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Thursday, April 5, 2012

Staying Awake with Jason Isaacs

Is anyone watching Awake?


I've been intrigued by this premise for a long time, that a man lives a dual existence, one where he lives with his son after his wife's tragic accident, then wakes up to find himself living a life with a wife who survives and a son who was killed. It's got a stellar cast - the fantastic Jason Isaacs, BD Wong and Cherry Jones as his two psychiatrists, Steve Harris and Wilmer Valderrama as his different partners at work. So far, though, it seems to still be in a kind of holding pattern, like it can't completely decide what it wants to be.

Is it a police procedural? Is it about the existential questions it raises? I think it's striving to be both, but it's not quite gelling for me yet. I'm not sure why. Performances are solid enough. Everybody is believable, committed to his or her reality. I wonder if it's because it straddles the believable line too strongly. It's not eerie enough to raise questions about either side, and the focus on solving crimes in both as tools to help deal with the emotional baggage that comes from the grieving process is a tad too pat.

However, I'm sticking with it. I like procedurals, so if it chooses to go in that direction, I'll be in. I also enjoy mind trips, so if that's the way it goes, I'm there, too.

Plus, Jason Isaacs. I mean, come on. Those icy eyes. That voice. It's worth it just for him.

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