The Little Guy

Tonight's second episode of Awake definitely cemented my interest in the show. It's not that the show has rocketed into my, say, top 5 favorite shows right now... but it certainly seems to me like the best detective show of the moment.

Most cop shows don't even bother to inject much personal interaction or character development into the proceedings. Even the few that do tend to keep those elements wholly separate from the week's crime. What struck me most about tonight's Awake was that the crime itself revolved around a very emotional story -- of the young man learning his father's real identity, feeling a sense of violation in his very own DNA. The character's plea as he confessed, to simply not allow others to go through what he has gone through, was just so far advanced beyond the normal cop drama fare. You know, the typical, vaguely Scooby Doo-esque confession that tends to conclude every episode of other cop shows?

Even that would have been enough to satisfy me, but of course, Awake is operating on another level too -- that of the two-reality conceit. This week's episode had a strong subplot there, of Michael trying to help his wife cope with the loss of their son, and her discovery of the motorcycle in turn helping Michael to bond with him in the other world. It seemed like honest family drama within the heightened premise. Very encouraging.

It seems that part of the ongoing story is now going to be the truth behind Michael's accident. It seems a conspiracy of some sort is at play there, affecting at least one of the two worlds. That may grow into another layer of entertainment, but the moment I think the show is doing just fine without it.

I'd say at this point, my only complaint -- a minor one -- is that when it comes to Michael's two therapists, the scales are tipped heavily toward Dr. Evans right now. Her caring and encouragement make her a much more likeable character than the prickly Dr. Lee. What's more, her acceptance of the two realities as a useful exploration is consistent with our view as the audience, seeing both worlds for ourselves. Thus, Dr. Lee is left as a bit of a heavy in this tale, and I think he'll need some propping up at some point. But hopefully there will be time for that.

I'm already looking forward to next week...