ET that has the potential to fill the void in our blog pop culture discussion left by the departure of Lost. The premise of Awake is that homicide detective, Michael Britten, is in a car crash involving his wife and son. He then faces two realities. In one his son survives and his wife is killed and in the other it is the other way around. He goes to sleep and wakes up in the other reality.
In both realities he sees a therapist who tries to convince him that he is simply dreaming the other reality. Each therapist is very persuasive. But both scenarios feel equally real to Britten. And he’s not entirely sure he wants to give up being able to continue his relationships with his wife and son, even if they occur in alternative and potentially illusory realities.
Besides the engaging premise, the show provides some nice twists to make it all a little more complicated and interesting. Events in one reality help provide clues to solving crimes in the other. And the varying personalities of his therapists seem to reflect what he is lacking in each scenario: a stern and confrontational figure or a compassionate and nurturing one. The varying color themes in the alternative realities add a nice visual touch.
Of course, many promising premieres have fizzled quickly (e.g. Flash Forward or Once Upon A Time), but let’s hope Awake holds up and fills our geeky need for pop culture blog posts.
Posted by Jay P. Greene 
Jay P. Greene's Blog 