Belated TV Review: "Awake"

Because of my last post's aforementioned 5000 plates, I didn't get to see the premiere episode of NBC's newest genre drama "Awake," until tonight. And I have to be perfectly honest admit that I thought... well, about that in a moment (or three).

Ruggedly handsome Jason Isaacs, best known to American audiences as Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter films, is Detective Michael Britten; a man who is having a rather unusual experience -- or should it be 'experiences?'-- after a devastating  auto accident. Mike seems to have found himself torn between two realities. In one, his wife Hannah (Laura Allen from "The 4400" and "Terriers") survived the accident but not his son. In the other, his son Rex ("Saving Grace" and "Lost" alum Dylan Minette), instead of his wife. He goes to sleep in one reality and awakens in the other. He is seeing a therapist in both realities, who offer conflicting advice and opinions and each other's therapies, while insisting their counterpart is a fantasy. B.D. Wong ("Law & Order: SVU") plays the aggressive realist who insists Mike's other world is a dream, while the always impressive Cherry Jones (the last POTUS on "24") is the more sympathetic shrink, though equally insistent on her own reality. Mike also has different partners and cases in each world, though both cases have similar details which seem to impact on one another. Wilmer Valderama ("That 70's Show;" "Royal Pains") and Steve Harris ("The Practice;" Quarantine) are the respective partners.

New genre TV hasn't been so good, so far (see "The River") this year. But I must admit that the first episode of  NBC's "Awake" has me intrigued. We know nothing about Mike and his family's lives before the accident, so what bearing does any of that have on what's happening to him? Why are some things leaking over from one reality to the other? Which world (if either) is reality?  

Isaacs, with his rugged good looks (and impressive American accent) is exceptional in his performance as an emotionally devastated man who has decided to try to embrace the duality of his existence rather than deny one for the other. Allen and Minette are both seasoned up-and-comers who are able to deliver the kind of solid performances needed in show like "Awake." It helps that both of the therapists are played by two highly-regarded (and openly gay) Broadway and TV veterans in Wong and Jones. 

Show creator Kyle Killen ("Lonestar") has done a fine job in setting up the premise by starting right in the middle of the story, with possibly the most minimalist (is that an oxymoron?) exposition possible, which made me immediately want to know about the events that led up the accident and what effects (if any) they have on what's happening now. The show is beautifully shot in alternately realistic and semi-dream-like styles and anchored by the dedicated performances from an excellent cast.

The central conceit of "Awake" is about as high-concept as genre TV can get. It also joins "Fringe" (for my money, the best show on broadcast TV) as the second contemporary network series to feature alternate universes, albeit in very different ways. ***1/2 (Three and a Half out of Four Stars).

Have you seen "Awake?" What did you think? 

More, anon.
Prospero

Tim Minchin vs. Harry Potter and the Blog of Destiny

Sorry about that silly title. Okay, no I'm not. You know I loves me some nonsense. As proof, below is an actual line of dialog I wrote for a custom murder mystery (something I did briefly in the 90's to try and make an extra buck and fund my regular theatre company). The character was a diabetic who had been poisoned with sugar and became incoherent just before her death.
Her final words -- I'm almost ashamed to admit (but not ashamed enough to not post them) -- were:

"There's a great mammal on the gramophone this dictatorship! Let's all go to Venezuela and smell it!"

Those of my friends who read this (and my sister)* who took part in those custom shows, are either the most wonderful and amazing and trusting and insane friends or members of a mind-control cult led by yours truly. In this same production, which was a Hollywood spoof called "Whatever Happened to Mr. Ed?" I had two sisters named Hedy Lamour and Dorothy Lamarr. Dorothy was a paraplegic and Hedy her sadistic care-giver. We actually convinced the kitchen staff to serve a rubber rat under a tray -- which they promptly and hilariously trumped by pouring gravy over it!). It was also the first of only two times I've done drag - my character died and then his "Identical Twin Sister" showed up. So scary... And so much for my early writing career...

*Who will laugh and not be offended by that link - she knows I don't actually think of her in that way (and she is still the only person who always gets me).

Anyway... I visit about a dozen or more websites and blogs daily, and maybe another 8 or 10 that I visit weekly. Most of the sites I visit offer links to all kinds of weird, wild, wacky and wonderful things (and who doesn't love a healthy dose of comedic alliteration? W's and K's are always funny) and I often get ideas for Caliban's Revenge from them. Anyway, when I'm really desperate, I visit YouTube, FunnyorDie and Hulu. Occasionally, they provide with little gems that can inspire some ramblings.

Tonight, because I had posted a few of clips previously, YouTube suggested that I view another one. So I did. And here it is (language NSFW):

I love the abso-friggin-lutely off his rocker mad look in Tim's eyes in that video. It sort of reminds me Terry Jones at the organ on Python.

Then, linked to that video was this clip which almost made me wet myself laughing:

Personally, I don't get the Harry Potter thing. I read the first book on a flight from Philadelphia** to Tampa and still had time to take a nap. I thought Rowling was an "Okay" writer who liked having fun with words, but I'd much rather read King, Straub, McCammon, Barker or Gaiman for my doses of Fantasy. Though more than one of my dear friends are avid Potter fans, my reaction is "meh." My interest was only piqued when Rowling made this shocking announcement:

While not enough to warrant it's own "The Gayest Thing" post (if only because it's old news), it's gay enough to be included on this blog.

So, what does any of that have to do with each other? No farging clue, my dears. Stream of Consciousness is often a very scary (or at least, moderately disturbing) thing. Damn you, James Joyce!

And my motto, of course: "A little nonsense now and then / Is cherished by the wisest men." I hope the rest of your holiday weekend is is silly, safe and satisfying (there goes that damned alliteration again!).

**That link is especially for D.

More nonsense, anon.

Prospero